Diary kept by both May Hallowell Loud and her husband Joseph Loud in 1910. The January 1 entry listed their address, 82 Pinckney St., and the members of the household: cook Alice Reilly, 2nd (i.e., maid) Agnes McPhee, chores (i.e. handyman) Robert Shepard, and cat Chatty, which was boarding with Mary Cassidy. The diary served as a general record of the family's activities, both work and pleasure, and was kept by both May and Joseph. They recorded visits with friends and family, and attendance at committees, clubs, and many cultural events: art shows (such as an exhibit of works by Frank Benson), the opera, dance performances, concerts, plays, and lectures (Uncle Will delivered a series at the Lowell Institute; Joseph heard Butler Wilson speak about Booker T. Washington). Maria wrote about working in the home studio, and sometimes mentioned what she was doing, such as making a poster for the Visiting Nurse Association Fair, drawing paper dolls, giving art lessons, or starting a new pastel portrait. On April 25, May noted that a pastel was sent to an exhibit in Chicago. Joseph also worked at home sometimes. Both were interested in photography, and apparently a dark room was part of their home studio. On a February holiday, they went snowshoeing. In July, they visited South Yarmouth where they went bathing and sailing. For the summer, they lived in Weymouth, in a new house built for them (Joseph oversaw the construction). The summer was a busy time, full of visits. For entertainment, they had a pony, a croquet set, a tennis court, an archery set, and a canoe. There were flower and vegetable gardens in Weymouth. May pickled pears, made ice cream, and noted picking the first tomatoes and corn. However, gypsy moths had to be controlled. May's 50th birthday was celebrated in fine style. However, little mention was made of any other holiday, although Independence Day was noted as being quieter than usual. New Year's Eve was spent attending an opera and ballet performance. On October 20, May attended the funeral of Julia Ward Howe. Although they had a car, they had their sleigh painted in November. The car seems to have been a summertime acquisition as they built a garage for it in Boston in the autumn. Most friends and relatives are referred to by first name or initials only. Joseph Loud wrote very little about his work.
