1876 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT TRAVEL DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY AN ENGLISH WOOL MERCHANT'S 18 YEAR OLD SON WHO GAINS KNOWLEDGE, CONFIDENCE AND EXPERIENCE IN CANADA AND THE USA BEFORE HE TACKLES CHINA

On offer is a super, original May to September 1876 manuscript diary handwritten by Charles M. Dawson the son of British wool manufacturer Mark Dawson. Only 18 years old, the tour to the US and Canada was undertaken to build up the confidence and experience of the scion of a successful enterprise. [We note this trip was a prelude to a much longer undertaking in 1877 - 1878 when he visited China to sight-see, conduct business but mostly to assess the market on behalf of his father's firm Mark Dawson & Sons of Bradford, England, worsted spinners, est. 1848. We list these diaries separately Seller ID #0002187.] Using a small 3 x 4 inch gilt edged undated note book with worn marbleized covers, titled 'Log of my Journeyings in America and Canada from May 23rd 1876 Private' has approximately 115 pages of entries one cannot fail to be impressed by the maturity and composure of this young man who does a fine job of describing his voyage and his observations of all that he experiences. [Adding further depth are a small number of illustrations by the young Dawson who is already quite and accomplished artist. We have a sketchbook he created much later in life.] Beginning May 24 1876 leaving on the SS Adriatic from Liverpool we learn of seasickness, whales, icebergs and the death aboard ship of a young man in the last stage of consumption. Then to New York where his North American sojourn begins. Here are some snippets: Thursday Sept. 28 "This day being Pennsylvania Day all the stores were closed + the streets were lined with bunting and flags as fine as are the 4th July - Geo having nothing to do he + I set out early for the Exposition. We arrived there with great difficulty as every possible means of conveyance was crammed. The crowd at the Centennial was something fearful. Every passage and aisle was crowded to suffocation. We rambled around somehow nearly all day. We had a fine look in a Turkish café smoking long pipes and houkahas + drinking coffee etc. We created a great sensation." Included is a tucked in photo of the 67 year old Charles. The cover is worn, spine loose but overall G.; Manuscript; 48mo - over 3" - 4" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, CHARLES M. DAWSON, INDUSTRIAL ESPIONAGE, WOOL TRADE, WOOL TRADER, SPYING, COMMERCIAL ESPIONAGE, TRAVEL, SPINNERS, WORSTED WOOL MAKES, BRITISH INDUSTRY, CANADA, NORTH AMERICA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, AUTOGRAPHED, AUTHORS, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, KEEPSAKE, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, PERSONAL HISTORY, ARCHIVE, DIARY, DIARIES, JOURNAL, LOG, PRIMARY SOURCE, FIRST HAND ACCOUNT, SOCIAL HISTORY, PERSONAL STORIES, LIVING HISTORY, 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,BIOGRAPHY BIOGRAPHICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY PERSONAL NARRATIVES