A great contribution to Rochester, N.Y., history is now available online. It’s the diaries of May Bragdon, the sister of renowned Rochester architect Claude Bragdon. It’s fun reading and full of references to all things Rochester of the time period of 1893-1914.
May Bragdon worked as an executive secretary at Cutler Manufacturing Company, before working for her brother, then some other companies, and finishing up her career working for Gannett Publishing Company and retiring in 1938.
I’ve never seen a project quite like this: 10 diaries annotated and transcribed, and the preservation of photographs, theater programs, postcards and other items that May pasted to the pages of her diary.
Day-to-day life in Rochester, N.Y.
You can read the transcription of each diary page placed directly across from the actual diary page. Then there are the photos, which transformed me back in time. Her diaries leave the impression that as a single woman she lived a very full life, with family and friends and going to the theater, concert, sporting events, parks and ponds and more.
One of the more memorable entries is on Feb. 26, 1904, the first page of a new volume of May’s diary.
This volume opens with one of the most eventful days Rochester ever had. The Big Fire! It was bright and sunny and still and beautiful and almost eight o’clock before we noticed the column of smoke in the north east drifting over us and found out it had been burning since before five o’clock. Fahy’s (Rochester Dry goods co.) Beadle & Sherburne’s and Sibleys! Sibley’s whole – sale house and stables – and some little houses on Division and Mortimer Sts. and finally the Granite Building! When I came in sight of that – on the bridge – I saw the little flames licking out of the Vacuum Oil office windows and Dr. Scranton‘s below – the 12th and 11th stories! and realized – a little – what it would mean! It was horrible, the feeling …
See “before” and “after”
You’ll see in the center pane buttons for “original” and for “manuscript” view which allow you to toggle back and forth between those views. The “original” view presents the scrapbook page and whatever might have been pasted on it. The “manuscript” view is that same page after the inclusions were removed.
To really understand the scope of the project, click here for background information.
I found out about this project when I interviewed conservator Gary Albright of Honeoye Falls. He worked on this project with the team from University of Rochester’s Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation. Andrea Reithmayr, special collections librarian for Rare Books and Conservation, explained the scope of the project to me, and pointed out that entry about the big fire in 1904.
The diaries also are a reminder of how important it is that we still chronicle our daily lives, and in a way that will last and not disappear in our technology driven world.
(Coming soon: my story for Rochester Magazine about Albright and his amazing talent to conserve photos and paper documents.)
I agree! I have pored over the May Bragdon diaries for my on research. Found many references to Hermann Dossenbach and May attending his orchestra events, especially at the Duffy-Powers store restaurant when my great-grand uncle Hermann led Everybody Sing nights. It is so valuable to me to see those events from the point of view of someone attending and enjoying them.
And I also found lots and lots of references to May attending my great-grandfather’s Park Band concerts.
All in all, over 75 diary entries which connect to my research/story.
And May Bragdon is delightful!
Lisa,
That’s great that you found so many references to your ancestors. I think these diaries are just a treasure trove of information for people with Rochester Roots.