In contrast to those works which offer representative historical experiences, some sources uniquely document experiences not commonly associated with the time in which they were created. They serve as an especially unique product of New York high society in 1870-1871. Another important component of time as a consideration is the age of the individual who created the self work. In his fundamental work on English diaries, Arthur Ponsonby suggests self-indulgent introspection is more suited as a mechanism of journal keeping for youth. The period of time between the occurrence of events and the actual creation of a self work also needs to be considered for influence on the accuracy of the work.
Contemporary diaries are often vivid with spontaneous details which ring of truthfulness.
However subjective, the more immediate the retelling of an event, the greater the likelihood of its accuracy. Recollections and retrospective accounts risk the selectiveness and reliability of memory. One of the challenges for any reader of these types of writings is to identify the creator revealed or hidden in the story that self has presented. A retrospective narrative based on revision of a contemporary daily journal serves as an interesting hybrid, and several such journals are presented in this exhibition. Charles Gray, a sailor from Boston who spent three years in China between 1863-1866, kept a diary when he was overseas, which he used as the basis of a longer narrative he hoped to publish.