1933 Diary of a Young Los Angeles, California Women Coming of Age During the Great Depression

On offer is a very personal account of a year in the life of a young woman living in Los Angeles in the midst of the Great Depression. The author of the diary is Mary Lipshultz. Casual research has not turned up any additional biographical date on her. She was living at home with her parents in Los Angeles, California. Context suggests that she was in her late teens or very early twenties. In her diary, Mary Lipshultz is totally consumed with her relationships with girlfriends and boyfriends. She has apparently graduated from high school. She spends most of her days doing various household tasks. Although her family does not appear to be wealthy, they are comfortable and her father has regular work, enabling both Mary and her mother to frequently go shopping. She does look for work but is generally unsuccessful: "In the morning, I went to look for work alone, but had no success" [Feb 13]; "I went down to Morries' store early [to see about a job]. He told me he didn't need me..." [Apr 15]. Eventually, she found work in Broadway's, one of the premier department store chains of the time. Broadway's was later acquired by Federated Department Stores and stores were merged or re-branded as Macy's or Bloomingdales. "Francis and I went to work in the Broadway. I was scared.... Worked at Draperies on the 7 th fl." [July 17]. Lipshultz grew up in the Great Depression. By 1933, it was firmly entrenched in the United States. Franklin Roosevelt became President and, though hampered by the Dust Bowl, began the process of rebuilding the American economy - a process that would last a decade until the United States entered WWII. She notes a 'bank holiday' which had everyone worried: "Today the Banks declared a legal holiday. Everyone worried" [Mar 2]. This entry was discussing the Emergency Banking Act, one of FDR's first projects in the first 100 days of his presidency in an effort to address banking failures and other economic woes that gripped the country. As noted above, Lipshultz was completely focused on personal and family matters in her diary. As one might expect from a girl her age, social relationships were paramount: "Morrie Lerner called me and made a date with me for Monday night. (Oh! Diary, dear, please make him like me! ) " [Jan 12]; "In the evening Lou came up unexpectedly. He gets sweeter all the time. We two act terrible. I'll have to try and cut it out. We're going a little too far" [July 6]; "In the afternoon, Lee came up. She is as nice as ever & is making every effort to get together again. In the evening Lou came up and he asked me to go steady again. I won't ever go steady with him as we have too long to wait. I will probably change my mind a dozen times but we will see" [July 22]. Although almost exclusively focuses on her own personal experiences, she does note some major external events. For example. She records the major Long Branch earthquake: "About 6 p. M. We had a terrible earthquake. ... It kept shaking all the time and as Pa was at Murrietta Hot Springs, we went to Fays. Nervous. We spent the night outside..." [Mar 10]. The inauguration of Franklin Roosevelt on March 4th, 1933 passes without comment. For a social historian, this is an excellent window into the world of a young American girl in the depths of the Great Depression and, through her eyes, the wider community in which she lives. A researcher into Women's Studies would find this a terrific description of the life and expected roles of women at this period of time in America. This would all begin to change within a decade. Measuring 6.5 inches by 4.5 inches, it contains 183 pages and is 100% complete. The covers are in good condition with signs of wear on the corners and the spine. The pages are in good condition and the hand writing is legible. ; Manuscripts; 16mo 6" - 7" tall; 183 pages; Keywords: Handwritten, manuscript, document, letter, autograph, writer, hand written, documents, signed, letters, manuscripts, historical, holograph, writers, autographs, personal, memoir, memorial, antiquité, contrat, vélin, document, manuscrit, papier antike, brief, pergament, dokument, manuskript, papier oggetto d'antiquariato, atto, velina, documento, manoscritto, carta antigüedad, hecho, vitela, documento, manuscrito, papel, Great Depression, Women's Studies, Women's Experiences, Teenage Girls, 20th Century Americana, Broadway's department store, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Long Branch Earthquake, coming of age, dating during the depression, dating in America, job search