When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
**MUSEUM-QUALITY EDWARDIAN TIME CAPSULE: 1896 \"Wonderful Story of Christ\" Leather Book, Antique Pressed Clover & 20-Piece Auburn, NY Ephemera Archive**
Up for sale is an incredible, museum-quality domestic history time capsule tracking the faith, daily life, and quiet devotions of an Edwardian-era family in Auburn, New York.
**THE HISTORICAL BACKSTORY**The foundation of this archive is an original 1896 copyright edition of *The Wonderful Story of Christ and the Apostles*. Over a 20-year span, an Auburn resident named Catherine Frances McGregor used this beautiful volume as a personal family scrapbook—using its heavy pages to press, protect, and preserve deeply meaningful items from her family\'s daily life.
**✨ THE PRESSED CLOVER DISCOVERY (A POETIC COINCIDENCE) ✨**One of the most extraordinary, deeply personal elements of this time capsule is an antique pressed (3) leaf clover. It was found carefully preserved over a century ago between pages 312 and 313. This location directly intersects **Acts 12:1–15**—the famous New Testament passage detailing the miraculous angelic rescue of the Apostle Peter from prison.
In Victorian and Edwardian floral language, the three leaves of the clover represented Faith, Hope, and Love (as well as the Holy Trinity). Catherine\'s choice to press this specific botanical token into a chapter debating the presence of \"Peter\'s angel\" and celebrating miraculous answered prayer adds a breathtaking layer of intimate family provenance to this piece.
**COMPLETE 21-PIECE ARCHIVE INVENTORY**Tucked carefully inside the book is a beautifully preserved archive consisting of:
* **1 Antique Pressed Three-Leaf Clover:** Preserved inside the pages of Acts 12.* **12 Original Church Documents (1897–1899):** Hyper-detailed bulletins, weekly schedules, and pamphlets from the First Presbyterian Church of Auburn, NY, under the prominent pastor Rev. Dr. William Henry Hubbard.* **1 Rare Printing Anomaly:** A collector\'s dream—a church bulletin accidentally misprinted with the non-existent calendar date of \"Sunday, April 31, 1899.\"* **1 Victorian Christmas Card:** An ornate, embossed holiday card bound with its original colored yarn, featuring a printed message from \"Aunt Lizzie to Ada.\"* **1 High-Society Calling Card:** An elegant piece of cardboard stock printed with \"Dr. Evans,\" used for formal home visits.* **1 Religious Tract Booklet:** A 4-page folded story titled \"Made Clean\" by Joseph Fraser.* **5 Vintage Newspaper Clippings:** Inspirational Bible thoughts, including a fascinating 1910s/20s snippet tracking King George V\'s massive 200-volume royal stamp collection.
**CONDITION & PRESERVATION NOTES**
* **The Book:** The exterior leather boards have held up beautifully with no spine splitting. However, the binding is loose and the first few pages are detached. It grades as a Fair / Reading Copy.* **The Ephemera & Clover:** Exceptionally well-preserved due to being shielded from light and air for over a century.* **Professional Packaging Care:** To ensure safe transit, the 12 church papers and personal ephemera have been carefully slid out of the book. They are stored flat inside separate, safe protective layers so the heavy weight of the book does not crease, crush, or tear these delicate historical pieces during shipping.
**SHIPPING & HANDLING**Ships securely wrapped in a sturdy box with tracking to ensure this historic New York archive arrives safely at your doorstep. International shipping is fully supported via \'s International Shipping Program.