The diary of a Victorian lady: Scenes from her daily life, 1864-1865

by Adelaide Pountney

Like all good diaries, Adelaide Pountney's The Diary of a Victorian Lady: Scenes from her Daily Life 1864-1865 gives its readers the chance to imagine the life of its author between the lines: the daily round of walks and shopping, "visiting"and churchgoing, home- making and charity work. In addition, Pountney's Diary invites us to dwell in the vivid sketches which illustrate her entries: tiny, but detailed, drawings conjuring the world of a well-to- do Victorian woman.

Recently discovered (in an attic) by her great niece, Pountney's diaries run from 1863 to 1870. A mine of information and images, this edition covers two years while the family was living in Leamington Spa and Devon. Whatever she's doing--shopping for curtains or having her hair cut, buying fish (or fruit or fowl) or having her photograph taken--Adelaide gives it a picture. "Made late by mad bulls," she notes, on March 7, 1864, sketching her flight from a commotion which threatens from the margins of the page. "A man Mama admired" is the (intriguing) caption to the drawing of a solitary figure on May 20: one example of the kind of detail which turns this book into a fascinating document of everyday life. --Vicky Lebeau

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 1998

Reviews

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a diary of a young woman named Adelaide Pountney in the year 1864-65. These two years were chosen because they were the most detailed. The book is made up of sketches and has only a few words in it. They show what she got up to each day such as doing charity work, attending drawing classes, going to church etc. Even though there weren't many words I think it helped show what life was like in the Victorian times for a middle class woman. Adelaide or AMP as she is known in the book sounds like a very interesting woman who is always busy. From the diary you can see that she cared very much for her family as she always helping them. I like that she attended drawing classes and you can see that she was a talent artist.

I loved this book and found the sketches very pretty. They were very detailed and I liked how she has drawn animals and people. I only wish that there were more years to look at as I would have liked to known what happened to AMP as the years went by. I would recommend this book if your interested in looking into what life was like for a Victorian woman or just what life was like then.

[Sbuchler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Autobiography? Diary.

This is a little book, with very few words; AMP (as the author calls herself) is a young unmarried Victorian lady of the middle class (a clergyman's daughter) in England. She writes a sentence or two almost every day in a day-planner type of format. The entries are generally mundane, "so-and-so called. Walked to town with Louisa." etc. It gives the impression of a rather dull and unvarying life, filled with giving and receiving calls. AMP never really mentions emotions, and rarely even opinions or plans. However, each day she sketches a little vignette, which adds a lot of charm and insight into the diary. The sketches aren't always well done (though usually they are), but they give a peak into daily activities that would otherwise be overlooked, such as how silly the dog looks when it gets shaved, or how vile the weather is, or what the inside of a hat-shop looks like, including a hovering sales-person.

It's given me a whole new visual landscape to apply to my favorite Victorian literature - I'm very tempted to re-read _Little Women_ after reading this diary.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5-3 stars. The attraction of this diary is not so much the written content--mostly one- or two-line entries of who dined with or visited with whom and how many times they went to church, not many thoughts or feelings expressed--but the hand-drawn illustrations that give a very strong sense of the place and time. Also, I found it funny to see how even in the mid-1800s a young woman would use multiple exclamation-marks (like, half a page of them!) to express her excitement over a performer or event, a very humanizing 'they're just like us!' touch.
Modern readers might be tempted to think how dull and mundane this Victorian life seems (dinners, walks, chores, trips to the shops), but then you look at your own life and notice...wait...work, dinner, chores, trips to the shops... o_O

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a delightful read and gave you an insight into the life and times of Adelaide Putney, in her diary of 1864-1865.

It was a wonderful snapshot into her life and daily routines. It’s written short and succinctly into a few sentences per day, with a sum up of her activities, thoughts, weather and accompanied by the most beautiful drawings. Absolutely gorgeous little sketches underneath each day in her diary and I was amazed at her effortless drawing skill. They were a true feast for the eyes!

It was so insightful and interesting to read what she deigned important enough to write in her diary. It helped draw you into life during Victorian times and it was a wonderful little read that you can flick through effortlessly in one sitting.

I’m always intrigued by not just history, but the daily lives of those times as they are so different to what we experience today. It was a really great little read!

[Kieren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy journals and diaries (especially with art), so this was a good read for me.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is delightful and I absolutely love the illustrations.