Materials are arranged chronologically.
Accession No. RARE.2023.0071: Purchased, 2023 October
[identification of item], Grace Davis Character Books, SPEC.RARE.0322, Rare Books and Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University
Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Thompson Library Special Collections reading room only.
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Processed by: Casey Blackmore, 2025 June; Finding aid written by: Casey Blackmore, 2025 June
Grace Davis was likely born around 1901 and lived in Pittsburgh and the western area of Pennsylvania until roughly 1920. She attended the Bellevue School around 1915 to 1916 and later attended the 1st Ward school in Washington, Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh around 1918 to 1920.
The Grace Davis Character Books contains two ledger books created by a teenage girl living in Pennsylvania between 1915-1920. The books were used as a way to survey friends about a variety of topics including basic information about names and addresses, but also opinions on the newest fashions, favorite books and songs, sports, and hopes and wishes for the future. Pages in the books were also decorated by Grace and her friends, with images cut out from magazines and newspapers and then pasted onto the pages. The collection is dated 1915-1920.