Anna Keyser Baker's diary offers a reflective, vivid account of 19th-century Philadelphia life, faith, and personal observation.
Written during the final years of her life, the diary of Anna Keyser Baker (1821–1877), offers a rare, eloquent window into everyday life, faith, and spiritual reflection in late-19th-century Philadelphia. A third-generation Philadelphia Swedenborgian, avid reader, dedicated friend, and Sunday School teacher, Anna documented sermons, conversations, community charity work, and personal introspection. Her diary entries bring to life parlor visits, mountain and beach vacations, church gatherings, and walks through a transforming Philadelphia, including her impressions of the Centennial Exposition of 1876.
This work takes its title from a fleeting, but poignant account recorded in Anna’s diary: a houseleek plant growing on the roof of her home, traditionally considered to be a sign of protection. Its removal—after being mistaken for an ill omen by a housekeeper—is noted with bemusement, but it coincides with a farewell visit from one of Anna’s cherished Sunday School students, whom she would never see again as they set off for schooling in Europe. This captures a central theme of the diary: the impulse to find meaning in the mundaneness of everyday life. The proof of any interpretations, however, can only be seen with reflection.
Richly annotated and carefully edited by Swedenborgian historian Christopher Augustus Barber, this edition guides readers through Anna’s world. Blending accessible theological insight, gentle poetry, social observation, and personal candor, Anna’s diary offers both devotional depth and a vivid portrait of Philadelphia and humanity that will appeal to readers of all backgrounds.
eBook - PDF
The Houseleek on the Roof
The 1874–1876 Diary of Anna Keyser Baker, a Philadelphia Swedenborgian
- 222 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
The Houseleek on the Roof
The 1874–1876 Diary of Anna Keyser Baker, a Philadelphia Swedenborgian
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Information
Subtopic
Social Science BiographiesIndex
LiteratureTable of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Foreword by Gail Rodgers McCormick
- Introduction
- About the Diary
- Abbreviations Used in This Volume
- Baker Family Tree (Selection)
- The Diary of Anna Keyser Baker 1874
- 1875
- Centennial Year 1876
- Epilogue: Anna’s Last Days
- References
- Back Cover
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Yes, you can access The Houseleek on the Roof by Anna Keyser Baker, Christopher Augustus Barber in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & Social Science Biographies. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.