Asa and Sarah Packer Golden Wedding Anniversary Album, January 23, 1878

The Asa and Sarah Packer Golden Wedding Anniversary collection is composed of an impressive wedding album (68 gilt edged unnumbered pages) measuring 40.5 x 33 x 11.5 cm containing black and white photographic portraits of the anniversary couple on the frontispiece, a sample of the reception invitation, and original letters of reply submitted to the organization committee, social calling cards, a newspaper sketch depicting the social event and poetry written for the occasion. The Packers' two sons served on the committee and collected the letters to enter into the album. There is one unrelated item found in the Album. In the sample of the invitation envelope is enclosed a social card announcing Lucy E. Packer's affiancing? or wedding? with G. B. Linderman on August 21, 1856. Lucy, the Packer's oldest child, had died in 1873 and was not present at the anniversary reception but it is supposed that the inclusion of the Lucy Packer social card was to indication acknowledgement of her spirit.