1929 Original Manuscript Diary of a Retired Buffalo New York Engineer At the Onset of the Great Depression

Buffalo, New York: Buffalo, New York 1929. Good. 1929. Hardcover. On offer is the 1929 diary of Herbert Stevens, a 72-year-old retired engineer in Buffalo, New York. This small diary covers the historically fascinating period of January to December 1929, encompassing the onset of the Great Depression. It is an excellent resource for an urban historian, painting an intimate picture of the life of a retired couple right at the time when things would begin to go terribly wrong for both Buffalo and the American economy. Stevens’s lengthy diary entries describe his life in rich detail: “Has been a cool day and I have stayed inside a good share of it and had a time getting fire to burn enough to keep us warm . . . ” [Feb 10, 1929] “This AM was up early as did not feel [ ] good took a walk later did some few things around the house also got some things stood in need of and also did a lot of fixing up. ” [Apr 13, 1929] “As Eva went in town to see about some things was gone [ ] most of day and and didn’t get at real work til home again about 8: 30 then spaded a while also few things needed care and later lissened [ ] a nice hour of music . . . ” [May 20, 1929] “Mostly cool today Up early for me and did a lot of small things needed doing also went to store after [ ] for eats - though got only a few myself but rather gave Edward (possibly his youngest son Edward b 1914) a five dollar bill to use . . . ” [Aug 9, 1929]Stevens was born in Evans, New York, in 1857 and lived in Buffalo with his wife, Eva. Together they raised a family of 4 children. A City of Buffalo Directory indicates that Stevens was an engineer. He passed away in 1938 at the age of 81, and his wife passed away the same year. At the onset of the Great Depression, Buffalo, New York, had 573,000 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest city in the United States. Because of its location and the proximity of the Erie Canal connecting it to New York City, Buffalo had become an industrial powerhouse. However, with the Great Depression came severe unemployment, especially among working class men. President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal relief programs operated in full force, but the city’s days as a great industrial center had passed and the population declined precipitously after World War Two, never to recover. The diary measures 5.25 inches by 2.75 inches and contains 121 pages. The covers and pages are in good condition. The binding is intact but the spine is cracked. The handwriting is dense but legible. ; Manuscripts; 5.25" X 2.75"; 121 pages; Great depression; herbert stevens; buffalo, ny; buffalo in the great depression; americana; handwritten; manuscript; document; letter; autograph; writer; hand written; documents; signed; letters; manuscripts; diary; diaries; journals; personal history; social history; historical; holograph; writers; autographs; personal; memoir; memorial; antiquité, contrat; vélin; document; manuscrit; papier antike; brief; pergament; dokument; manuskript; papier oggetto d'antiquariato; atto; velina; documento; manoscritto; carta antigüedad; hecho; vitela; documento; manuscrito; papel; Signed by Author .