[RICHMOND] [DIARY] COMMONPLACE BOOK OF QUINCY LANDSTREET

Richmond, 1940. 6 ¾” x 4 ¼” x 1 ½” red leather commonplace book. Cut out picture of a parrot perched on a table with a book and writing set adhered to front cover and c.1905 photograph of the writer and her mother on back cover. Extensively damaged cover and spine; separation of some pages. ~~Quincy Landstreet (1900-1950) was the creator of this volume. Annotated on first page “Ms. Quincy Landstreet / 1915-’16 / Margaret College”. Most of the pages contain pasted poems, articles, and pictures from the newspaper or magazines, with letters and cards laid in throughout. The daughter of Captain John Landstreet of Richmond and Elizabeth Marshall of Kentucky, they lived along Horsepen Road between Three Chopt and Broad. She was educated at Miss Ellett’s School in Richmond before attending Margaret College at the time she produced this volume. ~~Margaret College was an Episcopal girls’ school in Tappahannock that closed just this year. Landstreet titled and pasted poems from various publications as well as ones she copied out throughout the book. Despite her annotation on the first page, the book dates from 1912-1940. In addition to the poetry are personal correspondence, including one in its original envelope which encloses a pressed clover with the words, “For Exquisite Dimples” dated 1922. Around this time Landstreet married John S. Martin (1894-1965), a founder of the Smithfield Packing Company; they had one daughter. ~.