05/28/2026
🎓Congratulations to Bessie Bernstein, Stillwater HS Class of 1919
As graduation party season arrives, many families are pulling out photo boards and memory displays filled with school pictures, awards, and snapshots of friendships. More than 100 years ago, "The Girl Graduate Her Own Book", a themed scrapbook by Louise Perrett and Sarah K. Smith, helped Stillwater graduate Bessie Bernstein do much the same thing.
Bessie Bernstein, a member of the Stillwater High School Class of 1919, filled over 80 pages of her scrapbook with photographs, handwritten notes, report cards, invitations, newspaper clippings, commencement programs, fashion sketches, and messages from friends and teachers. The pages capture everyday student life in Stillwater just after World War I and show the excitement surrounding graduation and the move into adulthood.
Some of the scrapbook’s photographs suggest a family with opportunities for travel and recreation, including trips to Chicago and access to a quality camera, uncommon luxuries for many families of the era. The scrapbook also preserves connections with classmates and friends who graduated in earlier years and from communities beyond Stillwater.
Donated to Stillwater Public Library by one of her descendants, Bessie’s scrapbook survives today as part of the St. Croix Collection at Stillwater Public Library. The scrapbook offers a fascinating look at high school life in 1919, reminding us that while styles and technology have changed, the desire to save memories of school days, friendships, and graduation celebrations hasn’t changed much at all.
Visitors can view the scrapbook by requesting access to it at the library or by visiting the Minnesota Digital Library website, searching “The Girl Graduate Her Own Book” and filtering by contributor: Stillwater Public Library.
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