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MARY ELIZABETH KENDALL : 1933 - 1968 ORIGINAL ARCHIVE OF SEVEN [7] MANUSCRIPT DIARIES AND EPHEMERA DETAILING THE EVOLUTION OF A VERY YOUNG 'COWBOY CRAZY' MINNESOTA GIRL TO A MIDDLE AGED WOMAN

12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. On offer is an outstanding archive of seven [7] original manuscript diaries, one [1] autograph book, 16 vacation photos from 1953 and other ephemera. The diaries were handwritten by Mary Elizabeth Kendall [b. March 5th 1919] Iron Minnesota. Researchers and collectors of the area or of women's of gender studies of the era will find an interesting grouping with dates taking the reader from watching Mary evolve from a cowboy crazy kid to a University of Minnesota graduate to a middle aged family woman, librarian, hospital volunteer and basic salt of the earth American woman. From the outset we find she is such a charming and engaging young lady who details what life was like for a teen-age girl during the Great Depression. She loved her movies and movie actors and bought all the latest star magazines, she loved reading westerns and considered herself somewhat of a cowgirl and listened to "Uncle Sam's Forest Rangers" radio show along with Hopalong Cassidy and Buck Rogers; she calls herself "Cowboy crazy." She belonged to the "Lone Wolf Tribe" and was always receiving different things in the mail from them. She owned a "Cutex Miniature Manicure Set" and an "Orphan Annie Shake-up mug" and couldn't wait until the new Sears Roebuck catalogue came out. She also collected cereal box tops, grew "Depression Flowers" and entered all the latest contests. During her college years she receives a bachelor degree in science at the University of Minnesota. Most of the ephemeral items are from her college years. Here are snippets: 1933 "January 7th, Went to town with mother this morning. Bought a notebook for pictures of movie stars. The "men of the family" sawed wood. Went to a movie called "The All American." It was neat. Richard Arlen was the hero and Gloria Stuart was the heroine." "February 19th, Got 16 in the General Science test! The passing score was about 20!! There is one question in the test that we didn't mark yet so 16 isn't my real score. Took my makeup algebra test after school. Entered a contest by sending a limerick. Hope I win. Fed my goldfish." "March 5th, Today is my birthday and I'm fourteen years old!!!!!!! Yesterday mother gave me a dollar for a present. I'm going to subscribe to a magazine. These are pretty hard times now. Yesterday the Virginia banks closed." "March 11th, Went to town with mother and Boots. Went to the movie "Sherlock Holmes". It was great. It showed the time when Holmes killed professor Moriarty. Clive Brooke played the title role. I'm fixing over a silk dress that one of my aunts sent. All I do is raise the belt. Listened to the KMOX County Fair. I like Wyoming Jack best." "April 13th, Easter vacation began today. Mother and Boots sold 40 chickens at the market (I guess) today. Mother and John played cribbage and bridge against Books and me tonight. Death Valley Days was extra good today. About Red Carson, the outlaw, and the widow's mortgage. Fed my goldfish." "April 17th, Helped wing band chicks this afternoon. Cleaned out my room a little. Fed my goldfish. Received my Lone Wolf Tribe bracelet. It certainly isn't as nice as I thought it would be. It turns my arm sort of green like the 10 cent store rings." "May 27th, Went to town with mother and Mrs. Johnson and her baby, Mary Ann, who is sick. Went into the bank vault for the first time with mother. It seemed so simple. I don't see how the vault can be so safe. Went to "The Kid from Spain" starring Eddie Cantor. Pretty good. Fed my goldfish." "June 16th, Went up town with mother. Filled in some more entries for the hog naming contest. Bought the first ice cream cone I've had this year. Received my Buck Rogers book. It's great. Heard the last Buck Rogers program on the radio. Wish it wasn't the last. Fed my fish." "July 4th, Someone stole 6 or 7 of our chickens last night or this morning. We think we know who did it. Went to the fourth of July picnic for the Farmer's Club. Had four ice cream cones and some fun. Fed my fish. Didn't light my fire crackers." "August 3rd, Quite cool. Went on the 4-H Club tour today. We went to most of the houses for dinner. I was in Johnson's car. For lunch we had ice cream, cake, lemonade and sandwiches. Don bought a tube of toothpaste for me. I'm going to use it for that contest. I'm going to send in the picture of Charles J." "August 11th & 12th, Cool. Got my Orphan Annie Shake-up Mug. Made a glass of Ovaltine in it. Boots and I played cribbage tonight. Heard President Hoover's speech of acceptance. The audience yelled like Indians. There are some people who net fish during the night in our lake. Boots and Don are trying to find out who they are…..Received letter from Ethyl Stanning. She's only thirteen years old but she goes out with boys and stays till 5 in the morning! Read some in "Arizona Ames." Went to a 4-H Club meeting tonight. At the last meeting one of the Virta twins found the school keys outside and put them on the desk. A girl had to go thru a window to get them." "September 30th, Brought some Japanese lanterns to Miss Risjard. Had a test in Domestic Science. Mr. Jerdee showed us how a fire extinguisher works. Didn't add anything to my "Depression Flowers" today. There are some "flowers" on the bottom of the dish now. A California man whistled for us. He was wonderful. Miss Sheldon whistled with him." "October 10th, Had an assembly. I got on the honor roll. My average was 93.9 Got our report cards at noon. Melba failed in two subjects. I got 90 on my essay on Honesty for Character Education. Heard the worst speech ever tonight. It was just awful. It was about Hoover and it was all lies…" "November 1st, Made oatmeal cookies but we used rolled oats. Gee, I'm certainly Cowboy crazy but not boy crazy, please understand. Heard the Lonesome Cowboy and the Perkin's Boys. Wish I could play a guitar like the Lonesome Cowboy can….." "December 24th, Mother and Boots went to town. I put some of the strings on my gypsy marionette. Mother decorated the dining and living rooms with the holly she got from Oregon. Don, Boots and John got the Christmas tree and we decorated it. John and I hung up our stockings." The books breakdown as follows: 1. 1933, age 14. Full of entries; 2. 1937, age 18. Full; 3. 1938, age 19. Full; 4. 1939, age 20. Full. 5. 1940, age 21. Full; 6. 1956, age 37. This one is typed and in a 3 ring binder. 198 pages; 7. 1968, age 49. Full; 8. 1927 Autograph book full of handwritten signatures. BIO NOTES: Mary was born on March 5th, 1919 to Hugh F. and Bessie Kendall. She had four older brothers; Hugh, Donald, Richard and John. [Casual research informs that Mary's brother Richard became a geologist for the Standard Oil Company in California and later was sent to work in Africa. There are a few of his report cards in this lot but all of the diaries and other pieces of ephemera belonged to Mary.] Overall VG.. Book Condition: Very Good

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