Scope and Content Note
The papers of Mabel Newton Betticher consist of three sets of diaries: a diary of daily activities, a diary of poems, and a diary of spiritual meditations. None of the diaries contain much personal information, focusing instead on largely spiritual and religious matters. They are extremely well-organized. Most volumes are numbered (although there are gaps in the sequence), and all entries are dated. The three diaries were kept contemporaneously, and entries are frequently cross-referenced. Mabel kept track of the flowers and birds she saw, often recording this information in more than one diary. All of the diaries are illustrated with a number of different types of materials, including photographs, newspaper clippings, holiday cards, postage stamps, stickers, pictures of flowers and birds, pamphlets, brochures, and church programs.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into the following three series:
Series I. "Her Own Trip Book," 1903-1948
Series II. Poems, 1907-1944
Series III. Diaries, 1930-1945
The materials are arranged chronologically within each series.