Diaries and Journals

Scope and content:

Series 1: Diaries and Journals, 1899-1982, includes diaries kept by Jessie Holbrook Bacon Ford, Esther Joa Ford Robinson, and Daisy Bacon. Overall, the diary entries are typical in that they document weather, daily activities, visiting, and illnesses. Jessie Bacon Ford's 1899 diary is unbound and comprises more than forty pages. In it Jessie writes about daily activities with frequent mentions of Daisy, who was an infant at the time. Jessie's diaries also include periodic mentions of having "lonely days." Daisy chronicles her work on Love Story Writier and also frequently mentions dreams. Evidence of Daisy's alleged suicide attempts and overall mental health can be found in both Esther and Daisy's diary entries. A more detailed analysis of Daisy's mental health is discussed in Laurie Powers's Queen of the Pulps. Apart from her diaries, Daisy also frequently chronicled her dreams and kept several journals in which she summarized them.

Access and use

Location of collection:
James Madison University
Second Floor Room 203, MSC 1704
Carrier Library
James Madison University
880 Madison Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Tiffany Cole
Phone: (540) 568-3444
Phone: (540) 568-3612
Fax: (540) 568-3405
Parent restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact research services staff at library-special@jmu.edu before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Original audiovisual materials contained in this collection are restricted from access. Reformatted access copies may be available, or media reformatting may be available upon request. Contact research services staff at library-special@jmu.edu for additional information.

Parent terms of access:
Copyright is retained by the creator(s) and their heirs for materials they have authored or otherwise produced that reside in this collection. Copyright status for other collection materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

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