Cairns Collection of American Women Writers

This is the Aquarius page of a notebook written by an anonymous astrology enthusiast sometime between 1900 and 1909. It's filled with detailed handwritten notes about astrology, with clippings pasted in (possibly cut out of a newspaper or almanac?).

We think the thing that looks like a Taurus symbol might denote something about a Venus placement, since Venus is at home in Taurus. Perhaps Anonymous had a Venus in Aquarius? Or Venus moved into Aquarius around the time this was written?

Should we post more astrology content? Let us know!

Call number: Cairns Manuscript, Anonymous. Astrology Notebook.

-Samantha, graduate student employee

February 6, 2020

Transcript of the handwritten text:

Transcript:

“[libra] is airy, appreciates harmony and justice.. strong in a business direction, an honorable and virtuous person_ fine in tone of voice and elocution_ wonderful intuition drawn from an unseen source of their own, and when mingling with others should always maintain a positive attitude, unless they understand or know the person they have to deal with. _ are very affectionate_ at times lack push and energy to elevate themselves motto_ Intuition. [capricorn?] is an earthy sign giving authority and power, good thinkers_ can carry out large undertakings, practical, self-reliant, but not over fond of demonstrating their affection. [capricorn?] indicates danger through scalds, sudden explosives. Troubles in lower limbs, and ears with possible deafness. DISEASES Rheumatism, heart and kidney_ weak back, stomach trouble, headache, flabby breast. (Libra) If born between Sept. 23rd and Oct. 22, Venus is your star, August and December your lucky months and Friday your lucky day. The violet is your flower and the diamond your lucky gem. You should marry Scorpio for choice, although well-fitted to live alone. In character you are self-reliant, imperious, restless, undemonstrative and choose your friends for their qualities rather than for their possessions. You are cautious and prudent, love justice, bold and successful in whatever you undertake, warm-hearted, hospitable and generous.”

[Cairns. Manuscript. Anonymous. Astrology notebook. (between 1900-1909.)]

Apparently today is National Beans ‘n’ Franks Day? 🌭 The first canned baked beans were manufactured by Heinz in the late 19th century, and advertised by postcards like this one!

We’re not sure when this became a holiday, or when people started putting hot dogs in their baked beans. Lots of our 19th-century cookbooks have recipes for baked beans, many of which call for “salt pork.” This has long been a traditional dish in New England (hence “Boston baked beans”). The dish was actually invented by Indigenous groups in what is now New England, including the Iroquois and Narragansett.

Still not sure when hot dogs came into play. Food historians, feel free to weigh in!

Rounding out #PrideMonth with the Emily Dickinson tarot deck, inspired by the famously reclusive–and probably bisexual/biromantic–poet.

Tarot cards originated as playing cards in Europe (maybe Italy) in the 15th century. It wasn’t until the 18th century that they became associated with divination and the occult. (See @stuffmomnevertoldyou’s episode, “The Art of Tarot,” for more, & to learn about the queer artist who illustrated the famous “Rider-Waite” deck!) We’re not sure if Emily Dickinson ever came across a tarot deck, but she did live in New England at a time when Spiritualism and mediums were very popular, so, maybe? Dickinson scholars, please weigh in– would Emily Dickinson have been into tarot? I can definitely see Alena Smith's version of her (on Apple TV's Dickinson) doing a reading for Sue… 🌈🔮

Artwork by Halie Theoharides, Phoebe Harris, Bianca Stone, Emily Pettit (@goatinthesnow), and Haley Rene Thompson.

[Cairns PS 1541 Z5 E45 2014. The Emily Dickinson Tarot Deck. 2018.]

“Lost Letters from Lesbos” is 1902 fanfic in which newly-discovered letters by Sappho are published. These love letters are purportedly addressed to a man. But! The Victorian era is when “lesbian” and “sapphist” were first commonly used to refer to women who loved other women. We can’t possibly know how Lucy McDowell Milburn would have identified if she were alive in 2021, but when she wrote this in 1902, she was probably aware of Sappho’s homoerotic/homoromantic reputation. So, keeping historical context in mind, we can draw our own conclusions from the text and paratext.

Further reading:

Faderman, Lillian. Surpassing the Love of Men. 2001. (Book)

“The Fascinating History of ‘Lesbian’.” Intomore.com, 2017 (article)

[Cairns. PS 3525 I47 L6 1902. Milburn, Lucy McDowell. Lost Letters from Lesbos. Chicago, 1902.]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQjc88WMExm/?utm_medium=tumblr

6/25/2021

Can you believe how vivid this pink is?! 😍💖🌷 All of these late-19th-century sewing machine advertisements are obsession-worthy (love the details in image 3 & the cat in image 6), but that first pink and gold chromolithograph really steals the show. 🤩 Which is your favorite?? Image 1: cards depicting an advertisement for the “new American” sewing machine, with different inks Image 2: back of the first two cards Image 3: ad for White Sewing Machine Co. Image 4: another ad for White Sewing Machine Co. Image 5: ad for Johnson & Clark co.’s “New Home” sewing machine Image 6: ad for ready-wound bobbins Image 7: back of card from image 6 Images 8 and 9: tin of “modern stamping material,” used to transfer patterns to fabric. [Cairns HF 5827.93 G55 1870. A glimpse at 19th and early 20th century mother’s helpers through advertising ephemera. Between 1870-1920. Folder 6A.]

Hoping to earn some “pin money” over summer vacation? This 1923 booklet from The Women’s Home Companion has lots of ideas. 💰 The booklet encourages readers, “If you have a hobby, utilize it. If you have a talent, vitalize it. Go to it and good luck!” It’s divided into 6 parts:

Part I-for the needlewoman

Part II-for the farm-woman or garden-lover

Part III-if you own a car 🚙

Part IV-if you cook 🧁

Part V-if you are clever with your fingers 🧶

Part VI-if you like to use your brains 📝

While some of the suggestions are outdated, quite a few of them could still work! The stories included come from women of a range of ages, socioeconomic status, and dis/ability. This probably reflects the readership of The Woman’s Home Companion, and feels entirely different from the aspirational women’s magazines and DIY blogs we see today! The advice isn’t all that different from what you’d see today, though: the 2021 version of this booklet would probably just be a guide to starting an @etsy shop and navigating gig economy apps like @lyft and @fiverr.

​Happy Mother’s Day! 💐 The Cairns Collection of American Women Writers has SO MANY books for mothers. Some consist of practical advice, some of moralizing essays, & some are purely aspirational. Some of the authors were home economists by training; others were children’s book authors. Most of what we have ranges from about the 1840s-1920s. It’s fascinating to see how much changes over that time period, & how much is still the same today!

[Cairns HQ 734 S22 1907. Sangster, Margaret Elizabeth Munson. “The queenly mother in the realm of home.” New York, c1907. Cairns HQ 734 S215 1912. Sangster, Margaret Elizabeth Munson. “The mother book.” Chicago, 1912. Cairns HQ 759 .H6 1897. Herrick, Christine Terhune. “A home book for mothers and daughters.” New York, 1897. Cairns HQ 759 J6 1904. Jordan, Charlotte. “Mother thought.” New York, 1904.]

🏹♐️

To celebrate Sagittarius season, we’re sharing a page of an anonymous notebook from our Cairns collection. Several of the diaries and commonplace books in our collection mention astrology, but this one is full of meticulous notes about the signs and planets. Let us know in the comments which signs you’d like to see highlighted!

🍂🍁 Flora Lee Leonard started this diary in October 1887, writing letters to her infant daughter Mary (or “Madge”). She also used it as a scrapbook, saving a valentine, a lock of hair, a photograph (probably of the two of them?) and Madge’s handprint. Although Flora wrote entries as letters to Madge, she also wrote that she was unsure if she’d ever show her daughter the book. We wonder if she did?

Call Number:Cairns Manuscript. Leonard, Flora Lee Farnsworth. Journal for Mary Madge Leonard by her mother. 1887-1945

-Samantha, Graduate Student Employee. October 21, 2020