In the realm of historical research, primary sources like diaries and letters offer an invaluable window into the past. These firsthand accounts provide a level of detail and authenticity that secondary sources often cannot match.
Author: diaryfile
Katharine Hepburn’s Letters to Sal: 140 Personal Notes from 1980-1997
We recently acquired an enchanting collection of 140 letters that the iconic Katharine Hepburn sent to a friend named Sal between 1980-1997. Across seventeen years of correspondence, Hepburn’s notes delightfully reveal her personality and approach to friendship. Hepburn was ahead of her time in communication style. Many of her short, […]
Journal of Benedict Arnold’s 1775 Expedition to Quebec and the Ensuing Battle of Quebec
This is the 1775-1776 journal of Captain William Humphrey, detailing the secret expedition to Quebec under the command of Colonel Benedict Arnold. The journal also captures the ensuing Battle of Quebec during which Captain Humphrey was taken prisoner. He continues his journal as a prisoner of war until he and […]
1878 Diary of a 15-Year-Old Girl in Gorham, ME
This is the 1878 daily diary of Alice A. Shurtleff, a 15-year-old girl living in Gorham, Maine. Table of Contents Background Selected Images The Diary Comments Background According to a note at the beginning of the diary, 15-year-old Alice A. Shurtleff of Gorham, Maine received this 1878 diary as a […]
Second Boer War Diary by an Officer of the Imperial Yeomanry
This is a diary of letters written by an officer of the British Army’s Imperial Yeomanry who was stationed at Fort Wonderboom in Pretoria, South Africa in 1900 during the Second Boer War. Table of Contents Background Selected Images The Diary Comments Background The identify of the author of this […]
Diary of a Union POW after the Battle of Sabine Pass II
This is the diary of Stephen H. Wright, a soldier in the New York 75th Infantry during the American Civil War (1861-1865) who was captured during the Second Battle of Sabine Pass on September 8, 1863. This battle was part of a failed attempt by the Union Army to invade […]
1863 Diary of a 17-Year-Old Teacher in Upstate New York
This is the 1863 diary of Hulda Comstock, a 17-year-old teacher in Albion, NY. Table of Contents Background Selected Images The Diary Comments Background Hulda Comstock was born in 1846. In this 1863 diary, she lists her location as both Albion, NY and Carlton, NY. Hulda kept this daily diary […]
The Diary of Silent Film Actress Clara Kimball Young
This articles details a diary that Clara Kimball Young kept during the year 1921. Clara Kimball Young was a hugely popular American actress during the early silent film era. A 1914 poll showed that she was the most popular actress in America at the time. Clara appeared in over 150 […]
1874 Diary of a Young School Teacher in Liberty, NY
This is the 1874 diary of Flora Emaretta Parsons, who turns 20 on July 18 during the diary year. At the beginning of the diary, she is finishing her last year of schooling. In May 1874, she begins working as a school teacher and boarding near the school, sharing with […]
Diary of an 1852 Voyage from India to Boston
This is the 1852 diary of Minerva Sears who was born in 1819 and was in her early thirties at the time of writing. Minerva is accompanying her husband, Captain Joshua Sears, on a voyage from Boston to the Isle de France, then to Calcutta, and back to Boston. They […]