Entries for February 26, 27, 28 -- 1911 and 2011

Rita's Entries:
Sunday, Feb. 26, 1911
Wrote home.  Went to Crowls.  Met Maude S. up town.  Had a delightful day.  Dandy dinner.  Read roses as favors.  After dinner Tin went calling - Ed, Mary, Maude, Fran and I walked in Jackson Park and "U" campus.  Had my fid. so we had music like old times.  Tin sang a little.  Home about 10.

Jackson Park

Monday, Feb. 27, 1911
Lesson at 9:30.  "Pretty good" for double stop.  Took last of concerto.  Am to play it all on Thurs.  Practiced.  Started record of mail rec'ts to see whether Tin or I get most mail.  Tin ahead so far.  I feel in my bones that everyone will write me this week.  Cards from F. R. L. and Sadie MacD.  Letter from home.

Tuesday, Feb 28, 1911
Home all day.  Much practice.  Fran home early - tried to sleep.  Mrs. S. played for us all evening.

IN RITA'S DAY:  Rita did a lot of practicing so I wondered how she might sound.  The following link from YouTube shows a professional (named Bruni, sort of like Rita's teacher Brune) playing some of Firillo's Etudes that Rita must learn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q98iFLTi3c&feature=related

Judy's Entry: Monday, Feb. 28, 2011
At last I am caught up with this blog!  My grandmother spent a lot of February playing the violin.  I spent a lot of this month taking care of my daughter and doing that stupid puzzle.  But it is completed!  See below.

Entries for February 22,23, 24 and 25 -- 1911 and 2011

by Sorolla

Rita's Entries:
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 1911
No school for Fran.  I cut orchestra and practice in the a.m.  Read.  After lunch, Mrs. S. and we girls went down to Art Institute to see the great Sorolla Exhibition.  Also saw Mrs. Packard.  Went shopping a little.  After dinner under protest went over to Barbers.  Very nice evening but a horrid headache.  This paper is awful.  My patience won't hold out.

Thursday, Feb. 23, 1911
Took harmony at 10.  Mr. Brune is a dandy.  Had to wait till 11:30 for my lesson.  Talked with a bunch of nice girls on fourth floor.  Said my double stops were "pretty good" but need more expression.  For exam I must play Fiorillo Etudes and I haven't had a one.  I guess not hustle.  He asked me to come back Fri. afternoon to finish my lesson.  Practiced and studied History.  Read.

Friday, Feb. 24, 1911
Practiced all morning.  After llunch Tin went to Helen's for afternoon and dinner.  Mary there too.  Tin stayed all night with Mary.  Went down for lesson.  Porr man was "half crazy"  Am to finish concerto next week I guess.

Saturday, Feb 25, 1911
Lecture at 9:30.  Tine went to opticians.  Came back for last of recital.  Ensemble and 4 violins.  Sebald at piano.  Fine.  Practiced an hour before lecture.  More after lunch.  Mrs. S., Fran and I sent to Julian.  Fran and I took walk after dinner.  Music till 9:30.

IN RITA'S DAY:
Early in 1911, Sorolla visited the United States for a second time, and exhibited 161 new paintings at the Art Institute of  Later that Chicago.  Later that year he was commissioned to do murals that were to be installed in the Hispanic Society of America and would range from 12 to 14 feet in height, and total 227 feet in length. There would be fourteen large panels in all. The major commission of his career, it would dominate the later years of Sorolla's life.

TODAY:  The panels are still at the Hispanic Society and their website encourages everyone to visit the newly renovated gallery to view the Sorolla's in all their splendor.

Judy's Entry:  Looks like in the midst of my daughter's pregnancy and herniated disk problems, she and her husband have purchased their first home!  Contract to be signed the end of this month!  After all this, I am looking forward to meeting a friend in NYC early March.  Maybe we can go and see the Sorolla murals!  I'm not familiar with him, but looking at his work online, I think the paintings are fabulous!

Entries for Feb 18,19,20,21 --1911 and 2011

Rita's Entries:
Sat. Feb. 18,1911
Tin and Mary met me for lecture.  Helen B. has grippe.  Matinee by School of Expression.  Fine!  Practiced.  Tin and Fran rode down town - around loop and home.  Nearly lost at Belmont.  Box from home - house dress - cookies - candy - oranges - money.  Wrote letters.  Trying to catch up.

Sunday, Feb. 19, 1911
Tin and I went to church.  Met more nice people.  Awfully nice.  Afer dinner, Mary came.  We all went to Gertrude House to see Maude S.  Helen Abbott there - invited us to her home a week from Sat.  Dandy time.  Wrote letter.

Mon. Feb. 20, 1911
Lesson at 9:30 - almost an hour.  Then "Italian."  Practiced.  After Fran came, she and I took a walk down by the lake - around Sheridan Road and home.  Beastly cold and windy.  Played solitaire as usual.  Letter from H.E.B. made me grouch all day.

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 1911
Practiced hard.  Fran came home early.  Tried to sleep while I practiced.  Succeeded pretty well. Snored.  Positive proof of the fact by Tin.  Fran and Winifred took a walk.  Read all evening.

IN RITA'S DAY:  Young teachers and "kindergartners" in Chicago could find lodging at a nominal fee at Gertrude House (see picture above).  It was described in the following manner in an article from the early 1900s:
Chicago kindergartners may well be proud of their "kindergarten houses" where kindergartners, teachers and students, young or old, native or foreign, are always made at home and welcome, provided with fine food and shelter at a cost purely nominal... In Chicago there are two such houses.  For Gertrude House...it is actually the only house of its kind in existence.  It is a home, a real home for over sixty women annually, and it receives and constitutes a pleasant temporary home for many others...
It was at this time period that women were pressing for a kindergarten program to be added to public schools.

TODAY: Teachers are not held in the high esteem that they once were.  Because of the failing economy, politicians are trying to find ways to save money and public education cuts are one way.  The governor of New Jersey recently said that there are just two occupations where individuals are not held accountable for what they do... one is weathermen and the other is teachers.

Judy's Entry:  My daughter is starting to feel a bit better.  She (and all of us) have been struggling to decide whether or not she should have an MRI.  Of course, all the doctors have different opinions.  The actual technicans that perform MRI say it is best to wait until your second trimester if you must have one when you are pregnant.  Wouldn't it be nice if the doctors were all on the same page?

Entries for February 15, 16 and 17, 1911 and 2011

Rita's Entry: , Feb 15, 1911
Down town with Fran at 8:30.  Shopped a little.  Orchestra 9:30 to 11:45.  Practiced, got harmony - played - sang.  Wrote letters.  Letters from Elizabeth, Mattie, and Cornie and cards from Leon and mother.

Rita's Entry: Thursday, Feb 16, 1911
Harmony at 10 - fun - I like him ever so much.  Lesson at 11:30.  Had three for audience.  Made me so fussed my fingers were all thumbs.  Beginning work on double stops.  Horrors!!!! Sewed, wrote, played.

Rita's Entry: Friday, Feb. 17, 1911
Home all day.  Tin went to Crowls.  I practiced hard all afternoon.  Played whist in evening.  Fran grouchy because she hadn't a bid to church dance.  Found out later it wasn't till Saturday. 

DANCING IN RITA'S DAY: There have been many references to dancing in Rita's diary.  They go to church, Hamilton Park, the Reynolds Club at the University of Chicago to dance.  Some of the dances they did were probably the one step, the two step and maybe the cake walk.  Below is a passage from Every Woman's Encyclopedia, published in London at this very time:

All the new dances of recent years - round dances, that is to say - have come from America. We have had the Washington Post, the modified cake-walk, which was worked todeath by a certain section of society a few years ago ; the two-step, which is still popular, and the Boston. This dance continues to be invented, changed, and altered to suit the convenience of thedancing public.

Last of all, the one-step has arrived. It is a quicker, more jumpy edition of the two-step, with several variations, and is danced with one step taken at a time by successive feet. Throughout all the varieties of the one-step - most of them acquired since it reached England - in no case does the. same foot take two steps directly following each other. The left foot must immediately follow the right, and vice versa ; so it Will be guessed that the steps are not at all complicated. Whether going sideways, forward, round, or backwards, the " one-step walk " continues," like a series of jumping steps, taken as if walking, with a spring, in whatever direction the gentleman chooses to steer.

TODAY: Dancing has become very athletic and dance competitions are popping up on TV (along with singing competitions like American Idol).  So You Think You Can Dance?  was one of the first and it tries to find individual great dancers who can do things like the two-step as well as new dances, and now Paula Abdul is the host of another one trying to find great dance acts.

Judy's Entry:

As February progresses, my daughter's back pain seems to be getting worse.  I spend most of my days taking her to chiropractor and trying to find things she can eat.  She is very nauseous this first trimester.  My mother and I are also working on a 1000 piece puzzle.  I'm not crazy about puzzles, but now it is a challenge!

Entries for February 13 and 14 -- 1911 and 2011

Rita's Entry: Monday, Feb. 13, 1911
Went down with Fran.  Lesson at 9:30 - almost an hr!  Am I stupid or is he interested in my progress?  Saw Mr. Smith and Dr. Ziegfeld.  Am advised to cram muscial history and take exam in 3 weeks and so get my diploma or certificate in June.  Some work but guess I can do it.  Practiced.  Dlouble solitaire.  Retired at 9.

Tuesday, Feb. 14, 1911
Home all day -- waiting for our violets, which didn't come.  Joke!  Practiced much.  Fran home early.  Sang for the man who was putting in the phone.  Double solitaire.

IN RITA'S DAY: Hallmark didn't start until 1910, so flowers were the way to express love on Valentine's day... but not roses like today.  Violets instead.

TODAY:  Valentine’s Day is the second biggest day for Greeting Card companies. Only at Christmas are more cards sold. Every year there are more than $1 billion in Valentine’s Day card sales.
> Single males outnumber single females – 119 to 100, creating a better selection for women in search of love.
> For the first time ever, two major online dating services –LavaLife and eHarmony are making their services free for the entire month of February.

Judy's Entry:  Getting back to rehearsal for singing group... Yorktown Daytimers... we perform at nursing homes.  Today's practice was really good.  Some new members and they are strong singers.  A man came from the local cable station and wants to do something on our group.  Liz got flowers from her husband.  He misses her so much, but since she can't move and needs extra nutrition, she will stay with us for the weekdays.

Entires for February11 and 12 -- 1911 and 2011

Rita's Entries:
Saturday, Feb 11, 1911 - Lecture at 9:30.  Mary C met us at 10:45 for matinee.  Pupils recital and then 3rd act of Faust.  Dandy.  Mrs. S. Helped me fix my geen coat in afternoon.  Tired by night.  Fran and Mr. Roberts - Floyd Zaring and I went to Reynolds Club Dance at "U"  Fine time.  Enormous crowd.  Disappointed in Mr. R. - rather a stick.  F. Z. better.

Sunday, Feb 12, 1911 - Went to Crowls about 10:30.  Wrote home on way over.  Mrs. C, Ed and Mary perfectly grand to me.  After dinner, Ed, Mary and I went to Field Museum.  Saw mummies and jewels.  Then took long walk all thru U campus.  Awfully sloppy and slushy.  Had musci and lunch and came home.  Ed and Mary took me to car.  Dandy day.  But too much dissipation is not good for one.  Probably won't go any place again for months.

IN RITA'S DAY:  As strange as it sounds to us today, some people one hundred years ago had the opinion that packing a lot of activities into a day or weekend wasn't healthy!  Still, there were more "amusements" being built.  The Field Museum was built to house many of the attractions from the Chicago Exposition of 1893.  The museum was named after Marshall Field, the largest contributor.



Judy's Entry:  I have gotten way behind on my postings, but will try to catch up doing a few each day.  My daughter has really been in a lot of pain with her back and she can't take any pain killers because of the good news.  She is expecting a baby in October.  So these things are taking over for now!

Entries for February 8, 9, 10 - 1911 and 2011

Rita's Entry: Wednesday, February 8, 1911
Went down with Fran.  Orchestra at 9:30.  Dandy tme.  Not flirting but just getting acquainted.  Practiced etc.  Letter asking Fran and me to go to Reynolds Club Dance Sat. night with F. Z. and someone else.  Al S. doesn't dance well enough yet!?

Rita's Entry: Thursday, February 9, 1911
Late this morning.  "L" was slow.  So was I.  Dandy lesson.  Long.  New G string.  Met Fran at Institute and had lunch with her and Lucina.  Mrs. S. met me there and we went shopping.  Bo't pumps, etc.  Wrote to H. B.  Tin got a box of "cats" from home.

Rita's Entry: Friday, Feb. 10, 1911
Home all day.  Practiced.  Fran called.  Had a card from Joe asking me to go to dance on south side.  Helen B. here for dinner.  Mr. Snyder coming in evening.  Dick Barber and Fran and Joe and I went to Hamilton Park Field House to dance.  Very nice time - very informal - not even programs.  Home about 12:30.  Helen here all night.

IN RITA'S DAY: The University of Chicago's Reynolds Club was built in the early 1900s and the style was copied after St. John's College at Oxford.  The Art Institute of Chicago where Fran studied was founded in 1879 and moved to present location in 1893.  Chicago's Hamilton Park was created in 1904.  All of these places where Rita socialized were fairly new in her day and still exist today. see pictures below


Inside of Art Institute around 1911



Entrance of U of Chicago's Reynolds Club

Judy's Entry: Thursday, Feb 10, 2011: 

Not a lot of time the last couple of days.  My daughter is still here recovering from back problems.  She has a bulging disc or herniated.  Lots of time spent with her and planning our menu around what she can eat.  My mother and I haven't been too health conscious lately... but now we are!  Still we have made cookies and lasagne, as well as lots of fresh vegetables and fruits.