1935 Original Handwritten Diary by a College Student Spending a Busy Summer Working and Socializing in and around New York City

On offer is a wonderful diary by Edith Margaret Libby, a college student spending the summer at her home in New Jersey and visiting New York during the Great Depression. Libby was a student at Central College in Fayette, Missouri, at the time of writing this diary. An inscription notes a second address in New Jersey, across the river from New York City, which appears to be Libby's home. It is likely that she is home on a summer break from college and her entries describe places and events in New York City.

She opens her journal noting a trip to see Les Miserables. In view of what was going to happen in a few short years, she makes an interesting observation: "I'm glad I went. Its a picture to make one think, and to be thankful that he doesn't live in an age of galleys and revolution, tho we seem to have uprisings pretty close to the latter" (July 23).

An entry on July 24 suggests that Libby was studying education with a plan to teach secondary school. "This morning I went to Columbia and got a library school catalogue. Their school sounds very good but it costs too much, I'm afraid. Went to a class in the teaching of music appreciation in high schools."

The author describes some of the places she visited, such as the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and the Art Museum. She also notes many of the comings and goings of her fellow students: "We dined out tonight, walking down Broadway to 102nd st. To Old Algiers, a very nice restaurant . . . We really enjoyed our meal there. And the food is delicious, too. Its fun to eat out once in a while like that. I wish I could afford to do it oftener" (July 24).

Libby had a job for the summer working as a maid. An earlier entry describes a letter she received from her college saying that she must give up either her scholarship or her student job as she can't have both. The pages flow in a detailed description of her daily life, the people she interacts with, and the many places she visits. She describes in detail a visit with family and friends to Palisades Park: "We all had a very large evening and a swell time. The only trouble was that it was too short. I'm glad that Norm went because that made it more fun for me. That boy is certainly good company. Butch is a lot of fun too but he is a little young yet" (August 9).

The diary is recorded in a lined, undated coil-top notebook. Measuring 5 inches by 4 inches, it contains 178 pages and is 100 percent complete. The notebook is in very good condition and the handwriting is quite legible. This book provides a well-written, engaging commentary on the daily life of Edith Margaret Libby. Full of rich detail, it offers a social historian an excellent window into life in one of America's largest metropolitan areas during the Depression.