Gertrude Vandervoort Smith diary
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Date
Creator
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Language of Materials
Abstract
Gertrude Vandervoort Smith's diary is housed in a single handwritten volume and spans the period 1855-1864. The diary describes visits to friends in upstate New York and in Kings County, including several well known Brooklyn families of the era.
Biographical note
Gertrude Vandervoort Lott, nee Smith, was born to Charles Smith and Aletta Vandervoort Leverich Smith on January 12, 1840. The family lived in New York City. On October 27, 1864, Gertrude married Theodore B. Lott. Some of their courtship is described in this diary. They had two children, Annie Bergen Lott (1865-1867) and Charles Smith Lott (1868-1883). Gertrude passed away on March 4, 1889.
Sources:
- "Gertrude Vandervoort Smith Lott." Find A Grave. Accessed July 19, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/135013009/gertrude-vandervoort-lott
- [Smith family]. 1860 United States Federal Census. Accessed July 19, 2024 via ancestry.com.
- [Marriage announcement of Gertrude Smith and Theodore Lott]. U.S., Newspaper Extractions from the Northeast, 1704-1930. Accessed July 19, 2024 via ancestry.com.
Arrangement
This collection consists of a single volume.
Scope and Contents
Gertrude Vandervoort Smith's diary is housed in a single handwritten volume and spans the period 1855-1864. The diary is divided into two portions, the first of which contains written accounts of Smith's visits to friends in varying parts of New York State. These friends include Brooklyn figures such as John Ditmars, Henry Ditmars, George Fox, the Peet family, Vandervoorts, Lotts, and Schoonmakers. Smith also very often described what she was wearing on a given day. This portion of the diary ends in 1863. The back of the diary lists New Year's visitors for each of the years in the diary's date span. There is a booklet tucked into the back of the volume with lists of items, mostly clothing, that are stored in various boxes.
Subjects
Families
Genres
People
Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Open to users without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
This item is in the public domain.
Preferred Citation
Gertrude Vandervoort Smith diary, 1981.010; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source and date of acquisition unknown. The item was formally accessioned in 1981.
About this Guide
Processing Information
This collection was rehoused and the finding aid revised by Dee Bowers in 2024. At that time it was determined that the diary's author was Gertrude Vandervoort Smith, not Gertrude Vanderbilt-Smith as previously described.
