This collection consists of two postcard albums, a newspaper clipping scrapbook, several photographs, and varied ephemera. The postcard albums were assembled by the Hoskins family of Knoxville, Tennessee. The 529 postcards are dated from 1903 to 1925, though many of them are blank, likely purchased as souvenirs by either the Hoskins family or friends.

The first postcard album likely originally belonged to Mary Mills Hoskins, as there is a postcard with a message about its suitability for her “book”. The bulk of the postcards that were mailed are addressed to Mary (Mrs. William P. Hoskins) and her children Mamie (or Maymie), Bessie (Mrs. U.D. Beeler or “Bess”), Nellie, and Horace. While many were sent within the family, there are also cards from a great number of friends and acquaintances. Betsey Beeler Creekmore, Mary Hoskins’ granddaughter, donated the collection.

The newspaper clipping scrapbook belonged to Amanda Gibson of Knoxville, Tennessee, daughter of W.W. Gibson, a prosperous businessman in the local printing industry. It mainly consists of local society announcements, including weddings, parties, social events, and obituaries, all dating from the mid-1880s to the early 1920s. The original item was photocopied for preservation purposes and removed.