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Allen, Frances : 1920 ORIGINAL, REMARKABLE MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY THE KEEN EYED, VERY BRIGHT TEENAGE DAUGHTER OF A NOTED COVINGTON, VIRGINIA LAWYER WHO PROVIDES A LIVELY ACCOUNT AND EXCELLENT ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE ROARING 20s THROUGH THE EYES OF A SMALL TOWN GIRL

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is an original highly detailed diary covering three months in life of a teenage girl living in a small Virginian town in 1920s. Frances Allen was the youngest daughter of William Edwin Allen, a noted lawyer from Covington, Alleghany County, who was a commonwealth's attorney for the county in 1890s and 1910s, and whose biography can be found in Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography published in 1915. Frances just turned 16 by the time she started this diary in August 1920, but she seems rather independent with her parents often being away. She describes her life of a typical teenage girl who spends much time with her friends, her friend Annie is mentioned most often, plays ball, goes to the cinema almost every day, goes to school and practices the piano. Her light-hearted account is full of small details and observant remarks. She gives characteristics to local residents and school teachers. She is concerned with being overweight mentioning it several times: "I know that I nearly mashed Marion into a pancake because I was sitting on her lap, and a sixteen-year old girl weighing 110 pound is no light weight", and again "At night I went to church and everyone told me how fat I was getting". Her elder sister Lucia is getting married in October, and there are going to be 6 more weddings in their church, so she devotes 2 pages to it: "Frances showed me the things for the luncheon and told me all about it. The favors are little old-fashioned bouquets made of colored candy covered with paraffin paper with little funs, tin foil and even the little flower pins. Then there are little cups that are to be filled with nuts that are made of crepe colored paper tied with contrasting ribbon…Charlotte Mason will be a cupid without any clothes on carrying a bow and an arrow and also a telegram. She will be out on the table and will walk over and hand the telegram to Mrs. Luke…" She also describes Jackson camp races and a two-day trip to the Natural Bridge and to Washington: "We left about three, and instead of going over North Mt. we took the Carrs Creek road. I had never been that way before and the scenery was lovely …We arrived at Lexington at six and met Mr. Young out at Castle Hill playing golf…On the way over we had lots of fun singing songs…". Though she often seems light-minded and childish, writing about clothes, games, pillow fights, and gossiping about some of the town residents, she is often serious and is worried about her mother: "Papa hasn't been home for three days...He is just worrying mother's life out of her...I certainly do wish that I could go to work and earn a little money to help mother out". She also mentions political and cultural events, including Wall Street bombing and November elections. The diary contains numerous names of local residents, many of which were well known in the county, like DR. J.A. Riffe from Clifton Forge hospital, characteristics of school teachers and students. It also includes multiple details about lifestyle and interests of young girls in those days, including clothes, hairstyle, sport and reading preferences, and many names of the movies she watched. The diary has over 100 densely filled pages covering the period from August 20, 1920 to November 11, 1920, some entries taking several pages. First several pages are falling out.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

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