Conditions Governing Use:

Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Conditions Governing Access:

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation:

Meta J. Chapman Diaries, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Libary, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information:

Acc. 2012.162 was received by the SCRC via USPS on 4/16/2012.

Processing Information:

Acc. 2012.162 accessioned and minimally processed by Steven Bookman, University Archives Specialist, in May 2012. Finding aid completed and author updated  by SCRC assistant  in January 2013.

Biographical Information:

Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: .

Scope and Contents

Contains three handwritten diaries that once belonged to Meta J. Chapman of Pennsylvania. The first diary is for the year 1929, and contains information about the weather, family gatherings, birthdays, playing bridge, and other activities of daily life. There is an entry for everyday from January 1 through May 10, but the rest of the diary is blank. The second diary is for the year 1930, and is a travel diary of a trip Meta took through Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania from September 6 through September 20. The diary also includes mounted as well as look black and white photographs of the places she visited, including the Gettysburg battlefield, the Virginia Military Institute, family and friends, and Richmond, Virginia. Excerpts from this diary can be seen in the box list below. The third diary is a five year diary from 1931 through 1935. Each day has its on page but there are five entries, one for each year on that specific day. There are entries for most of the years from January through May, but then there are more sporatic entries for the rest of the months. Most of the entries detail the weather and various household chores. This diary also contains loose sheets of paper with some diary entries on them, as well as a loose negative. This diary has a lock and contains the original key with it.

Arrangement of Materials:

This collection is not yet fully arranged and described. Researchers may wish to consult with a staff member for further information in advance of using the collection.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• African Americans
• Dust Bowl Era, 1931-1939
• Pennsylvania--Description and travel
• Pennsylvania--Social life and customs--20th century
• Virginia--Description and travel
• West Virginia--Description and travel