"Adelia Innis's Music book," bound manuscript, music theory textbook, 43 pages, United States (Poughkeepsie, NY), 1829-1834

A carefully prepared handwritten textbook laying out in detail key signatures, scales, intervals and chords in both treble and bass clefs, suggesting use as preparation for learning the keyboard. It includes at the end her novice repetoire, including traditional tunes (Auld Lang Syne), marches, songs (e. g., "The last link is broken"), and waltzes. Like many surviving teenagers' books of the period, it contains scribblings, numerous signatures of her name, and a humorous observation in pencil: "Can it be, Mrs Beaufort on tiptoes peeking in." It also contains the signature of a different person (though contemporaneous): "Miss Mary Sheffield, New York."
Adelia Innis (1817-1887) was a member of a prominent industrial and political family of Poughkeepsie. Her father, Aaron, was founder of the Innis Dye Works, whose building still stands, and her brother George served three terms as mayor.