1918 Archive 200 Letters Diary Broadsides American Woman in World War I WWI Brest France AEF YMCA Singer Musician

Item Details

A remarkable archive of over 200 total items from Pauline Harrison from her time as a part of the YMCA and AEF during World War I.  She initially went with the YMCA has a soprano to entertain the troops.  There are over 150 documents, broadsides, photos, books and letters written to Harrison from family and from soldiers.  There are 50 letters from Harrison to her family.  The letters are very long, as long as 12 pages long and quite detailed.  It also includes a very detailed 24 page diary from her time in Brest, France.  Here is a sample from the diary:

I must tell you about our present location. We are some distance from Navy huts, in a stone and cement building, and I rented a suite of rooms on the fifth floor for 180 francs a month, which is cheap for tourists.

Our meals are scarce. I share with one Miss ? of New York, Miss Aldrich of Seattle, and Miss ? of Cleveland. We have room for three.  Rarely when she comes, food is very scarce, so we let the French care-taker at the hotel choose up the price book for us, and there is always a porter ready to carry our luggage.

The men of our unit—the 2nd Division of Ambulance...have devoted their apartment—to us, have moved out the big room, and Mr. Miller & Dr. Stevenson are sleeping elsewhere.

Could have spent 4 weeks very well right here. One afternoon we gave our program in a disordered church. Not very large, but we were the first people to go out to such a secluded spot. The boys had not heard any American girls talk, let alone sing, and they showed their delight.   We were urged to eat supper with the officers, and they could not do enough for us.

Another time we went to a place where a Field Artillery Company was stationed, and were invited to lunch with the officers, and we gave our programme for the boys, in a little old stone hut. The men had rented a grand piano, and while all day their [thing/work], waiting their turn to go home....

You can get up for breakfast, dinner, or supper as you like—then dance all night or thereabouts—and now don't laugh, but girls being very much in the minority, I danced as much as the rest of them. One step, fox trot, etc., so I will be an accomplished dancer when I get home....Came back to Brest in time for services at the Fortress Sunday, 3 P.M., and later at Camp Pontanezen, where the place was crowded to the doors.

You never saw boys so in earnest. We sang a number of quartettes, & they joined in the chorus of every one. Dr. Stevenson gave them a splendid talk that the boys appreciated. I like him—not a sermon but a message...

One morning we went to a French vaudeville revue from our hotel. We girls were alone, and standing in line when a young American lieutenant [who] got the tickets for us. I gave him a 50 franc note—only he returned the same with interest. I remonstrated with him, but he said he was so glad to take us girls in, for the French women fairly hung onto their belts, when alone. We were his protégées. It is hard for the boys to keep straight.

One day we went to see the big war picture Pantheon. A wonderful descriptive picture from the beginning—1914—and every face is a real picture—not an imagination....Can you imagine me on my way to the Mediterranean Sea? Well I am on my way...

we began our prelude programme at the large auditorium where were gathered at least 4,000 men. After the speaker we gave our prelude....Ten thousand men left this A.M. for HOME. Happy boys, but I like it, and hope to play my year out.

Saturday evening, after an early programme at the "Casual Camp," we went to the "Monastery" to dinner. The Admiral(a boulevardier), who is chief manager, is a jolly good fellow, and says he is going to have a party once a week while we are in this neck of the woods...