How this Blog is set up
I thought it might be nice for readers to experience Alanson Barber's journal by matching his time-frame as closely as possible. Therefore, we set up this blog to begin the same date as the diary begins: August 28. You'll see his first entry tomorrow.
Also, I thought 2021 would be a nice match for 1861. That's 160 years apart, from when Alanson wrote and when his words will be "seen". I thought about -- wanted! -- to post these exactly 200 years later: 2061. For some reason (let's see, how old am I?) that didn't seem feasible.
So, every day that Alanson actually wrote in his diary, there is an entry in this blog. Often, he simply noted the date. We decided to make these 'blog posts' as well, to maintain consistency with his diary. Also, we'll use those dates to present other info about him, such as a photo of the medical kit he carried.
Under the scanned photos of his journal pages, we'll post scanned photos of my typed transcription. This will give you a visual of both items, and a chance to compare them. Under these, we've added a digital typed version of the transcript, so that Alanson's journal can be accessed audibly as well.
Today, here is a photo of his journals. They came to me wrapped in brown paper, and still are. I avoid touching them as much as possible, so I'm glad we could scan them and will reduce the wear and tear of being handled -- even with kid gloves!
This is Lacey the cat with the bundle of journals to show the size. (of the bundle, not Lacey)
If you keep a diary or journal, and you're not sure what to do with it, consider wrapping it in brown paper and leaving it with family or friends when you are gone. The historical record needs the words of everyday people like Alanson Barber. Especially, we need records of everyday women.
Please, Ladies, SOS: Save Our Stuff.
Someday a curious teenager may discover your work, become enchanted, and study it.
Thank you so much for stopping by! See you tomorrow! 🙋
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