A focus on family history
Thursday, 16 September 1937
Caught boat for Coney Island 25 c each. Passed statue of Liberty: took 1 ½ hours by boat, a very large place of amusement. Side shows of every description, wonderful lighting effects. After spending some hours went back by train, very tired.
Wednesday, 15 September 1937
Fine day. We walked around town, had lunch, then took coach to see N.Y., 3 ½ hours. Cost 10 / – 2 ½ $. Went to Grant’s Tomb on Riverside Drive, Rockefeller’s monies? (indecipherable) Church [Riverside Church, built by Rockefeller], fine building, also on the Drive. Passed all the notable buildings, Chrysler, and Empire building (stories 102 high) being the tallest. Then did the lower town, and the commercial, Wall St, etc, some marvelous buildings, Statue of Liberty, miles along the water front, and China Town, Jass House [James House Mansion], and Mission House, that was once an opium den. 300,000 coons [sic] here in N.Y. and 200,000 in Harlem City, Bowery, plenty of night clubs & Radio City.
Had a lovely day. Got the charabanc at 9.30 drove all around until 12.30 – then met again at 2 – still driving around until 5. Had dinner went to see Maurice Chevalier at the Casino de Paris paid 7/6 he was no good but the rest of the show V.G. – saw big Catholic Cathedrals, highest point in Paris [Sacré-Cœur], then the old sq. of Montmartre, Moulin Rouge, Fairmount Palace, holds 6,000 people, Shakespeare monument, Honoré de Balzac, Arch de Triumph, unknown soldier grave covered with flowers, Victor Hugo beautiful square, Paris exhibition then to the finest Sq in the world. S. Concord [Place de la Concorde], Champs-Élysées drive 1 1/2 miles, Rue de….
(Tuesday, 17 August 1937)
(Noted: Napoleon died at 54 [actually at age 51])
…Rivoli, then to Lonore? looking to the Arch de Triumph, the finest view in Europe, to museum 6 miles of galleries, Carrousel Square [Place du Carrousel] – the prettiest so far, lovely lot of flowers – Palace Richelieu – Palace Royal in the Rue De Honore, Napoleon’s tomb, in 6 coffins 2 vases 1 for heart – other eternal organs – also Foch’s mon?; Palace of Montmartre in the Avenue of President Wilson, a great building. After lunch saw City gates of Paris, 1672 Boulevarde St Martin, City Square, Statue of Liberty, to Cemetery (Père-Lachaise) to see famous tombs, I did not get out, Prison for women (Rue de la Roquelle), along the Seine River, lovely river 33 bridges to Town Hall, to the oldest hospital then on to Notre Dame. Hold 20,000 people, passion play the week before. Just taking all the timber down. Funeral came out, then ….
(Wednesday, 18 August 1937)
… on to the Latin Quarter, Luxemburg Palace, Senate quarters, Odéon Theatre, along the Seine where men are fishing and the prison cells open on to the River, over the oldest bridge in Paris, Sara Bernhardt theatre, Statue of Henry of Navarre. Went to Casino at night – wrote letters all this morning until lunch time Tuesday then went for a walk, had afternoon tea at English shop the French are funny people all gabbing at once – the girls look very nice mostly black dresses & smart blue hats, had dinner, then yarned to English woman until 10, went to bed.
