Dear diary : reading personal experiences of historical events

Author / Creator

Poznan, Kristina E., author

Available as

Online

Summary

This case study will outline an approach to using diaries as primary sources in historical research. Diaries can be efficient sources to understand historical events immediately as they were happen...

This case study will outline an approach to using diaries as primary sources in historical research. Diaries can be efficient sources to understand historical events immediately as they were happening from a single individual's point of view. Diaries, like correspondence, are an example of a personal record but were not necessarily meant to be private. In booklets, variously called a diary, daybook, journal, or similar term, literate individuals kept a record of health, visitors, events, observations, and financial transactions. Some do contain highly personal reflections not meant to be shared, but others were crafted with the intention of leaving a record for family or history more broadly. Below we will explore the diary of Elisabeth Gookin's visits to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, often called the Chicago World's Fair. Her account will allow us to identify many of the key questions and issues that come up when exploring diaries as sources. We will discuss the challenges of paleography (deciphering a person's distinct handwriting) and the value of observations that come from a generic but specific visitor, and what they offer compared to other sources documenting the same event. This case study will equip readers with the tools to skillfully use diaries in future research projects.

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