Lucy Bates
Lucy Bates’s earliest diary is a top bound notepad and on the first page she has written in large, cursive letters in black ink, “Lucy A. Bates. Private!” Should we continue?
Lucy Bates was a dancer and had a successful dance teaching career as an adult. She worked in New York and traveled to Europe. She worked closely with famous composers and pianists. The inside pages of Lucy’s childhood diary are titled “Engagements” and the dates are divided up into blocks down the page, much like a contemporary planner. Not surprisingly, many of her days were spent diligently practicing dancing. She also wrote correspondences, sewed, and completed chores.