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

Description

118 pages
Contains Photos, Illustrations, Maps, Bibliography
$24.95
ISBN 0-88780-231-1
DDC 971.6'22503'092

Year

1994

Contributor

Reviewed by Janet Arnett

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.

 

Review

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.

Citation

Stanley, Della, “A Victorian Lady's Album: Kate Shannon's Halifax and Boston Diary of 1892,” Canadian Book Review Annual Online, accessed November 14, 2024, https://cbra.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/6133.