WELCOME TO SALLY’S DIARIES:
Before I get started describing this piece, I want to let you know that I have a podcast. I’ve taken some diaries from my private collection and shared them on our podcast called “Diary Discoveries.” We’ve got 48 episodes out now and you can find it on all the usual podcast venues. So if you enjoy the compelling and adventurous stories from vintage diaries then please check it out.
Plus, I was asked to do a TEDx talk in Vienna about this very thing, collecting diaries, and if you are interested in this sort of thing just put into the search engines “10,000 diaries” and you should come up with it. It was a privileged and blessing to be able to share what I’ve learned in the last 36 years. And with all that said……
Up for auction today is a 1929 diary that has full handwritten entries for the entire year. And, perhaps one of the best things concerning this diary is that our author is from Brooklyn but spends most of her time at her seaside home in Sea Girt New Jersey. In fact she spends more than three months there in the summer of 1929. I found some incredible history about this wonderful seaside town on the web and I quote…..
“During the 19th century,
what now comprises Sea Girt was originally farmland owned by Dr.
Charles Montrose Graham and Mr. John Sherman. In 1853, Commodore
Robert F. Stockton acquired the large tract of land and built a
lavish summer estate in the area between Stockton Lake and Wreck
Pond. Yet it was not until 1875, after a group of Philadelphia land
developers purchased the land that Sea Girt's growth as a community
was spurred. Although during the early years Sea Girt was mainly
inhabited by vacationers in the summer months, it quickly developed
into a year round residential community.…..Later in 1909, lots in
Sea Girt were sold off for summer homes by the investment company
known as Sea Girt Company. Later in 1917, Sea Girt was officially
incorporated. Before that, Sea Girt was part of Wall Township.
Eventually, by 1920, the erosion brought the ocean slapping the edges
of the foundations as the building fell into disrepair. The ol’ gal
was snapped up at auction by Nora Stubbs who was quite the
businesswoman for her time. She had the original Stockton beach house
demolished. She had both the side wings moved back 100 feet and
joined creating an entrance in the center. This brought new life and
again was the popular spot for many high-profile folks. It is
reported that the famous comedian, Fred Allen frequented in the ’30s
and ’40s.”
Now there isn’t a name of our author but she did have a sea side home in Sea Girt and I believe a big one because she talks about the “Big House” and the “Little House” and one of them has a greenhouse which she uses all the time as she’s an avid gardener. At one point she says, “Little house looks like a florist shop. ”
If you are interested in this area of New Jersey this would be a fantastic piece for your collection. Some of the names of the folks that she mentions in her diary that were from Sea Girt are: Furbish, Oliver, Lambert, Emerick, Shotwell, Code, Sade, Barber, and more.
I would say that our author spends more of her time in her Sea Girl home than her apartment in Brooklyn New York. In fact the diary opens up with her spending the New Year in Sea Girt. She also uses this diary to write down a lot of very historical events that occur especially when it comes to aviation. She mentions Charles Lindbergh and calls him “Our Lindy.” Then there’s the Zeppelin that flies over the area and lands at Lakehurst. Plus the St. Louis Fliers who were in the news at that time because they had been in the air 17 days and also the Spanish Fliers who tried to fly the Atlantic but got lost. She’s also big on political news, talks about different shipwrecks, travels to Ashbury Park, whale sightings off the beach and more. There’s really so much to this diary. Here are a few example entries…..
1923
“January 7th, Nice and sunny but cold. President Hoover is back from his S. American tour. Glad to write Hoover instead of Smith as President. Finished all my thank you letters. Great load off my mind. Went down town and bought Miss Sade a slip, a shirt, underwear and stockings.”
“January 16th, Beretha and I stopt at Mrs. Taylor’s on Grand Ave. to get my books from Walter Taylor. He is the little colored who is doing such good work at Erasmus Hall and Miss Code is so crazy over him. B. and I walked from there to Grand Ave.”
“January 21st,…..Very heavy clouds overhead. We heard a plane overhead at 6 P.M. and was afraid an aviator was lost in the sky but when I went out it was a plane advertising the Cadillac car.” (She says she is trying to stay away from theaters because so many of them have colds and flu)
“January 28th,….Haven’t heard from Harriet in weeks, don’t know whether she is sick or mad or dead.”
“February 1st,…..Heard from Alta and she and her Grandma are both sick. This is the third winter so far that I have not had a cold. Have not been to a movie since coming from the country on act. (account) of the flu epidemic.” (News on Charles Lindbergh, the famous pilot, which she calls “Our loved Lindy”)
“February 23rd, Very cold but lovely sunshine. The snow has melted into hard blocks of ice that make it hard to remove. Most of the men that are working in the street cleaning gangs look so thin and ill fed. Poor things. Our Lindy is flying to Mexico to see his best girl…..”
“March 20th, Beautiful. Went to N.Y. to Peter Henderson’s and bought the garden seeds. There was a large crowd at city here so I stopped and gaped as Goldman’s band was playing. It was a reception to Capt. Einar Lundborg who rescued Gen. Nobel of the Italia when it was wrecked in the Arctic. I saw the Capt.”
“March 26th, Cleared off. I got up at 6 A.M. and got a cab to the subway so as to avoid the early A.M. rush 7 A.M. and went to Sea Girt. Miss Furbish gave me a lovely dinner she came down March 18. Staid by myself in the house. The greenhouse was very dry but a good many stocks and Alyssum were out.”
“April 3rd, Soft and warm again, altho it tried to rain. Miss Code and I drove over to the Barber farm, they were not there of course but we went for Arbutus and we each picked a big bunch. I gave some to Miss Furbish. I got one of the benches in the greenhouse ready for planting. The stock is lovely and sweet. We went to a fire in Belmar, large Hotel burnt, a new one.”
“April 12th, Just poured all day long. Went to Sea Girt, the storm is a Nor'easter here. The coast is battered. Point Pleasant has lost about 10 houses. The things in the back yard look frost bitten. The daffodils are out, lovely and tulips are coming. Miss Atkins came down with the Mines.”
“May 25th, Just too lovely. We put on bathing suits and worked out in the garden. We got a new load of top soil. Yesterday hundreds of frost fish came in on the beach. I gathered 2 wheelbarrow loads and planted them in the garden. I met some people who had come form Wayne Co. Miss Warner and Mrs. Lambert. They knew Miss Sterling.”
“May 31st, Very hot. Nearly passed out on the way to Sea Girt. Went for first dip of season, the water just right. We had quite a little excitement along the shore as a monstrous whale was out close to shore. The Barber’s came over and brought the Me, gorgeous and my Westfall. Eve had a frightful thunder shower. Only Miss Sade came as Miss Code is going to Hartford Sat.”
“June 21st, It was so very cool when I started for Sea Girt on the usual train. I was afraid I’d have to go back for a winter coat. Every one seemed to be going to work in warm winter clothes. When I got to S.G. the weather was just perfect. Miss Putman and her mother gave me a lift as they were on the way to Spring Lake.”
“June 30th, Very nice and cool. So cool I did not go in for a dip. Mary Kenny came down and staid to tea. The Spanish fliers that started to fly the Atlantic and were lost were found by the British Airplane Currier Eagle near the Azores. They had been drifting in their sea plane for a week.”
“July 17th, Each day is like a string of lovely pearls, no one can find words to describe the perfect sunrise and sunsets and the marvelous moonlight and sunny days. Not too hot or cold, just perfect. We sat out and soak in all the sunshine we can. Miss Code and I went to the farm and came back loaded.”
“July 30th, Delightful since the storm. St. Louis fliers are on their 17th day in the air. Mrs. Kendell and Miss Furbish came to luncheon, put on a bathing suit and worked most all the afternoon in the garden. On the radio tonight the St. Louis fliers came to earth a few minutes past 17 days in the air.”
“August 2nd, Beautiful and cool since the rain. We got the house in the most perfect order and put in lost of flowers. The Oliver's have signed a contract to take the big house for Sept. We heard on the radio the Zeppelin will arrive at Lakehurst Sunday. People are going there in droves all ready. Misses B. took dinner with Miss Furbish.”
“August 4th,…..We had the thrill of seeing the Zeppelin come from the sea and swing over to Lakehurst. Great excitement when it came...”
“August 7th, Miss Code and I took back county for a ride. We saw the dearest old house, it looked a couple of thousand years old, anyway but guess it was at least 100. There was a long walk bordered by Box trees. Sweet and old fashioned for words.”
“September 18th, Wind is blowing from the N.E. and looks as if it might be getting ready for something devilish. Miss Emerick gave me a lot more of the tiny tomatoes and I’ve preserved them with cinnamon, lemon, sugar and vinegar. The garden looks so lovely now it would be a shame for a storm to come and spoil it. Miriam was around as usual.”
“October 6th, Beautiful weather, sunny and warm. We got up at 7:30 and misses B. went to play golf with Mr. Emerick. The Oliver’s left today ans as soon as they did we started in to carry the things from the little house over to the big house one. We heard the Phila. Symphony orchestra under Swarowsky play over the radio before we left for home. I was gone from Bklyn. just 3 months and 7 days.”
“November 6th, Lovely all day long. Mrs. Smith and I went to _____ lecture on Yellowstone and New Tetons National Park. Very interesting and instructive. The amendment for the boardwalk went thru sad to say in spite of the opposition in Sea Girt.”
“December 19th, this is awful the 4th day of rain. There is nothing to say but it is foggy and raining. 2 ships. St. Victoria and Algonquin crashed into each other off Sandy Hook…..”
The binding and pages look good but there is some foxing and “ghosting” where something had been left in the pages and created a shadow effect. The cover is very worn. The diary measures about 4” x 7”.