Collections

This collection consists of three diaries kept by Blanche Luella Barhite between 1904 and 1913. Blanche, who was was 17 years old in 1904, records her daily events and chores, and talks about social activities and family life.

Diaries and photographs, circa 1930s-1940s, of Muriel McCormick. McCormick was a staff member at the United States embassy in Paris, France, from 1945-1946, and much of the collection chronicles her travels through Europe.

Five-Year diary, 1938-1942 of an Agnes Wullenwaber of Illinois. Brief daily entries describe chores and social life with the occasional comment on political events. There are a few entries in the back regarding checks received which indicate that she worked at least for part of the time the diary was kept. For more detailed description, provided by the seller, see folder link below.

Diary of Ann Lettice Murdoch (1785-1865) of Frederick County, Maryland. She was the wife of Richard Potts (1786-1865). The diary contains a lot of entries of religious nature as well as aphorisms. In addition, Ann L. Murdoch frequently recorded deaths in her family and community - including the death of black servants - and of friends and family members in other states. She also talks about her church, local politics and mention Richard Potts' and other family members' professional obligations, like being called away to Fort Levensworth, Kansas and being elected president of the local bank, going to San Francisco as a surgeon, etc. Other topics are an orphanage and a farm that both Ann Murdoch and her husband were involved in managing.Furthermore there are comments on epidemics, national politics and emigration to Liberia. Ann Murdoch mentions exchanging letters with her African-American friends, sending a package to Liberia, and having a visitor from Liberia come to town to encourage Blacks to emigrate.Also included in the back of the volume are two photographs of Ann Lettice Murdoch and Richard Potts.For more details and selected excerpts from the diary, see folder link below.

Diaries, 1846-1861, of an unidentified woman of Lakeville, Livingston County in New York State. Other place names mentioned most frequently: East Avon, Albion and Lima and Lakeville Rd. in Avon. The writers mentions the last names of her relatives as Stevens, Jones and Hicks. She also has a sister named Nancy and a brother Charles.The writers describes her chores, like candle making, soap making, spinning and weaving and social calls, health and medical treatments and taking care of sick community members. Also mentioned is a trip to Niagara Falls in the 1840s.For excerpts, provided by the seller, please see finding aid link below.

Two diaries, 1919-1921 and 1921-1922. In daily entries, writer records weather, chores and daily activities, church and social visits, health of friends and family, etc. At the end of each volume there are lists of deaths and weddings, and some accounts, one of which has the heading 'Ladies Aid.' Based on this particular account and on some of the activities described (like making jam for a neighbor) the writer was most likely a women. In front of one volume, and also on some pages scattered throughout the diaries, writer records names and addresses of several people in Clarendon; Chicago, Illinois; Hedgesville, West Virginia; and Bristol, Tennessee.Some of the diary entries suggest that the writer might have been located in the southwestern part of Virginia, or nearby Bristol, Tennessee, but further research is needed to support this claim.

Diary, 1933-1937 of an unidentified woman who lived with her husband and two sons outside Binghampton, New York. Brief daily entries described chores, social visits, family events, etc.The back of the diary was used to record births and deaths from the 1930s to 1946.

Five Year Diary, 1945-1949 by an unidentified author. The entries describe activities typical of a homemaker, which suggests that the writer was a woman.Entries were made on a daily basis and describe weather, cooking and baking, social visits, health, trips, etc. Although no place of residence is given, place names mentioned in the entries like Bridgewater, Bridgeport, Terryville, New Haven, and Roxbury, suggest Connecticut as the writer's state of residence.