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Primary sourceBook1902

Thoreau's Journal, Reproduced from a Photograph of the Volume

Henry David Thoreau · 1902

A photograph of an open volume of Thoreau's handwritten journal, dated entries for July 24 and 25 in his own cursive hand, reproduced in 1902.

Shows Thoreau's own handwritten diary, the source he drew on for his published writing, reproduced from a photograph of the volume.

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Photograph of an open bound journal with handwritten cursive entries in ink on both pages, dated July 24 and July 25 in the left-hand column, with densely written text across the right page.
Thoreau's Journal, reproduced from a photograph of the actual volume, by Annie Russell Marble, 1902. Commons record.

About this source

What it is

This image is a reproduction, made in 1902, from a photograph of Thoreau's actual journal volume. It shows an open bound book with handwritten cursive entries in ink on both pages. The left-hand column carries dates for July 24 and July 25, and the right page is densely written. The record credits Annie Russell Marble. The image is a photograph of the original volume, not the volume itself, so students should treat it as a copy of the page rather than the object.

Why it matters

Thoreau kept a journal for most of his adult life, and he drew on it for his published books and essays. A photograph of the volume lets readers see his daily habit of writing and the way he organised his notes by date. Because the journal was reproduced in 1902, it also shows how later editors and readers were preserving his words. The page connects Thoreau's private writing to the public work that came after him.

Look closer

  • How does the dated left column help you understand how Thoreau organised his thoughts over time?
  • The image is a photograph of a volume made in 1902. What changes between the original writing and this reproduction, and why does that matter for a historian?
  • A journal is written for the writer first. What might this page reveal about Thoreau that his published essays leave out?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Henry David Thoreau on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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