Book Research with a Side of City Life
15 November 1926: Much like we are this week, Americans, although gearing up for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, already had one eye gazing longingly towards Christmas. Newspapers were bursting with enticing ads for seasonal sales and festive activities. True crime dominated the headlines of New York City-area newspapers, but the current salacious obsession was anything … Continue reading 15 November 1926: O Wedded Bliss!
1920 was momentous for J...she left her teen years, met her future husband, AND made her professional debut in a tour of De Koven's Robin Hood. In honor of that special time in J's life, I've compiled this 1920-themed gallery. BONUS LINK: A delicious decade: The food of 1910-1920 (The Seattle Times)
I finally got around to cataloging J's kindergarten scrapbook yesterday! She started it in 1906! I put off doing this project for so long because the paper is quite delicate in places. These are the oldest things in my collection. I thought I would share a few of the pieces with you! Scrapbook Cover First … Continue reading Cataloging J’s Kindergarten Scrapbook
I love vintage ads. They're hard to ignore, especially when combing through online newspaper archives. Staying focused is key, but reading shoe ads from 1919 remains ever-tempting. Don't get me started on period movie advertisements. Sigh. I recently found these gems during a long research session. They are from the years 1916 to 1920. Enjoy!
Biography research is often serious and intense work. Sometimes it is nice to let loose, as I did here using my favorite photo of J as a starting point.
Here is a blurb from a newspaper review of The Student Prince. The date was 11-17-25. The place: Pennsylvania. "J, as Kathie, was a winsom (sic) miss with her charming manner and her fine soprano voice. Concert stars have often failed to measure up to the standard that she set last night." Without any extant … Continue reading A Winsome Miss
Today is a milestone! This is a bigger deal than my first wedding anniversary because book research is trickier than marriage. I'm using today to appreciate all I've accomplished instead of focusing on all there is left to do. Yay!
Why does having a project-specific business card design add gravitas to my research? I've no idea, but it does. Never mind that I have accumulated a year's worth of weighty, highly detailed information about J. Somehow, having a stack of 3.5" x 2" printed paper at my disposal makes everything feel real-real. I suppose this … Continue reading Business Cards
We moved house last week. I have a beautiful, spacious new writing studio. I'm still unpacking books, hanging art, and putting everything in its place. I'll share after pics as soon as I can. Before
Alternative Muses 