This album comes from Annie Mabel Watson nee Lumley, born in 1900, died in 1999.

Her parents Charles and Sarah Jane Lumley ran a general store in Ashhurst. When Charles died in 1912 the family moved to Palmerston North. Jane ran a small boarding house, circa 1914 onwards in Ferguson Street, where Pak ‘n’ Save is now.

These autographs largely come from World War I when Mabel was in her late teens. Many are from soldiers at the adjacent Awapuni Camp [Awapuni racecourse, Palmerston North],** **home to one of New Zealand’s largest training camps in World War 1 and an important location for the training of the New Zealand Medical Corps. staff.

Some hand drawn and painted illustrations included.