Original Handwritten Pair of 1922 Travel Diaries Granting a Remarkable Look Into the Post-WWI World of Art and Upper-Class Travel in Europe

On offer are two heavily illustrated travel diaries dating only a few years after World War I. The 1922 notebooks detail (in word and illustration) a trip through Italy and France. The writer is unknown, but context suggests he is a well-educated Englishman with a good knowledge of the arts.

The books consist of descriptions of the many places visited by the author and the artistic pieces he saw. These include for the most part paintings and sculptures.

"It was a lovely day so we decided to go to Padua. It was very cold going over in the boat but we found a sheltered nook. It was very interesting going along the Brenta with its 17th and 18th century villas . . . And at Stra the magnificent palaces instead of villas of the Pissani. An enormous estate with many gates in it through which one could catch vistas of beautiful trees and small houses . . . Marie was disappointed in the Giotti frescos--they have been so painted over" (April 24).

(A century earlier, the Pissani family had to sell their estate to Napoleon as a result of huge gambling losses. )

"Saw Cristoforo Martiri Late Gothic Facade . . . Inside has a curios painted ceiling and in one chapel, that of the Contarini, is Tintorettos Presenta [ ]. One of his more pleasing things. In the door is his Last Judgment and the Worship of the Golden Calf" (April 26).

At the end of April, the author leaves Italy for Paris. Most of the entries, like those quoted above, provide detailed descriptions of various places the diarist visits. What brings the narrative to life are the dozens of cards and photographs affixed to many of the pages. Some are postcards, while others appear to be streetscapes that were cut out from contemporary magazines. Still others are photographs, most in black and white. The author is clearly an individual of some wealth and certainly taste. What is remarkable is that this journey takes place approximately three years following the end of the incredibly destructive WWI. In fact, the war is never really mentioned, yet its scars would have been in plain view to the author.

The two notebooks each measure 8 inches by 6 inches. They both contain 80 pages and are 100% complete. The diaries show the wear of nearly a century. The covers are intact, as are the pages, but there is wear on the corners and chipping on pages throughout. The handwriting is quite legible.

Historians will find value in the rich detail of these notebooks. The photographs of street scenes bring this long-gone world to life. The contrast of the general destruction of the war years and some of the most magnificent art works of Western civilization is striking. These diaries are truly a remarkable look into the post-war world of art and upper-class travel in Europe.

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