H05002 FLORENCE HARDY'S DIARY - 1/1/05- HARDY FORUM ARCHIVES ____________________________________________________________________________
From: wwmorgan@ilstu.edu
Subject: Fwd: Hardy's second wife's diary
Date: January 1, 2005 4:00:15 PM PST
Can anyone on the Hardy Forum answer Ellen Jordan's question? I can't.
Bill
Date: Sun, 02 Jan 2005 10:52:44 +1100
From: Ellen Jordan <Ellen.Jordan@NEWCASTLE.EDU.AU>
Subject: Hardy's second wife's diary
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The other day I watched a repeat of the Antiques Roadshow in which
someone produced a diary kept by Hardy's second wife. She had inherited
it and it had been "sitting in a drawer" ever since. It seemed to
contain some fairly ascerbic comments about Hardy.
We obviously have some strong Hardy devotees on the list, so I was
wondering if they knew whether this diary has since been made available
to Hardy scholars.
Ellen Jordan
University of Newcastle
Australia
Ellen.Jordan@newcastle.edu.au
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From: hardycor@owl.csusm.edu
Subject: Re: Hardy's second wife's diary
Date: January 1, 2005 5:15:47 PM PST
Ellen, I just searched back through the Hardy List archives
http://www.yale.edu/hardysoc/Welcome/Forum/Searchable%20Archives.htm
and found that a subscriber had first reported seeing Florence Hardy's
diary on the Antiques Road Show in the UK in February of 2003. It was
hailed as an important find by several Hardy scholars at that time, but to
my knowledge it has not yet been made available to academics.
Betty Cortus
HARDY-L Forum List-Owner
hardycor@owl.csusm.edu
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From: Rosemarie.morgan@yale.edu
Subject: Re: Fwd: Hardy's second wife's diary
Date: January 1, 2005 6:29:25 PM PST
Ellen, the diary was in private hands when featured in the Antiques Roadshow and appears to have remained thus. To my knowledge no Hardy scholar has had sight of it since-- including Hardy's most eminent biographer. On the other hand, *The Letters of Emma and Florence Hardy* came out in 1996 (Clarendon, OUP), edited by Millgate, and although the volume is a selected edition the letters offer some illuminating insights into the second Mrs Hardy.
Cheers,
Rosemarie
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From: hardycor@owl.csusm.edu
Subject: Florence Hardy's Diary
Date: January 2, 2005 7:20:29 AM PST
Dear All,
First, my apologies for sending my post of last night twice to the list --
my mistake. I also sent it to VICTORIA, and the original inquirer, Ellen
Jordan wrote this note to me privately. I am not aware of any attempts
being made to secure the diary for, say, the DCM, but if anyone knows to
the contrary I would appreciate hearing about it.
All the Best,
Betty
E. Jordon wrote:
Dear Betty Cortus,
Thanks for your response. Hardy is not my subject, but having become
involved in biographical research, I hate to think of important
documents mouldering away unknown. Actually it sounded as if the person
holding the diary had inherited it from a relative who picked it up at a
pre-war sale.
I'm glad its existence is at least on record so that anyone seriously
considering Hardy biographical research can start chasing it down. It
also sounds like something that one of the big American libraries might
like to get hold of for its Special Collection. If there is one holding
a substantial Hardy archive perhaps someone should be getting on their
tail to chase up the owner and make an offer for it, or at least see if
they could get a photocopy.
Not my business, of course, but chasing it up might be a fun activity
for a Hardy scholar on study leave in the UK. Could this possibly be
suggested on the Hardy list?
Regards
Ellen Jordan
University of Newcastle
Australia
Ellen.Jordan@newcastle.edu.au
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