On May 3, 1900, Katherine Bickham in Spokane, Washington, wrote to Paul Laurence Dunbar in Washington, D. C. A former resident of Dayton, she was a member of Spokane Sorosis, a women's literary club. Bickham asked Paul for an autographed letter and said that he was the club's author of the month.
The 28th of May has been selected as the day devoted to your life and work and if you will kindly aid us by mentioning your favored selections besides an autograph letter for our album. This album is the club's greatest treasure, as it contains autographs of many of the most celebrated writers such as Longfellow, Holmes, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Alice Cary, Harriet Beecher Stowe and many others. We will consider ourselves especially favored.
Katharine F. Bickham to Paul Laurence Dunbar, May 3, 1900. Paul Laurence Dunbar Papers, Ohio History Connection (Microfilm edition, Roll 1).
Throughout his career, Paul was often asked for autographs, and his wife Alice helped to meet the demand (even after Paul's death).
Yesterday, Mr. Young had me called downstairs to meet Thomas Nelson Page and Grace Greenwood, then about a dozen other people wished to meet me, so I held an impromptu reception for about half hour. It is very tiresome playing lion and having people exclaim over your youth and ask for your autograph.
Paul Laurence Dunbar to Alice Moore Dunbar, March 18, 1898. Paul Laurence Dunbar Papers, Ohio History Connection (Microfilm edition, Roll 8).
I mailed you the Fanatics. It's beautifully gotten up, isn't it? I know you want to send Mr. Keen a Fanatic, but if I send you a book to autograph and send, that will be the end of it, so if you will send your autograph on a thin paper and his address, I'll paste it in and send him one at once.
Alice Moore Dunbar to Paul Laurence Dunbar, March 22, 1901. Paul Laurence Dunbar Papers, Ohio History Connection (Microfilm edition, Roll 8).
I send you all the mail there is except a request for an autograph which I sent, as you had left one here. I'm going to send you some blank cards to autograph for me to send.
Alice Moore Dunbar to Paul Laurence Dunbar, March 26, 1901. Alice Dunbar-Nelson papers, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library (Newark, Delaware). MSS 0113, Box 4, F92.
Seventy-five copies of my book sold yesterday and the news agent smiles upon me. I spend my spare time writing autographs.
Paul Laurence Dunbar to Alice Moore Dunbar, April 24, 1901. Paul Laurence Dunbar Papers, Ohio History Connection (Microfilm edition, Roll 8).
Have a hectic day what with straining off my grape wine and hunting through the cellar for letters of Paul Dunbar in order to get an autograph for Carl Van Vechten.
Diary entry, October 9, 1927, by Alice Dunbar-Nelson. Published in Give Us Each Day: The Diary of Alice Dunbar-Nelson, edited by Gloria T. Hull. W. W. Norton & Co. (New York, New York). 1984.