Manuscripts; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 365 pages; On offer is a fine 5-year diary written by a woman in the years leading up to America's entry into WWII. The author is Addie E. Podransik. She was born in 1876 in Illinois and married Wallace Wilson Robinson on October 28, 1903 in Chicago. They had one child together. She later married Joseph Nikolaus Podransik. They had no additional children. Addie passed away in 1951 at the age of 75, and was buried in Brookfield, New Hampshire. Informal research has discovered no additional biographical information about Mrs. Podransik. Her diary is writte... View More...
On offer is a fine diary written by a young woman in Lancaster County, PA in the early 20th century. The author of the diary of Anna Sophia Musser. She was born in Lancaster County, PA, likely in the village of Robertstown. At some point she married a man named Ashton and moved to Middlesex County, MA, where she passed away in 1953. Informal research has not turned up any additional biographical information about Musser. The diary opens on a sad note: "The family was around all day and a very sad New Years for us as our sister was lying dead and we couldn't realize it was New Years. Friend... View More...
On offer is a wonderful 5 year diary kept by the wife of the Executive Vice-President of one of America's iconic corporations, Coca-Cola. The diary covers the years 1954 through 1958. The author of this diary is Ardis J. Barbee. She was born in 1907. Her adult life was spent in California, where she lived in Beverly Hills. She passed away in 1996 at the age of 89. She was 47 when she began this diary. Although her full name is not inscribed in the book, context clues confirm irrefutably that she is the author. Ardis Barbee married Cecil R. Barbee in 1949. He was born in Manhattan in 1889. At s... View More...
On offer is a fascinating example of African-American music dating from the late 19th century. This one-page piece of music is written on a page that is glued (either purposefully or through time) to a piece of letterhead from an American business college. It measures approximately 12.75 inches by 7 inches. The paper is in fragile state with some creases partially torn. All of the words are clear and visible and the handwriting is quite legible. The song is entitled DE Ole Rusty Hoe. The name C. R. Evans and the date, December 1894, are noted on the bottom, as well as on the reverse. African-A... View More...
On offer is a fascinating first-hand account of a young American sailor in the Korean War. This slim notebook measures 6 inches by 3.5 inches and contains 136 pages. It is 10% complete. The cover, binding and pages are all in good condition. The handwriting is quite legible. The author of this notebook is Doyle O. Crain. Born in Tulsa, OK, Crain was 18 when he entered the United States Navy. Crain passed away in 2009 at the age of 75. Casual research had not turned up any additional biographical information. Crain's notebook begins on June 13th, 1952 and ends on August 6, 1952. He was posted t... View More...
On offer are two volumes of poetry and prose written by a talented young American writer. These two books are soft-cover, lined notebooks. They are in excellent condition. Included with them are a number of loose-leaf pages and a black and white photograph of an unidentified woman. The author of this collection is Elinor Presson Richardson. She lived in Essex, MA. She was born in 1905 and passed away at the young age of 24. Following secondary school, he attended Tufts University and was a member of Sigma Kappa sorority. The book of poetry opens with an entry dated October, 1919, written when ... View More...
On offer is a very well-written diary of a New Jersey woman, written at the beginning of WWI This diary measures 6 inches by 3 inches and contains 365 pages. It is approximately 85% complete. The covers are in good condition with some light wear marks. The spine and binding are also in good condition as are the pages. The handwriting is legible. The author of this diary is Emily Caroline Smith. She lived in Boonton, NJ. She was born in April, 1876 and lived her entire life in Morris County, NJ. She passed away in 1956 at the age of 80. Smith is 37 when she writes this diary. The diary covers 1... View More...
On offer is a wonderful look life in a small town in the U. S. South through the eyes of a young working woman. The diary was written in 1939 by Essie Lee Nash. Nash lives in Hemp, North Carolina (now renamed Robbins) and works in one of the mills in town. Our informal research has not turned up any additional biographical information about her. In her diary, she recounts in detail her daily routines and the many people she interacts with. One key consideration is her social life, especially with young men. One such entry reads: "Dear Diary. I just made a mistake but I'll let this be the '... View More...
On offer is a superb pocket notebook kept by an American soldier in occupied Germany in the months immediately following World War One (WW1). The author of this notebook is Ezra Skow. Little is known of Skow's early life. He was born in 1892 and enlisted in the U. S. Army in about September, 1918 at the age of 25 or 26. Burial records in Benton PA indicate that he was attached to the 156th Infantry Regiment. However, there was no 156th Infantry in the United States Order of Battle in WWI. In his notebook, Skow records that he served in the 56th Infantry. This accords with the record of service... View More...
On offer is a well-kept Jewish, middle class teenage girl's five-year diary from the 1930's in New York City. The author of the diary is Florence Heller. She lives in New York City and context suggests that she is 16 years of age when she begins it. Our informal research has not found any other additional biographical information about her. The diary covers the years 1933 and 1934 with several more entries scattered of the following 3 years. Her family is Jewish and as owners of a shop, occupy a middle class position in the community. There are no references to the widespread economic woes of ... View More...
On offer are two diaries written in the early years of the 20th century, written by Gertrude Steele, wife of Dr. John Murray Steele USN. Gertrude Steele was born in 1865 and passed away in 1931 at the age of 66. Her husband had graduated as a medical doctor from the University of Pennsylvania in 1875 and had immediately joined the U. S. Navy, rising to the rank of Commander. They lived in Annapolis, MD. Our informal research has not turned up any additional biographical information. The first diary dates from 1916. Her entries show that she enjoyed a good standard of living, reflective of her ... View More...
On offer is a fascinating diary in very good condition by Helen Frances Horning, a fifteen-year-old girl in the early days of the Great Depression in the American Midwest. Horning (married name Hoskins) was born in 1915 and lived in Indiana her entire life. She passed away in 2011 at the age of 96. Graduating from high school in 1934, she didn’t return to university until 1967. She became a teacher and taught for fifteen years, retiring at the age of 70. The diary was written when Horning was fifteen. It is chock full of the events and names of individuals that made up her busy adolescent life... View More...
On offer is fine diary written by a young woman in upstate New York at the outset of World War One. The author of this diary is 18 year old Helen Meyer. She was born in Marcy, NY in 1896. Her grandfather was Mortimer Mayhew whose family had been early settlers in this area of upstate New York. Mayhew had once been the assessor and tax collector for Marcy and had served 7 terms as town supervisor. Her mother was Laura F (Mayhew) Meyer. She taught school and in 1890 was elected as School Commissioner for the First District of Oneida Co, NY. Our informal research has not discovered any additional... View More...
On offer is a collection of 19 historically significant documents pertaining to military service of Herbert Arscott, including a war-time photo, a booklet with handwritten notes, an active service pay book, and post-war correspondence from the Board of Pension Commissioners for Canada. These documents represent milestones of his wartime experience, and also of many Canadians fighting in the Great War. As the majority of Canadian soldiers at that time, Herbert Arscott was born in Britain, in the town of Wellington, and enlisted almost immediately after the war was declared. He served at the 5th... View More...
On offer is a fantastic group of notebook journals that belonged to Horace R. Hobart. Hobart led a long and illustrious life in newspapers, gazettes, and magazines. Born in 1839 he was a Wisconsin Cavalry Quartermaster in the Civil War starting in 1861 until being wounded in Arkansas. Beginning in 1866 he wrote for the Chicago Tribune as a reporter than was Editor of Chicago Evening Post (1867-1870), Co-founder of the Chicago Evening Mail (1871-1873), Editor of Chicago Evening Post (1873) again, editor and 1/2 owner of Daily Journal in Jacksonville, IL (1874-1875), editor of the Chicago Morni... View More...
On offer is a unique collection of five letters that detail several financial transactions during the American Civil War. The first letter details a financial transaction between one J. C. Anderson and a Mr. D. McLaren. McLaren is identified further on in the note as "Brigadier of the 115th Ohio Volunteers". The 115th Ohio Infantry was organized Massillon, Ohio, and mustered in September 18, 1862, for three years service under the command of Colonel Jackson A. Lucy. After being raised, they were moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. They were assigned to duty by detachments as provost guard and g... View More...
On offer is a very special 1870 letter book of the noted American Civil engineer, John A Byers. The book measures 11 inches by 9 inches and contains 500 pages. Other than the faceplate, there are only 2 pages of tucked in entries - an unfinished letter. The book's cover has separated from the binding but all pages are intact. John A. Byers, noted Civil Engineer known for his groundbreaking work on internal improvements in 1850s Virginia. Byers was born in 1806 in Lewes, Delaware, and died in 1872. Among many roles he had over his distinguished career he was the Civil Engineer and Superintenden... View More...
On offer is a fascinating, original 1850 manuscript letter handwritten by L. M. Waddel, of the prominent Montgomery Presbyterian family who writes dear Cynthia Ann from Montgomery, a long chatty letter full of local news and gossip touching upon many of the sad and happy times of the era including the death of a dear friend from 'consumption' [tuberculosis], marriages, politics, a humorous quote about Presbyterians having plenty of children and plenty poverty. The 8.25 x 10.75 letter has the original fold creases; some soiling and age wear but overall G.; Manuscript; 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾... View More...
On offer are a set of six diaries written during and immediately following WWII in rural America. They paint a wonderful view of life in a small rural community. The author of these diaries is Lena Carey. Carey was born May 14, 1880 in Walton NY. She was married to John Carey. Together, they had 2 daughters. She passed away in 1970 at the age of 89. A housewife, she was a leader in 4-H work for 10 years; active in the Home Bureau and for many years a member of Walton Grange and Delaware County Pomona Grange. She lived on a farm very close to Walton. Interestingly, Walton is close to Agloe, the... View More...
On offer is a pair (2) of original diaries authored by Lester Glotfelty (1905-1949), a farmer from McHenry area giving a powerful evidence of day-to-day life of western Maryland farmers in 1930s known by iconic photographs by Jung and Ben Shahn. Lester was a son of John and Sarah Glotfelty, whose ancestors arrived in Pennsylvania from Switzerland in the 18th century, and whose grandfather, William Glotfelty, moved to Maryland in mid-nineteenth century and bought farming lands from heirs of James McHenry. At the time when the diaries were written he lived with his parents, two sisters and a nep... View More...
