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UNIDENTIFED : 1933 FASCINATING DARKLY CYNICAL HANDWRITTEN JOURNAL WITH DOZENS OF ORIGINAL SKETCHES, CARICATURES, JOKES AND LYRICAL POEMS AUTHORED BY AN ARDENT IRISH PATRIOT, CRITIC OF CORRUPT POLITICIANS EXPRESSING THE MOOD OF MANY IRISH CATHOLICS ON THE NEW DEAL

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is a superb highly original journal by an unidentified author with entries made from December 1932 to March 1933, all pages are densely filled with text and pictures, interlacing harsh political criticism and caustic humor with lyrical poems and patriotic pro-Irish addresses. Though there is no author's name or personal details in the journal, it may be understood from the text that he was of Irish origin, had catholic education and, most probably, belonged to clergy and likely high ranking as he mentions spending some time in Richmond-on-the-James in Virginia - at the end of the journal there is an address dedicated to Richmond, after which he wrote the following: "This made me friends with all classes and nothing was too good for me. It was mistake leaving it". He also mentions events in New York, Cleveland, Steubenville. At the time when the journal was written he lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it may be assumed that he was close to Father Boyle, and was actively participating in Irish organizations activity - in one of the entries he mentions organizing a mock convention of Pennsylvania delegates, in another meeting with a newspaper editor. The entries in the journal greatly vary from jokes, comments to different events, spiteful descriptions of politicians, often accompanied by their sketch portraits, to lyrical and nostalgic poems about Ireland. All written with a wry wit, and very sharp insightful comments and barbs that belie a very keen intelligence. The topics include war, political conferences, eugenic laws in Delaware, birth control, Einstein's visit to the U.S. The journal contains several dozen pictures, mostly very recognizable sketch portraits of politicians, businessmen, members of clergy, also Hitler, Calvin Coolidge, Eamon de Valera, Rockefeller, Roosevelt, and some persons who are less known today. In the beginning the author gives a note: "N.B. All the decent men in this book have pink complexions, others have yellow mugs", yellow mugs are definitely prevailing. Most entries take two or three pages, and many of them have similar structure - a description of a famous person with his or her portrait and a title, like "Our most prominent blackguard" about Herbert Hoover or "Our greatest sin" about Woodrow Wilson, in his sarcastic descriptions he does not spare harsh words, calling them pigs, rodents, dirty bastards. This is what he writes about Hoover: "When the above slave murderer robber and traitor American is getting planted he will surely verify the scripture's prediction "of a dog returning to his vomit"". Almost every record includes a number of news lines, mostly gloomy: "At Beaver, PA. A horse kicked mule to death. At Rushville, IND. A boy and girl are wounded at dance. Franklin, PA. A man and daughter are hurt in auto mishap. Cleveland,O. Thugs murder a female welfare worker", for some of the news he provides comments: "Delaware lawmakers want all insane persons executed. By my faith they should be the first ones to get the axe". Throughout the diary he expresses strong-anti-war and pro-Irish sentiments, at the last part of the journal contains a number of poems: "This is my own on Irish Eyes, written in 1914: Dear Irish eyes, sweet Irish eyes/that speak with laughter, tears or sighs/thro' times dark centuries the same/undimmed by work, unstained by shame/their limped depth of holy blue/outrivals skies of azure hue..." Absolutely fascinating.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Very Good+

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