University of Pennsylvania Diaries on OPenn

The University of Pennsylvania holds many diaries,  a few of which have been digitized and uploaded to OPenn for this project. They have not yet been incorporated into this site but are listed below:

Penn Museum Archive: Collections 0018

PU-Mu. 1080, Box 2, Item 1: Catalogue of the Stone and Terra Cotta Implements and Ornaments of the North American Mound Builders (Mississippi River Valley, From 1838 to 1848)
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Penn Rare Books: Collection 0002

Ms. Coll. 476: Albrecht family photograph album and diaries, 1888-1889. (Japan, February-August 1888, 1931, 1982)
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Photograph album containing 48 contact prints made on glass plate negatives taken in Japan with a large format camera, each measuring 16 x 21 cm. Photographs are captioned in English and include images of work boats, workers in rice paddies, landscapes, waterfalls, temples, and villages, taken by Emil P. Albrecht from February-August 1888. With diary of the trip written by his wife, Florence Josephine Craig Albrecht, in two notebooks, dated February 4-August 25, 1888. (Photographs appear at the end)

Ms. Coll. 723: William Gravell diary (London (England), From 1863 to 1867)
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This leather-bound, ruled diary was kept from 14 July 1863 to 31 August 1867 by William Gravell during his four-year stay in London, England to escape the draft of the Civil War. Gravell traveled from Upper Darby Township, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to New York where after being swindled; he eventually boarded a cargo ship named Plymouth Rock bound for London. Gravell writes daily about his life on board the ship, including his sea sickness, storms, other passengers, amusements, rations, and his acquaintance with a sailor from Philadelphia. [Continued on the “browse” link, above]

Ms. Coll. 682: John Clifford Diary (Philadelphia (Pa. ), From 1784 to 1812)
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A diary offering daily accounts of John Clifford’s home life, especially the management of his orchards and gardens on his Philadelphia estate, located within walking distance of the Schuylkill River. The first entry is dated December 29, 1804 and the last entry was recorded December 28, 1809. Daily descriptions include his whereabouts for the day, the weather, some financial matters (1784-1809) and specific tasks of various men under his employ. Clifford briefly mentions his mercantile business within these pages but there is a loose invoice for the purchase of cloth in 1812. Beginning 5 pages from the end of the book and upside down from the diary entries is a list of the “Sale of the effects of William G. Smith a Bankrupt.” Also included are 9 loose pages of genealogical notes on the Pemberton family.

Ms. Coll. 229: Mathew Carey diary (Philadelphia (Pa.), From 1822 to 1826)
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Philadelphia publisher, economist and humanitarian. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Carey came to the United States in 1784 and spent most of his professional career in Philadelphia. His publishing ventures prospered and his firm was a leader in American printing and publishing from 1795 to 1835. He volunteered, along with his friend Stephen Girard, to serve on the committee of health during the Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic of 1793. He became an ardent champion of oppressed minorities in Europe, especially after his retirement from business in 1821. Personal diary of Mathew Carey with handwritten entries dating from November 13, 1822 to June 16, 1826 with many gaps. First entry for November 13th starts on last page of diary, continues in the front. (Dates on front cover are incorrect.) It appears that two pages have been sliced out between the last entry for June 1822 and the first entry for October 1822. Overall coverage is as follows: November 13, 1822; December 15.1822; March 11, 1823 to June 21, 1823; October 19, 1824 to January 28, 1825; November 2, 1825 to June 16, 1826.

Ms. Coll. 387: Account book and recipe book (Pennsylvania, 1788-1854)
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Begins as receipt book of Daniel Clymer (probably Daniel Cunyngham Clymer) lawyer in Berks County, Pa. with receipts dated 1788-1798 and bearing the signatures of Jacob Harvey, Anna Gibson, John Jennings, John Pierce, John D. Coxe, Morris Shipley, Mary Head, John Hart, Sarah Moore, and Daniel Rafe, among others. Volume continues in other hands, predominantly that of M. Clymer with entries dated ca. 1823-1846. Many of these entries are accounts of wages paid to workers for spinning wool and flax, also for farm labor, e.g. butchering, and accounts for farm commodities including grain, butter, eggs, candles, etc. Also includes culinary recipes in the hand of M. Clymer for beer, cakes, lemon cream, lemon syrup, icing, ice cream, quince cordial, and to cure shad and herring; plus medicinal recipes for dropsy, cough, tetter, and for deafness from a cold; and a number of veterinary recipes. Additional culinary recipes are in other hands, one dated 1854. Also includes notes about family members written by M. Clymer around 1841 describing activities of Daniel R. Clymer, William H. Clymer, Edward M. Clymer, and Mary Clymer from around 1831 (the year their father died) to 1841 and mentioning cousin Isaac Hiester and aunts and uncles in the Eckert family.

Ms. Coll. 851: Diary of a Trip on the Nile River (Nile River, From 1874 to 1875)
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This red leather-bound volume, beginning in August 1874 and ending in February 1875, is the unknown diary of a woman from New York City. Most entries in this vividly detailed journal begin with the date, followed by the time and the temperature and/or weather. The diarist and her companion, to whom she refers as “C.” (who is probably Catharine Lorillard Wolfe, 1828-1887), leave from New York on 22 August 1874 on a Cunard steamer named Algeria. They arrive in Liverpool, England on 2 September and travel to London, where they tour the city and its outskirts. On 19 September they proceed to France, arriving in Paris on 22 September.  [continued on the “browse” link, above.]

Ms. Coll. 850: Mrs. Daw’s travel diaries, Volume 1 (Europe, 1838)
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Ms. Coll. 850: Mrs. Daw’s travel diaries, Volume 2 (Europe, 1838)
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This two-volume diary traces the nine-month journey (April to December 1838) of Mr. and Mrs. W. Daw as they travel from London, England to Moscow, Russia, and their return trip home. Mrs. Daw writes almost daily about their experiences and observations, which are embellished with eighteen watercolor sketches. Mrs. Daw reports on other travelers, captains of vessels, and their travel companion, Mr. White. The couple travels by ship, steamboat, coach, horseback, and train, stopping at small villages and large cities. On the outbound trip from England to Russia, Mr. and Mrs. Daw travel chiefly by boat through Germany and via the Danube River to Galati, Romania. Mrs. Daw describes the landscapes and towns as seen from the Danube and at stops along the river. From Galati the couple travels to Constantinople, Turkey, and here Mrs. Daw records the dress of Muslims, the mosque, and her experience of watching the dancing dervishes from behind a latticed screen in the mosque; she includes a watercolor of the event. She also records Mr. W. Daw’s encounter at a Turkish Bath. Mrs. Daw often interrupts her own narrative to record in quoted passages the observations of her husband; she signs his initials at the end of the entries. [continued on the “browse” link, above]

Ms. Codex 1637: Journal (Europe, 1764)
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Travel journal of John Morgan (1735-1789). Record of a trip with fellow Philadelphian Samuel Powel, from Rome northward through Bologna, Padua, Venice, Milan, and Turin, over the Alps to Geneva, and through Lyons and Paris to Calais, by boat to Dover, and from there to London. The entries include many details on landscape, architecture, art, and inscriptions. Morgan also describes meetings with prominent individuals such as Giambattista Morgagni, professor of anatomy at the Università di Padova, and the philosopher Voltaire. On leaves at the end of the volume (f. 138v-140r) are lists of books, natural and artificial curiosities, plates (prints) and drawings, and paintings shipped home to Philadelphia by Morgan. The books include works of Morgagni published in Venice, “novels” of Boccaccio in Italian published in Amsterdam, Voltaire’s Tancrède published in Geneva, and Benjamin Franklin on electricity in 3 parts published in London. There are additional notes by Morgan about expenses at the beginning (under the flap, inside upper cover) and miscellaneous notes at the end (f. 141v; inside lower cover).

Ms. Codex 1638: Commonplace book (London, England, 1780-1800)
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This commonplace book was written by John Wright, M.D. to impart knowledge and ideas to his son Charles and daughter Euphemia. The first seven leaves of the book contain patient prescriptions for various medical ailments in abbreviated Latin. The entries are listed chronologically beginning 16 May 1780, with the inclusion of patient name and age. A table of contents follows, listing the title, author, and page of each of the poems, prose passages, quotes, elegies, hymns, and prayers copied by Wright. The items are by various English authors and there are some quotations from the Bible. The items recorded by Wright are often followed by his comments, explanation, interpretation, or advice that are sometimes addressed to Charles and Euphemia. Some of the authors Wright copied are, Alexander Selkirk, William Cowper, Alexander Pope, James Beattie, and Mrs. (Anna Letitia) Barbauld. Following the excerpts of prose and poetry are original writings by Wright on various topics from his life experience. He has titled some Maxims or axioms. Other topics by Wright include love, marriage, truthfulness, bashfulness, modesty, the keeping of birds and beasts, and sense and nonsense. The last two leaves of the volume are written upside-down. On these leaves Wright has recorded information regarding correspondence related to his wine importing business. The leaves include names of clients, dates, amount of port, and costs.