The Diary of Helen Korngold: January 20-26, 1919

Helen Korngold, December 1919, New York City

January

Monday 20
Up—eat—Wellston—good lesson. Class—Dr. McKenzie is too sweet for words. Suggested that we indulge in Shakespeare a few minutes after wasting almost whole hour. Home. Folks all gone. To bed early.

Tuesday 21
Up—dressed—eat.
Wellston—kids act awfully cute. Met Ruth on car—nice conversation. Classes. Wells & I had argument over possibility of being blind and not knowing it. He’s too dogmatic about it. Basket ball. Senior luncheon—good. Refreshing shower—tease Paul. Home—dinner—Kroeger lecture. Summer came, loves McKitrick! Uncle Sam & home.

Wednesday 22
Up—dressed-eat. 8 a.m. Dan phones—made a date for a party at Orpheum on Sat. eve. Dates so easy—popular—oh gee! Wellston school—best pupil is absent—arms  broken. Too bad. School all day—Senior meeting—discuss caps & gowns. Home—practice—Study—date with Falstaff! Dr. [Hubler/Huebler] called up 9:30 P.M.! He knows my late hours!

Thursday 23
Wellston—pretty good—Class—topic in Ed. 12 O.K. home with sore throat. I have to write a theme, but oh gee! Such excitement! Kale & pop have just tried on their handsome robes! I’ll say they’re good-looking! Summer just phoned—Dewey located—K.C. Kale & I have a little tête-à-tête over Dewey. Karol looks cute in his robe—We’re in his rooms.

Friday 24
Wellston—rotten lesson. Class. Dr. McKenzie has yet to settle class hour. Dancing. Morris, Sam & Summer came over in evening. Played penny-ante. Summer brought me a variety of cotton samples. He’s a good kid. Morris is so clever. Sam’s a regular kid. Loaned Summer my copy of Return of the Native.

Saturday 25
First morning I slept until 8:30 this week. Pictures of kids party good. Class—home—a good bath and a refreshing nap. Box party at Orpheum. Harris girls and Anson K., Phil J., Dan Wolf & myself. Chop Suey and dancing at Ciardi’s. Home at 3 A.M. oh, boy! But we had one swell little time! I wish it on myself again—getting ambitious.

Sunday 26
Up at 10:30. Fool around—dinner and study. Expect to go to concert this evening. Rose R. going with us. Karol [her brother] says I’m stepping out—poor boy complains that he isn’t in my class anymore! Well, Annette Kellerman certainly thrilled me last night. I’m trying to imitate her—K. says I’m deluded!

*****

Notes:

January 20

McKitrick perhaps the John Collins McKitterick in Helen's class at Washington University. In 1915 as a freshman he was on the interclass football team. He was also in the Obelisk honors society.

January 21

Wesley Raymond Wells, Ph.D., Asst. Prof. of Education


1913 U of Vermont. 


From the 1927 Lake Forest yearbook

Earnest R Kroeger was the head of Kroeger School of Music. He talked on The Emotional and the Picturesque in Music that day.

Unc Lou was Louis Lieberstein (Dec. 18,1879-1931), husband of Helen's Aunt Beryl. He was a pharmacist. His parents were Max and Bertha, first-generation immigrants. His WWI draft card shows he lived at 4720 Newberry Terrace in St. Louis. His work address was on Euclid. He was stout, of medium height, with brown hair and brown eyes.

January 22 (Washington’s Birthday; school holiday)

The Orpheum Theatre was built in 1918 at the corner of 9th and St. Charles Sts. It was a vaudeville theater built in the Parisian style at a cost of $500,000. Annette Kellerman was playing there.
http://www.robertsorpheum.com/about.php

Dr. Huebner may be the Gustavus A. Huebner who appears in the 1887 City Directory as a teacher.

January 23

Kale may be a family nickname for her brother Karol Korngold. 

January 26

Annette Kellerman (1886-1975) was an Australian competitive swimmer, vaudeville star, and movie actress whose movie Queen of the Sea (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445807/ ) was just out.  

According to a Reno, NV newspaper article on January 14, 1919, Kellerman played a naiad in a ‘submarine fairy story’ that was ‘packed with thrilling stunts’ and ended in a high-wire act with an 85-foot plunge into the sea. 

Her 1907 performance in the Hippodrome’s glass tank led to the popularity of synchronized swimming.  

Kellerman ’s movies include The Mermaid in 1907, in which she was the first to wear a swimmable mermaid costume, and A Daughter of the Gods in 1916 which included the first filmed nude scene. She is on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

Kellerman was the first to design and wear a one-piece bathing suit, which led to her arrest.  She marketed her swimwear. 
http://thehairpin.com/2011/05/bathing-suit-shopping-with-annette-kellerman-the-australian-mermaid

She never used a double but did all her own stunts. She was a vegetarian and a writer about fitness and beauty. She has a star on the
http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/marie-claire/features/society-celeb/article/-/5887692/em-annette-em-em-kellerman-en-australias-forgotten-icon/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0445807/
https://wfpp.cdrs.columbia.edu/pioneer/ccp-annette-kellerman/