Marshall, Florence Lowenstein, 1873-1916

This first diary of Florence Lowenstein Marshall consists of lists regarding a number of personal and household-related details and could more properly be called a ledger.

Florence begins the ledger with addresses and lists of Letters Received/Letters Written with dates. Some persons written to are listed, but in many cases, the date of the letter only is recorded, under the name of the person named on the list. The ledger contains numerous addresses of persons or places and used also as an address book.

The ledger also lists personal grooming dates such as baths taken or expenses including hairdressings and dressmakers as well as weight loss. Of particular note—located on the inside front cover—Florence logs her weight loss between March 4, 1895 to April 13, 1895, with a starting weight of 143lbs. and ending at 137lbs. This notation of weight loss may be noted in accordance with her impending nuptuals. Marshall proposed on March 3 and the engagement was announced March 4, 1895. They were married by Rabbi Gustave Gottheil on Florence's birthday, May 6, 6:15 P.M. with a reception and stay at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, then located at 5th Avenue and 33rd Street. The menu for the wedding may be found on page 10 of the "Florence Marshall Diaries, 1894-1916" manuscript by Peter Schweitzer. The ledger also contains notations of additional weight loss during the years.

The diary/ledger includes household finances such as payments to drivers, chambermaids, waiters, and hotel staff tips as well as sundry purchases. Payments for music, riding, French and German lessons are noted, among other entertainment and general expenses and donations.

The personal and social engagement diaries of Florence Lowenstein Marshall (1873-1916), wife of Constitution and civil rights attorney Louis Marshall and mother of lawyer James and conservationists Robert and George Marshall and daughter Ruth, span the years of 1894 until her death in 1916 of cancer. Her diaries record the events of her life—without the benefit of commentary on them—regarding social and family gatherings, theatre and music performances, her children's activities (including illnesses and vaccinations), her philantrophic meetings, and a meticulous recording of Louis's life as a leader.

This 224-page manuscript, written by Peter Schweitzer in 2019, details the life of Florence Lowenstein Marshall and Louis Marshall. The manuscript contains the history of the Lowenstein and Marshall families broadly and more specifically, the world of Florence and Louis, including their social circle, their homes and homelives, their theater-going, and the institutions that surrounded them during their day. This volume paints the world that the Marshalls lived in and advocated for, and serves as an introduction to the individual diaries of Florence Lowenstein Marshall.

The Table of Contents for the volume can be viewed under "Additional Description--Arrangement--Table of Contents" below, and the complete volume can be read online.