Describes a trip to Ocean House in Newport, Rhode Island, to sketch and write an article for Frank Leslie's Illustrated News. Transcription: Easton's beach, and had a bathe. Back, and to dinner at 3. Ladies in full dress, everything very stylish, promenade after dinner while the band played. Round to the other hotels in the evening, and to a gambling hell, with Helmsmuller. Faro and roulette, perhaps half a dozen players. [11. Thursday through 21. Friday] Newport is, unquestionably, the most fashionable of American watering-places. I am reminded by it of the description one reads in the novel
Describes a trip to Ocean House in Newport, Rhode Island, to sketch and write an article for Frank Leslie's Illustrated News. Transcription: Easton's beach, and had a bathe. Back, and to dinner at 3. Ladies in full dress, everything very stylish, promenade after dinner while the band played. Round to the other hotels in the evening, and to a gambling hell, with Helmsmuller. Faro and roulette, perhaps half a dozen players. [11. Thursday through 21. Friday] Newport is, unquestionably, the most fashionable of American watering-places. I am reminded by it of the description one reads in the novelists of the last century of British spas ? of the Bath of the days of 'Humphrey Clinker.' Dancing, dressing, gossip, talk of the 'good' company &c, drinking and spending money. The routine here is as follows. You bathe, or go to see the ladies bathe in the morning. Easton's beach is a spacious cove or bay of the smoothest and softest sand, with the jolliest rolls of Atlantic surf tumbling in, and a long row of water sentry boxes to dress in. At noon a red flag intimates permission to go in sans costume. Then there are rambles about the cliffs, anon dinner ? a good hour ?s business ? promenade, and at night 'a Hop,' at one or other of the hotels. The season is now at its height, though complained of as being less brilliant than past ones. I find some acquaintances here. [Matthew] Brady the daguerrotypist and Russell (of the 'European'), the latter with his wife and daughter. They came on the same night as I did. Walking on the piazza one evening in front of the hotel Russell told me a good deal about Colonel [Hugh] Forbes; from Title: Thomas Butler Gunn Diaries: Volume 8, page 215, August 12-21, 1857 . 12 August 1857. Gunn, Thomas Butler, 1826-1903
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