Kate Gleason’s Little Black Book

Kate Gleason kept a daybook in which she recorded everything from her business transactions to her dental work. Found within this ledger are lists of materials ordered from Gleason Works suppliers; company products sold to Europe; the positions and average wages of employees; contributions to woman suffrage made by Gleason and her father; Gleason’s friends and their religious affiliations; names suggested for her Progressive Euchre Club; and a pickle recipe. The variety of information that Gleason kept track of in her book reveals the many facets of her personal and professional life. A woman with multiple irons in the fire, Gleason’s refusal to be limited to any one role or identity is further reflected in the variability of her handwriting throughout.