1913 Diary of a Chatty, Widowed New York Grandma Enjoying Old Age While Giving All She’s Got to her Children and Grandchildren

On offer is an excellent example of a Wanamaker diary and detailed NYC map dating from pre-WWI America. The diary belonged to Eliza J. Webster Mason (1842-1926), wife of George E. Mason (1840-1905), an artist, musical instrument manufacturer, and Civil War veteran. They had three children, two of whom lived to adulthood, and several grandchildren, who play a prominent role in this diary. SEE FULL BIO NOTES ON ELIZA AND GEORGE AT THE END OF THE LISTING. 

Eliza kept this diary every day of 1913, when she was 71-years-old. She was widowed, having lost George seven years prior. At the time she kept this diary, Eliza was a deeply devoted grandmother,

Eliza leads a comfortable middle-upper middle class life. She is living with her son, George, and his family. She views herself as an integral part of the lives of her daughter-in-law, Bessie, and her grandsons, Edwin and Kenneth. She also supports her daughter, Ethel, with her wifely and motherly duties where possible. Eliza is keenly observant and thorough in describing her daily activities, contacts, and the world around her. Her entries are long, often spilling over the lines. She does not reference her deceased husband aside from noting the date of what would have been their 49th wedding anniversary on May 23rd. Eliza intermittently records her expenses on the Daily Expenses page in the diary. Her recordings in January are particularly thorough and give a sense of how money was spent in 1913. Some excerpts give the flavour of her writing:

“Pleasant and cold. Made over my coarse black straw hat today. Mrs. Scoville invited the boys up to 611 [ ] to lunch with her boys. Lucy did not call until 2 P.M. for them so they had their lunch home. Geo went to Bensonhurst to see a Mr. Jones. Mr. & Mrs Rausch came in for the evening. I read a “Sun” story to Florence The Revolt of Mother by M.E. Wilkins” [Mar 29].

“Magnificent day. Repaired and improved Mason’s “Cow Boy” suit and he put it on. Read some and played piano. Bessie wrote Ethel and I added post-script. Did not feel well this afternoon. Geo and Kenneth played tennis and the went to the aquarium. Four little Bantam chicks were hatched” [June 22]. 

“EWM’s 72nd birthday [Eliza’s birthday]. Very much cooler. Could not seem to get warm all day. Read in my new magazines much of the day. After supper walked down to the post office with Kenneth. Bess had a letter from Ethel I wrote her 7 pages. I also received a letter from Lydia. Finished reading David Copperfield to Kenneth and Roddins” [Aug 11].

“Cloudy and we had a few drops of rain. I washed the dishes after the 3 meals. A young colored boy was instantly killed last Tues. His parents live just below here on other side and his funeral which we watched was at about 2PM. Large quantities of beautiful flowers. Kenneth is much better this evening. Edwin went to the football game this PM with DeWitt and his mother. Mr. and Mrs. Ramel came in to play Bridge this evening” [Nov 14]. 

“A dark and cloudy Christmas day. Helped Bessie set the table and dressed about 12. Ethel, Arthur and Mason came at 1 o’clock and Geo and Anna Burns and Lugu came a little after too. Had a lovely dinner lots of presents (see page 392). Ramel’s came in evening and we all played “Card Dominoes”. Mason stayed all night and slept with me. The Burns’s stayed all night also” [Dec 25]. 

While Eliza is a compelling diarist, the diary itself is an interesting book, filled with typed content and produced by the John Wanamaker Store. Of special interest in this Wanamaker diary is a large, fold-out detailed map of ‘Greater New York City’. The map shows the extensive development of the city at the turn of the last century.

For a social historian, this diary is an excellent view of the manner of life of a well-to-do older American woman a century ago. With its additional sections, it also points to what ‘society’ at that time felt was the type of information that people should have at hand. For a gender studies or women’s studies program, it offers not only a fine portrait of her lifestyle, but also her role as a grandmother living with her son’s family, and her resilience as a widow in a time where a woman’s value was very much tied to that of her husband. For an urban geographer, the map is an excellent snapshot of how the central part of New York City was laid out before it entered a period of enormous change.

BIO NOTES: Eliza J. Webster Mason (1842-1926) was born in Maine. The daughter of Dr. S. Webster, she married George Edwin Mason (1840-1905) from Providence, Rhode Island on May 23, 1864. George was an artist and manufacturer of musical instruments, served in the American Civil War in the American Brass Band from Providence and went to the front lines. George and Eliza lived in Rhode Island, where they had a daughter named Jennie in April, 1866. They had a son, George Stephen, in 1871. Sadly, Jennie died of diphtheria at age 15, in 1881. In 1883, George and Eliza had a second daughter, Ethel W. George Stephen became a broker and married Betsy Pittingill Burns. They had two children, Kenneth in 1903 and Edwin in 1905. Ethel married Arthur D. Keller (1881-1924). They had a son, Arthur Mason Keller (b. 1909). George died of complications from pneumonia in March of 1926. Eliza died in Morristown, New Jersey, mere months after losing her son, in May of 1926. 

This diary measures 7.0 inches by 5.5 inches and contains 446 pages. The diary section is 100% complete. The cover is in good condition. The binding is intact but the spine has cracked. All pages are intact and they are in good condition. The handwriting is legible. Overall Good+.