Ima Hogg's Reading List, Summer 1918

From the notebook Ima kept in the summer of 1918, an undated reading list. 

These books range from works on socialism, urban growth, war, --and fiction about lost loves, war, and death. What do they tell us?

“Outland” Mary Austin

“Iron City” M. H. Hedges

“Marie Grubbe Jens P. Jacobsen

“The Prestons” Mary H. Vorse

“Americanized Socialism” James MacKay

“The Education of Henry Adams”

“John Ferguson” St. J. Ervine

“Maureen” Patrick MacLiel

“The Foolish Lovers” St. J. Ervine

“The Wind Between the Worlds” Alice Brown

“Lilith” Romaine Rolland

“Woman” Mag. Marx

“Book of Susan” Lee Wilson Dodd

“Letters of A. Chekhov to His Family and Friends”--Constance Garnett

         Macmillan

“Enslaved” John Masefield

“Bertha Lanham” A. Schnitzler

---

Derby Day!

Ima Hogg loved horses all her life, especially her beloved Arabian, Napoleon.

She would be watching today's Kentucky Derby this afternoon. Or maybe she is.

Ima's mysterious 1918 notebook, continued

[The next notebook page is a large, hurried scrawl about a possible furniture purchase.]

9 chairs Rush

      Botoms

       with new

      Bottomss of Flag

            at 10 Each

            Crated Read

            to Shipp at

      And clock

      case at 10.00

      with hands--

[Next comes a reading list, after what appears to be a page or pages torn out.]

Summer 1918: The mysterious notebook

[Suddenly copied into the notebook, part of Robert Browning’s 1841 verse drama, Pippa Passes, describing a sunrise.]

Day!

Fast and more fast

O’er night’s brim, day boils at last

Boils, pure gold, o’er the cloud cap’s brim,

Where spurting and suppress’d it lay--

For not a froth-flake touched the rim Of yonder gap in the solid gray Of the eastern cloud, an hour away; But forth one wavelet, then another, curled, Till the whole sunrise, not to be supprest, Rose, reddened, and its seething breast Flickered in bounds, grew gold, then overflowed the world.

         from Pippa Passes                            

                  Introduction

After missing pages in the notebook, part of a poem copied.

Why?

Mia's Summer 1918 Notebook, continued.

[Symphony notes, continued] 

Organization of orchestra:

How many men?

Day or night?

How financed?

Average pay by rehearsals

    “        “    “  salary

per week?

Industrial workers as musicians?

How used in other cities?

Conductor:

Community singing

Lecturer

Orchestra conductor?

Band master

  

9

Oratorio conductor:

Salary--

City & orchestra organizations?

Sunday concerts

orchestra--band

Home Talent

Visiting Lecturers

City appropriations for Sunday entertainment

Expense of orchestra

Receipts expected from performances, subscriptions

Deficit proportionate to attendance?

  

[A page or pages appear to have been torn out]

Notes from Ima's 1918 Notebook

[After a page cut out of the steno notebook, the following page contains only this unidentified  passage]

If the people are to hold the key to power, if they would rule they must serve, and if they would be the heirs of time they must begin to think in terms of eternity.

7

[More symphony research notes]

Orchestra

Population: white

Wealth:

Philanthropic expenditures

Citizens in labor & industry:

Liberty Loan:

Amusement Exp:

Auditorium attendance:

Municipal position on board.

Co-operation or subsity for b. & o.?

How many band instruments available

Salaries of band men?

Uses of band?  

  “           “       orchestra?

Highest exp. in U.S. for music? (or.)

  

       Ima, then president of the Houston Symphony she had helped to found in 1913, was on a working vacation,  planning to ask questions about orchestras in other cities.

        

         But something was about to ruin that pleasant trip.

Bayou Bend Collection: 50th Anniversary March 5!

On March 5, 1966, a ceremony opened the Bayou Bend Collection as the American Decorative Arts Wing of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

        

         “Texas, an empire in itself, geographically and historically, sometimes seems to be regarded as remote or alien to the rest of our nation. I hope in a modest way Bayou Bend may serve as a bridge to bring us closer to the heart of an American heritage which unites us.”

         --Ima Hogg, at the dedication ceremony, March 5, 1966.

Bayou Bend will be open for free tours on Saturday, March 5.

This event is free! Drop in to attend. 

Last admission to the house is 4 p.m. and last admission to the gardens is 4:30 p.m.