HANDWRITTEN TRAVEL DIARY - Cottage & Car - Tour - Great Britain - Europe - Alps - 1936
Item History & Price
FANTASTIC, ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN TRIP AND TRAVEL DIARY. ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, EUROPE, AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF A YOUNG TEENAGER IN 1936. Our diarist appears to be from a rather wealthy family as he describes their journey, leaving on May 29, 1936, from Chicago to Detroit to Toronto and on to Montreal where the board the RMS Duchess of Atholl, and from there on to Ireland and eventually to Liverpool where the whole family disembarks. They travel throughout Great Britain, Belgium, France,... Switzerland, Germany, &c, and eventually back to London. They see all there is to see in numerous places; visit and stay with family members; visit and stay with friends; and all in all our teenager has a wonderful time. This traveling family consists of mom, dad, Bill and our author who is yet unknown. While traveling in London and else where they meet, and are wined and dined by business friends of author's father. On June 26, the family is now settled in a home they have rented on Dilly Lane, in Barton-on-Sea, a cliff top village in Hampshire England (New Milton). While there on "June 26, took the train to Southampton and saw dad off to South Africa. June 27, Unpacked in the morning and in the afternoon we rented bicycles and had a very much fun ride from Barton-on-Sea to New Milton. We had a picnic with the Wilsons on the beach."
"June 6, London; Arrived in Liverpool today and got off the ship. Got on a train for London and visited the Tower of London. We had supper at the Lyons Hotel and it took 5 waiters to figure out our check. Dad called up his cousin who lives in New Milton. June 7, London; Left on train for New Milton and arrived about 1 o'clock. We stayed most of the day at cousin Arthur's place and we went to see his beach. We got back to London by 9:30 and had dinner. June 8, London; Went to madame Tussaud's waxworks on the bus. Went through London's department store Selfridges department store and then for a walk near Buckingham Palace. June 9, London; After breakfast we went to see the changing of the Guards but saw the King instead. Had lunch with dad's business friend and went to Hampton Court. The Palace of All Kings of long ago, and after dinner went for a walk with dad and Bill. June 10, London; Went on a tour of Windsor Castle and then to Eaton College where the boys wear top hats and tails. After dinner we went for a walk in the park and I found many cigarette pictures."
"June 12, We are leaving for the continent tomorrow and I got many more cigarette pictures. June 13, Left London for Dover and from there we left for Ostend. When we got to Brussels we had dinner with a business friend of dad." They tour Brussels, and meet up with another friend of dad's and spend the day and evening with him. "June 16, Brussels; After breakfast went out to a business friend of dad's and had a very nice time. I drank 3 different kinds of wine. June 17, Paris; Went out walking and shopping and then took the train to Paris. After dinner went and on a ride and saw the Eifel Tower; the Notre Dame Cathedral, and many other things. Saw the Arch of Trumpets, under which is buried the unknown soldier." After several days in Paris they go on to Lucerne, Switzerland, where they took a train ride to see the famous Alps, then on to Mainz, Cologne and took a German train; a Dover channel steamer railroad to London and stayed at the Victoria Hotel. From there they rented a house and stayed near their father's cousin Arthur in Barton-on-Sea, where our young diarist spent 27 days. Using New Milton and Barton-on-Sea as a home base he/she would tour through Bournemouth; Southampton where they saw the Queen Mary, "its a nice ship." They rented a car, got licenses and now were touring anywhere their heart desired, mother at the wheel.
They drove to Lymington; visited with Mrs. Mills; took a boat to the Isle of Wight; went with cousin Arthur to visit the Wilsons; "July 17, Went to Salisbury and saw the Cathedral in this very quaint town. And saw a queer formation of rocks called Stonehenge. very interesting." Then on to Torquay, Totnes, Lands End; Plymouth by ferry boat; King Arthur's Castle; Clavelly; etc. Then back to London where they toured. "August 4, Peebles, Scotland; At Durham saw college and cathedral and after lunch soon crossed Scotch border. Arrived at Peebles for dinner. Too swanky, I didn't like it." On to Edinburgh and Bridge of Allan, Oban, Loch Lomond, Inverness, Braemar, Glasgow, (where I heard dad's voice) Carlisle, Cheser, Hereford. "August 14, London; On to London and had lunch at Oxford and saw colleges (22). When we arrived in London dad was there. Very glad to see him. Had a very nice time." The diary ends with that last entry on August 15 where our author went to the Government House and sat in the Chief Justice chair, and had dinner at Cumberland. They returned home on the SS Duchess of Richmond, Canadian Pacific Line.
The ships; RMS Duchess of Atholl was a 20, 019 GRT ocean liner of Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd that sailed between Liverpool and Canada.William Beardmore and Company built her in Dalmuir, Dumbartonshire in 1928. For a month in 1928, Duchess of Atholl held the record for an eastbound crossing from Canada to Liverpool, at 6 days, 13 hours. In 1940, Duchess of Atholl left Liverpool on 19 July 1940, bound for Quebec and Montreal with passengers including evacuated children.The German Type IX submarine U-178 sank her in the South Atlantic on 10 October 1942, killing four of the liner's crew. SS Duchess of Richmond was an ocean liner built in 1928 for Canadian Pacific Steamships by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. In 1947 she was renamed SS Empress of Canada. Duchess of Richmond was one of the several Canadian Pacific liners which were known as the "Drunken Duchesses" for their "lively performance in heavy seas." She was built as a sister ship to SS Duchess of York, SS Duchess of Bedford and SS Duchess of Atholl.
Condition; Hardbound diary bound in brown pebbled covers is in good condition, internally fresh and tight with easy to read handwritten entries. There are 81 pages of handwriting in this travel diary that is a very worthy acquisition indeed. Measures approx. 4 x 6 inches; all entries are in pencil, and a couple of pages are a bit light but I found every page easy to read. It is a fun read as seen through the eyes of a teenager in 1936, when Europe was just beginning to see the fringes of war.
Payment and Shipping: Please see our feedback and bid with confidence. Never a reserve and very low opening bid as always.. Bidders with zero feedback must contact us before bidding. Payment must be received within 3 days after close of auction. Thank you.
"June 6, London; Arrived in Liverpool today and got off the ship. Got on a train for London and visited the Tower of London. We had supper at the Lyons Hotel and it took 5 waiters to figure out our check. Dad called up his cousin who lives in New Milton. June 7, London; Left on train for New Milton and arrived about 1 o'clock. We stayed most of the day at cousin Arthur's place and we went to see his beach. We got back to London by 9:30 and had dinner. June 8, London; Went to madame Tussaud's waxworks on the bus. Went through London's department store Selfridges department store and then for a walk near Buckingham Palace. June 9, London; After breakfast we went to see the changing of the Guards but saw the King instead. Had lunch with dad's business friend and went to Hampton Court. The Palace of All Kings of long ago, and after dinner went for a walk with dad and Bill. June 10, London; Went on a tour of Windsor Castle and then to Eaton College where the boys wear top hats and tails. After dinner we went for a walk in the park and I found many cigarette pictures."
"June 12, We are leaving for the continent tomorrow and I got many more cigarette pictures. June 13, Left London for Dover and from there we left for Ostend. When we got to Brussels we had dinner with a business friend of dad." They tour Brussels, and meet up with another friend of dad's and spend the day and evening with him. "June 16, Brussels; After breakfast went out to a business friend of dad's and had a very nice time. I drank 3 different kinds of wine. June 17, Paris; Went out walking and shopping and then took the train to Paris. After dinner went and on a ride and saw the Eifel Tower; the Notre Dame Cathedral, and many other things. Saw the Arch of Trumpets, under which is buried the unknown soldier." After several days in Paris they go on to Lucerne, Switzerland, where they took a train ride to see the famous Alps, then on to Mainz, Cologne and took a German train; a Dover channel steamer railroad to London and stayed at the Victoria Hotel. From there they rented a house and stayed near their father's cousin Arthur in Barton-on-Sea, where our young diarist spent 27 days. Using New Milton and Barton-on-Sea as a home base he/she would tour through Bournemouth; Southampton where they saw the Queen Mary, "its a nice ship." They rented a car, got licenses and now were touring anywhere their heart desired, mother at the wheel.
They drove to Lymington; visited with Mrs. Mills; took a boat to the Isle of Wight; went with cousin Arthur to visit the Wilsons; "July 17, Went to Salisbury and saw the Cathedral in this very quaint town. And saw a queer formation of rocks called Stonehenge. very interesting." Then on to Torquay, Totnes, Lands End; Plymouth by ferry boat; King Arthur's Castle; Clavelly; etc. Then back to London where they toured. "August 4, Peebles, Scotland; At Durham saw college and cathedral and after lunch soon crossed Scotch border. Arrived at Peebles for dinner. Too swanky, I didn't like it." On to Edinburgh and Bridge of Allan, Oban, Loch Lomond, Inverness, Braemar, Glasgow, (where I heard dad's voice) Carlisle, Cheser, Hereford. "August 14, London; On to London and had lunch at Oxford and saw colleges (22). When we arrived in London dad was there. Very glad to see him. Had a very nice time." The diary ends with that last entry on August 15 where our author went to the Government House and sat in the Chief Justice chair, and had dinner at Cumberland. They returned home on the SS Duchess of Richmond, Canadian Pacific Line.
The ships; RMS Duchess of Atholl was a 20, 019 GRT ocean liner of Canadian Pacific Steamships Ltd that sailed between Liverpool and Canada.William Beardmore and Company built her in Dalmuir, Dumbartonshire in 1928. For a month in 1928, Duchess of Atholl held the record for an eastbound crossing from Canada to Liverpool, at 6 days, 13 hours. In 1940, Duchess of Atholl left Liverpool on 19 July 1940, bound for Quebec and Montreal with passengers including evacuated children.The German Type IX submarine U-178 sank her in the South Atlantic on 10 October 1942, killing four of the liner's crew. SS Duchess of Richmond was an ocean liner built in 1928 for Canadian Pacific Steamships by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. In 1947 she was renamed SS Empress of Canada. Duchess of Richmond was one of the several Canadian Pacific liners which were known as the "Drunken Duchesses" for their "lively performance in heavy seas." She was built as a sister ship to SS Duchess of York, SS Duchess of Bedford and SS Duchess of Atholl.
Condition; Hardbound diary bound in brown pebbled covers is in good condition, internally fresh and tight with easy to read handwritten entries. There are 81 pages of handwriting in this travel diary that is a very worthy acquisition indeed. Measures approx. 4 x 6 inches; all entries are in pencil, and a couple of pages are a bit light but I found every page easy to read. It is a fun read as seen through the eyes of a teenager in 1936, when Europe was just beginning to see the fringes of war.
Payment and Shipping: Please see our feedback and bid with confidence. Never a reserve and very low opening bid as always.. Bidders with zero feedback must contact us before bidding. Payment must be received within 3 days after close of auction. Thank you.
