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FRANK ? : 1893 - 1920s FASCINATING, ORIGINAL PAIR [2] OF MANUSCRIPT DIARIES DETAILING A SOMERVILLE MASSACHUSETTS MAN'S LIFE OVER A 43 YEAR SPAN

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is a most unusual and interesting pair of journals. They date from 1893 and 1896 respectively. They measure 8 inches by 4 1/4 inches and contain 184 pages. The binding of one journal is quite worn and the 2nd is almost detached. Many of the pages in the first journal are loose but all are accounted for. The writing is quite legible. The author's name is Frank. From context, we know that he was born in 1873. He lives in Somerville, MA. The journals are interesting as they are essentially snap shots of his life taken at different times between 1893 and 1926. The first covers that entire period. The 2nd volume has several entries dated Dec 27 and 31, 1899 and Jan 1st, 1900 and Mar 14th 1900. The first volume is the most detailed. It begins with him taking a train trip west to visit the Chicago World Fair. He describes his journey west, in some cases with simple pencil sketches accompanying his notes. "Grazing country hop growing flock of sheep looking for their lake ... Lake Ontario 10:20 Chicago World Fair. After a fine night sleep I am about to go to breakfast will communicate further during the day being the first real day at the Fair" [June 6, 1893]. "Figures in Chocolate solid weight of Venus de Milo" 14:50 Sousa Band electrical illumination Torches on [ ] Building" He states on June 7th that he is finished with the Fair. But subsequent entries showed that he stayed a few extra days. He notes the places that he stops on his return trip as well, such as Hamilton, ON and Buffalo, NY He doesn't actually state when he arrives home - the entries simply cease. The next entries are in 1896: "After three years, it is very interesting to look over the foregoing ... my notes strike me as childish and not noteworthy" [Dec 10, 1896]. During this section of his journal he bemoans his being unemployed and describes his pain at the death of his father. It is a very difficult time for him personally and the reader can feel his sense of loss and depression. He reflects on the time passed: "We are on the eve of moving our household back to Somerville, back to the homestead. Our funds have sunken low - some paintings are on the market and furniture has been sold and I - the only son and who should be the mainstay of the family - I am out of work!" The next entries skip ahead three years. "This now nearly three years since I have seen this book and many changes have taken place in that time. They are changes which have influenced my entire life and to judge from the present outlook the influence has been the reverse to what it should be [Sept 30, 1899]. He does finally find work: "In six days, I shall start for the West. I go for the Contractors Plant Co. And to sell the Portable Gravity Concrete Mixer." [Dec 20, 1899] He is optimistic although he does lament not having someone in his life to love. He makes no more entries for 5 years. "Not quite 5 years since I've wrote here. Great have been the changes! ... I have a daughter, now five weeks old and as happy a Godsend as one could wish! ... All happy and contented. My affairs are in good shape and full of better promise." [Aug 23, 1904] He notes that he now owns his own home and his own belongings. He writes optimistically of the future. The next entry is 16 years later. He notes that he found the journal when he was unpacking boxes after a move. There has been illness and he has been in the hospital while his son was bed-ridden with a serious kidney ailment. "... We shall pull him through with God's help" [Mar 30, 1920]. Six years later, he comes back to the journal. He notes that his son recovered and is quite healthy. However, his wife suffers from unexplained nerve pain. He talks about being fortunate: "... We are fortunate in the worlds goods because we have more than we need and some of the luxury is ours. We have a Cape Cod house which we all enjoy. ..." [May 31, 1926]. He takes real pleasure in his son and daughter and sees the future with optimism. His last entry is in October, 1926. He expresses concern for their economic future: "A new note enters into our lives. The matter of business causes worry as it slips down and down ... I should like ten years more of full earning power. ..." [Oct 15, 1926]. Three years later, at age 56, he, along with millions of Americans, will be plunged into the depths of the Great Depression. For a historian taking a long view, this is a fascinating look into the mind of a young man as he grows and grapples with the challenges of building a life for himself. He came of age during the Panic of 1896 when the economy crashed, taking with it hundreds of banks and thousands of businesses. He struggles through this crisis and builds a successful life. One wonders how he fared in the later years of his life.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Fair

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