Album amicorum of Geertruydt van Engelsteedt

Geertruydt van Engelsteedt, daughter of Anna van Harinxma, opened her album in 1604 with the coats of arms of her parents and grandparents and the motto 'Gelooff vnd Eere'. Most of the people to whom she presented the booklet in the twelve years that followed were female members of the Frisian nobility and undoubtedly belonged to Geertruydt's immediate circle of friends and acquaintances. The contributors usually followed the example of the album owner and limited their contribution to name, coat of arms or coat of arms sign, motto and (by no means always) date. In three cases, the youth and marriageability of the album owner and contributor coloured the contribution in question.

Joest van Welvelde tried with a persuasive poem, but Geertruydt did not seem to be impressed. Another suitor came forward in the person of Frans van Jongema. In 1616 he had a gouache made showing Tobias crossing a river accompanied by the angel Raphael, and he provided it with a striking rhyme. However, the angel did not lead him to Geertruydt, but to Trijn van Ockinga, with whom he got married on 21 October 1621.