A Line a Day

Recently I picked up this day journal at a local antique store - I couldn't resist. The diary was kept by a woman in my town from 1915 through 1919. These two post cards, blank, were also in the diary. There are only 2-3 lines per day as that is how the journal is set up, but it's really interesting to read in of itself, nevermind that she went to school (for teachers) at the college blocks away from my house and visits parks that are still around today. I have gathered that she isn't all that young, maybe mid to late 30s. She has some daughters, one of which lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Literally, a quarter of the entries include a note that someone she knows or someone she knows of in the town has died, which I thought was so weird. She often wakes up at 4am, just to start house chores or whatever and she always mentioned that laundry and gives a number in parenthesis after. For example, "Washed (75)". Did she wash 75 items? Why note that? No idea.

One night I read all of 1915 and jotted down some highlights:

• February 23, 1915 
Tue. School again, but I am too dull to amount to anything. Heard a robin twitter on my way home."
I liked this entry because it's no different than something I would note in February, or when spring is approaching...


• April 24, 1915
Sat. Hot. up at 4:30. Washed (98). Did nearly all ironing. Colored man moved lawn and put in screen. Early trees in bloom. Took off underwear (???). Asparagus up. 


• May 7, 1915
Fri. Rainy. Alice went home at 11:36 taking her mother with her. 'Lusitania' torpedoed at 2:30 this P.M. off the coast of Ireland. Belle Saunders' husband drowned."


• May 23, 1915
Sun. Rainy. Ruby & I to Grand Rapids on new electric road. Left at 8:35 & arrived home at 8:10. Fine time.


• October 10, 1915
Sun. Called at Mrs. C's on way to church and found her dead. Called help. They took her to the morgue. To Allan's to baby's birthday dinner. 


• December 15, 1915
Wednesday. Busier than two bees. 

Evelyn Nesbit

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c.1910s Evelyn Nesbit photo by Charles Dana Gibson

A few years ago I read American Eve: Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White: The Birth of the "It" Girl and the Crime of the Century. I think it's safe to say that if you read my blog, you'll love this book. The book is an account of the life of Evelyn Nesbit, a woman I didn't realize I had seen many times before knowing who she was. You know all those turn of the century drawings of the beautiful woman with the "Gibson Girl" look? Much of the time when you see them you are looking at the face of Evelyn Nesbit. Her story is a juicy one with all the hype that's ripe for Hollywood. I won't attempt to retell it here, you should read the book, but you can also read a pretty fantastic two-part blog post on her at Caviglia's Cabinet of Curiosities. And for even further reading, ByGone Fashion & this post.