{"id":30,"date":"2023-04-19T15:51:23","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T19:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/19thcenturylesbiandesire\/?p=30"},"modified":"2023-05-18T09:55:23","modified_gmt":"2023-05-18T13:55:23","slug":"mary-mather-class-of-1883","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/19thcenturylesbiandesire\/mary-mather-class-of-1883\/","title":{"rendered":"Mary Mather, Class of 1883"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Documenting Desire Through Journals & Memorabilia Books: Mary Mather, Class of 1883<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Mary Mather, Smith College Class of 18831<\/a><\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Mary Askew Mather, Smith College Class of 1883, was a Smith student who kept diaries and memorabilia books where she frequently described her desires towards her friend Frona Brooks, also Class of 1883. Mather, also known as and referred to by friends as \u201cPollie\/Polly\u201d lived in Hubbard House, was president of the Class of 1883, and enjoyed writing and directing a number of student plays, which are also documented in her memorabilia books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mary Mather (right) and roommate Tip (aka Elizabeth Crocker Lawrence, left) in their senior year room in Hubbard House.<\/em>2<\/a><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Mary Mather is featured in this Hubbard House photo from June 18803<\/a><\/sup>, standing in the middle left. She is holding the hand of another student.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Code Words & Numbers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mather\u2019s records are particularly interesting as she often referred to people and events in her life through certain code words, letters, and numbers. Frona Brooks was coded as \u201cA2<\/sup>G\u201d and referenced constantly in Mather\u2019s diaries and memorabilia books. Other friends were referred to with nicknames as well, but the intimate way in which Mather describes \u201cA2<\/sup>G\u201d in her records\u2013sometimes slipping up and just writing \u201cFrona\u201d instead\u2013feels significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mather\u2019s other frequently used code is 2+2=44 (or 2+2=4, sometimes), always mentioned alongside Frona\/A2<\/sup>G. In her mem book from June 1882, Mather includes a program from the class of 1882 commencement and a pressed flower labeled \u201cA2<\/sup>G\u201d and \u201c2+2=44.\u201d In a diary entry that fall, Mather mentions Frona\/A2<\/sup>G and alludes to something occurring at the 1882 commencement that past spring with A2<\/sup>G.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This example, and many, many, others are viewable below in a combined flipbook version of snippets from Mary Mather’s 1882 diaries4<\/a>,5<\/a><\/sup> and 1881-1882 memorabilia book.6<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frona Brooks, Smith College Class of 1883<\/em>7<\/a><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Photo from Mary Mather<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The image below highlights Mather and her friends from the Class of 18838<\/a><\/sup>, specifically those who are referenced frequently in her diaries and memorabilia books. Clicking on the plus icon will give you the name of the student and what Mather used to refer to them in her diaries and mem books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: Due to the inability to change the size of the icons in the photo below, this feature is best viewed on a desktop rather than a mobile phone or tablet, as the icons obscure most of the students when viewed on mobile, unfortunately.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n