85-page handwritten manuscript in a bound notebook. It starts on the front side of the pages until the end of the notebook, where it continues from back to front on the backs of the pages. It covers her life in chronological order with the exception of some earlier stories recounted in later sections. Harris divided the memoir into two sections: her childhood years and her life during and after her courtship and marriage. The manuscript also includes tipped in photographs and newsclippings. The photograph on the inside front cover above the dedication is an image of Johnson's adult daughter, Mattie Louise. The appendix contains the majority of the clippings, which consist of her poetry, several folk tales, and news stories about the Harris family. The memoir describes Harris' childhood in Augusta, GA, race relations, her ambivalence about her place in society as an African-American, and the importance of religion and education in her life. She includes the story of her courtship and marriage, as well as descriptions of the adult lives of several of her children. Her son Charles Jacob Harris (1885-1988), was a classically trained pianist, composer, and teacher whose papers are also held by the Rubenstein Library.
Elizabeth Johnson Harris - transcription.pdf
