A Victorian Lady's Album: Kate Shannon's Halifax and Boston Diary of 1892

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Like so many Victorians, Kate Shannon kept a diary. In 1892 she was 18,
the daughter of a Halifax judge, living a quiet, sheltered life. Her
days consisted of reading, needlework, studying plants, visits from a
few select friends, and brief walks in city parks. As a
once-in-a-lifetime treat, she visited Boston for a month.

Kate’s 1892 diary was discovered with her father’s papers. It is
reproduced in its entirely, edited only for clarity, and set against a
collection of photos, drawings, paintings, advertisements, and postcards
from the period. This presentation is appropriate, as compiling albums
of “scraps” was a popular pastime for Victorian ladies. Stanley’s
setting for the diary both illustrates Kate’s world and gives context
to her work. The result is a beautiful book, visually rich and packed
with fascinating details.

Kate’s entries in her diary range from a brief comment on the weather
to a full essay on the depression that she constantly struggled to keep
under control. Her own words bring to life, as no fiction ever could,
the narrow, stifling existence imposed on a Victorian teen from a
“good” family. Although Kate Shannon died at age 21 in 1895, 100
years later her diary brings her thoughts and her era to life again.