The above is the old pen inscription written next to the three examples of Scherenschnitte that are pasted on the back cover of a NOW-EMPTY 19th Century scrapbook/album.

This scrapbook was kept by Dr. Edward Elisha Phelps (1803-1880) and his family.

Also pasted beneath the cut-work on the back cover of this album is Dr. Phelps decorative "business" or "calling" card c1850s with a Latin? inscription. The card measures about 1.75 x 2.75" and is pasted into the album but otherwise in good Condition.

The cut-work with fence, trees, etc., on top measures about 3.5 x 7.25".
The blue paper containing the "Tea Party" & "Woman Knitting" cut-works measures about 3.5 x 7". This highly-reflective dark-blue background paper is glued onto the back cover of the album, but otherwise in good condition.

ALL THE PAGES OF THE SCRAPBOOK HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND ARE NO LONGER PRESENT.

Only the front and back covers of the old scrapbook remain -- with the rare examples of Scherenschnitte pasted on the inside of the back cover along with Phelps' calling card.

The album covers are in quite poor condition as is the binding of the book which still attaches them together. However, the back cover of the album could easily be detached from the front cover, and the old folk art cuttings framed or otherwise displayed.

It should be possible to remove the blue backing paper from the scrapbook cover with some careful effort if one was so inclined, but not sure what would be the best process for doing so.

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A brief bio of Dr. Phelps amended from: The Vermont Journal December 18, 1880 follows:

EDWARD ELISHA PHELPS (1803-1880) was born in Feacham, Vermont, April 24, 1803; his father was Dr. Elisha Phelps. He graduated in Medicine at Yale, in the class of 1825. Dr. Phelps' health being poor he spent some time in the South, assisting in a survey of the Dismal Swamp canals, and devoting himself incidentally to botanical studies. He seems always to have been a student of plant life. In 1828, he commenced his professional life in Windsor, Vermont, when in September 4, 1830, he married Phoebe Foxcroft Lyon, of Boston, Mass. They had one daughter.

In 1841 he was appointed lecturer on materia medica, medical botany and medical jurisprudence in Dartmouth Medical School, and held the chair of materia medica and therapeutics and lectured on botany until 1849, during this time collecting a very complete museum of medical botany for the college. In 1849 he was transferred to the chair of theory and practice of medicine which he occupied until 1871, when he retired from active college work and became professor emeritus. In 1851 and 1852 he traveled in Europe.

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The scan below shows the old scrapbook covers, the scissor cutting, and enlarged details (the actual folk art cuttings appear much more 3-Dimensional against the highly-reflective blue paper background than the scans show below):