Ant 1894-1929 Undertaker Funeral Ledger Diary 41 Vol Archive Upstate NY 1918 Flu

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Ant 1894-1929 Undertaker Funeral Ledger Diary 41 Vol Archive Upstate NY 1918 Flu:
$4595.35

Antique 1894-1929 Undertaker Funeral Ledger Diary Archive Bainbridge NY 1918 Flu.In excellent, antique condition as seen in photos and described below. A rare 41 volume lot. Note: The 1919 diary was found after the photos were taken and is not pictured. It is a repurposed 1901 book of the type like the first diaries in the group photo.Museum Grade Historical Archive: Complete business ledgers and daily diaries of upstate NY Undertaker J. Herbert Ramsdell (1894 to 1929). An extraordinary, virtually unbroken occupational and genealogical manuscript archive spanning 35 continuous years of early 20th-century American history.This collection documents the complete lifework of James Herbert Ramsdell (1863 to 1947), a prominent furniture dealer and undertaker operating out of Bainbridge, Guilford, and Sidney, New York in the Chenango and Delaware County region. This archive represents a flawless cross referenced operational history.Collection CompletenessBusiness Ledgers: 9 Matching Volumes. Complete with daily entries from May 1, 1912 through January 3, 1928.Pocket Diaries: 31 Volumes, spanning 1894 through 1929. The collection is missing only the diaries for the years 1896 and 1924.Laid-In Ephemera: There are some tucked-in period documents including Bainbridge Post Office Insured Mail receipts, freight railway cargo weights, a trade brochure from the Boston Glow Light Company, and a rare promotional booklet for the Susquehanna Masonic Lodge Number 167 (F. and A.M.).Historical HighlightsThe 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic Footprint: The collection contains an incredible, undeniable economic tracking of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. While the pocket diary is sparse due to the overwhelming work demands on a rural undertaker, the business ledgers are filled with mathematical proof. A side-by-side comparison of September 1917 against September 1918 showcases the massive surge in daily transaction density and income calculations, surging from modest 20 dollar averages to continuous tallies running well over 270 dollars as the virus gripped the Susquehanna Valley.The 1913 Bainbridge Typhoid Fever Epidemic (Intimate Family Sickness Log): During the legendary summer and autumn 1913 typhoid outbreak caused by Bainbridge's contaminated village water supply, Ramsdell’s diaries record a gripping firsthand account. Entries track the funeral of local resident Lewis White, immediately followed by the disease breaching the undertaker's own walls. The diary notes in real-time as Emily sick, Richard sick, and Lydia sick roll through consecutive calendar days.The 1925 Total Solar Eclipse (Precision Eyewitness Account): On Saturday, January 24, 1925, Ramsdell precisely logs the famous Northeast Total Solar Eclipse peaking across Upstate New York, writing: "Total eclipse on the Sun this AM 9:11". This matches the scientific peak of totality down to the exact historical minute.The 1894 Genesis and Brutal Winter Logs: The very first 1894 pocket ledger records the brutal realities of a 19th-century winter mortuary. Ramsdell chronicles 4:00 AM carriage trips through blinding snowstorms to adjacent Guilford, NY, frozen ground preventing grave digging, and the lifecycle of managing local deaths, such as Mrs. Luther, from notification to burial.Back Page Memoranda and Unique Logistics: The 1918 volume contains additional unedited background context. It includes the exact, handwritten dial combination to the funeral home's original commercial safe. Below it, Ramsdell maps out a master contact list tracking the out-of-town addresses of the prominent regional Corbin family stretching through Brooklyn, New Rochelle, and Schenectady, which he used to coordinate funeral logistics and estate billing.About the Creator: James Herbert Ramsdell (born on February 20, 1863) was a foundational figure in the civic and business history of the Susquehanna River Valley. As a skilled furniture maker, he naturally transitioned into death care as a master coffin builder. His multi-decade business operation laid the historical groundwork for what eventually became Carr and Landers, a prominent regional funeral home serving these communities for over a century. Ramsdell is buried locally in nearby Sidney, NY.Condition: Books show beautiful, authentic wear consistent with active field use by an early-century tradesman. Bindings range from light tan stamped leather from the 1890s to burgundy leather and durable green cloth canvas from the 1910s and 1920s. Interiors are structurally sound, written in highly legible fountain pen ink and pencil. As is typical for occupational organizers, the business ledgers are packed solid with transactional accounting, while some pocket diary years feature sparse entries or blank spaces where the business records took priority. This archive is entirely untouched, unedited, and fresh to the market.Free Shipping and Handling: Will be shipped securely with full insurance and signature tracking required upon delivery. Perfect for serious manuscript collectors, institutional university libraries, medical historians, or premium oddities and macabre antiquarians.Ask questions if you have them. Please see my other listings for more cool sure to also visit UnitA1's Rare and Good Stuff Store on !