Dimensions: 17.5 x 11.5 cm; period leather binding with gilt details. Very good condition (pages slightly soiled; binding professionally restored).
A scrapbook belonging to Helena Bagniewska, daughter of Albertina née Chodecka (1812–1903) and Feliks Bagniewski of the Bawola Głowa (1802–1834), containing 34 entries from 1850–1857 and 4 drawings.
Among those who signed the autograph book were:
- Adam Bagniewski of the Bawola Głowa coat of arms (1803–1873), Helena’s uncle. An economic activist, banker, and high-ranking official of the Kingdom of Poland, he served, among other roles, as a member of the Council of State and director of the Treasury Commission, as well as the owner of the estates of Gledzianów, Sronczyn, and Cyców. In 1846, he carried out a rent reform for the peasants in Gledzianów; later, he was active in the Agricultural Society, and from 1866 onward, he served on the Board of Directors of the Warsaw–Bydgoszcz Railway. Entry from 1850.
- Wojciech Chodecki (c. 1785–1860), Helena’s grandfather. A resident of Łęczyca County, chairman of the local Welfare Council of Charitable Institutions, former member of the Sejm, and previously a military officer and aide-de-camp to French General Petit. Entry dated July 29, 1851, Tkaczew.
- Albertyna Bagniewska, née Chodecka (1812–1903), Helena’s mother. A landowner and philanthropist, daughter of Wojciech Chodecki. Entry dated January 9, 1852, Gledzianówek.
- The Krzyżanowski family: Ludwika and Piotr, and their sons Ludwik Adam and Zygmunt Julian. Entries from September 29, 1851.
- Gabriela Puzynina, née Günther ( 1815–1869). Poet, playwright, and diarist, associated with the cultural circles of Vilnius. At her estate in Horodziłów, she established a center of social and artistic life, hosting, among others, Władysław Syrokomla, Stanisław Moniuszko, and Henryk Wieniawski. Her diaries are of particular significance, offering a vivid account of the lives of the landed gentry and the intellectual elite of 19th-century Vilnius and Warsaw. Entry from August 16, 1857, Marienbad.
- Franciszek Wężyk (1785–1862). Poet, playwright, prose writer, translator, and literary critic, as well as an active participant in political and academic life. He served as a deputy to the Sejm of the Duchy of Warsaw and the Kingdom of Poland, as a senator and castellan, and in 1831 he signed the act of dethronement of Tsar Nicholas I. Associated with the Kraków academic community, he served as president of the Kraków Scientific Society from 1856 to 1860. Entry dated August 18, 1857, Marienbad.
- Aniela Karśnicka of Lubczyna. Entry dated August 21, 1857.
Among the entries are also:
- Gabryella. This may be an entry by Narcyza Żmichowska (1819–1876), who wrote under this pseudonym. A poet, novelist, educator, and one of the pioneers of the Polish emancipation movement, she gathered around her a circle known as the “Entuzjastki” (Enthusiasts). Entry dated May 18, 1850, Warsaw.
- J. Koź... This may be an entry by Jan Koźmian (1814–1877), a Catholic priest, journalist, and social activist who participated in the November Uprising and later became an émigré associated with the circle at the Lambert Hotel. After returning to Poland, he became involved in the religious and social life of Greater Poland. He is considered one of the precursors of Polish Positivism and a proponent of the idea of “organic work.”
- W.P. This may be an entry for Wincenty Pol (1807–1872), a poet, geographer, and regional historian, a participant in the November Uprising, and a recipient of the Order of Virtuti Militari. He combined literary activity with geographical research. He was a professor at Jagiellonian University and the author of popular works, including *The Songs of Janusz*, *Songs of Our Land *, and *Mohort*. A verse entry from August 19, 1853, Zoppot (Sopot).
