Mount Pleasant High School 1919 graduation memento miniature box with lock and key in it

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We recently received the David Priest family papers, which includes early Isabella County, Michigan, and Central Normal School materials. This cute little aluminum box, a Mount Pleasant High School 1919 graduation memento, caught my eye. On the front it says OUR CLASS, OUR SCHOOL, WITH BEST WISHES. It pivots open, with some difficulty, to reveal a tiny lock and key, perhaps to lock away your memories, keep them safe, and never forget them? I wonder how many of these were sold in 1919 and who manufactured them as there is no identification on it. This is the second box of this type I have seen in my career. I think it is made of aluminum. It's very light weight and a bit of a challenge to open. Here are some additional photos (below). From the one side it looks like a miniature bound book. We know it is 1919 MPHS from the family's notes. How cute is this? It will be a bit before we process the records.



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