Lady Guendolen Ramsden (1846 - 1910)
Birthday Book, 1888
Printed and handwritten ink on paper
Blue Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner maintained this charming book to keep track of her friends’ birthdays. It records Gardner’s celebrated acquaintances, including many within Henry James’s social circle. They include the pioneering psychologist William James, who was Henry James’s elder brother, and the artist John Singer Sargent. Their birthdays in January appear back-to-back on the right hand side of this volume.