Peggy’s first knitting pattern has the title ‘Jumper’.
Knitting Pattern No 1
Knitting Pattern Sketches
Next, Peggy has sketched out what each of the three knitting patterns should look like, once completed.
Knitting Pattern No 2
The next knitting pattern is for another belted jumper, as seen in a later sketch. According to the title, it’s meant to fit ’30 in bust’, but presumably it didn’t turn out that good a fit, as she’s crossed out ’30’.
Knitting Pattern No 3
Next in her Switzerland journal, Peggy wrote out some knitting patterns. She may have been writing from the back of the notebook at this point, hence the 3rd pattern is shown first. A page of sketches later on shows that the knitting patterns are three different jumpers, numbers 2 and 3 of which are belted.
King Richard II. Shakespeare
Peggy copied out Act II scene I of Shakespeare’s play Richard II, which is a speech by John o’Gaunt.
Sketch of Peggy’s school & landscape
Dated May 23rd (presumably 1937), Peggy sketched a landscape view, above a line-drawing of her school building in Switzerland. The landscape is entitled: ‘View from La Majolaine, Geneva’, and she has labelled various notable landmarks: Les Voirons (mountain), Cologny (municipality), L’aiguille verte (mountain), Le Mole (mountain), Mont Blanc (mountain), Petit Salève (mountain).
There are also boats on the lake, of varying sizes. At the bottom, she has written ‘Lac Lèman or Lake Geneva’.
The sketch of the schoolhouse is titled ‘La Marjolaine from the lake side’. On it, she has labelled ‘My room & balcony’, ‘Bedrooms’, ‘Classroom’, ‘Verandah’, ‘Bathroom’, ‘Balcony’, ‘Mlle Hartmann’s study’, ‘Mlle Hartmann’s bedroom’, ‘Classroom’, ‘Door’, and ‘Dining room’.
Switzerland Journal April 12th 1937 (5)
The Hall of the Princes. This is a colossal hall made in different coloured marble. It is a monument to the Medicis. The hall is modern, in fact the floor isn’t yet finnished[sic]. There are the tombs & statues of the different Medicis. Round the walls there are the crests of the different towns which they were Lord of. The ceiling of this hall is wonderfully painted. There is another room ajoining[sic] which is much smaller. In this little room there are the famous monuments to the Medicis by Michaelangelo. The crest of the Medici family is 6 balls on a shield, 5 of which are red & the 6th blue with the fleur de lys _
*See the picture of the page for Peggy’s drawing of the crest.
Fiesole is a tiny village high up in the hills. It consists of a monestry[sic], catherderal[sic], a school & a few shops. There is a monument there of Garibaldi shaking hands with the King Victor Emmanuel II, on horseback. From Fiesole one gets a wonderful view over Florence. The monestry[sic] is open to the public & is a very pretty place. Fiesole was built before Florence. It is a Roman village & there is a Roman theatre that still remains.
San Miniato is a church on the opposite hill to Fiesole. The church is made of marble. It is small & not very interesting. Near by there is the Garden of Michaelangelo. It is a big open space where one can get a view over Florence. In this place there is another of Michaelangelo’s Davids. It is the same as that in the museum & built in marble. It is not quite so big as the other. It stands on a pedestal with parts of the monument to the Medici by Michaelangelo.
There are two big picture galleries in Florence. The main one is the Uffizi or Offices & the other is the Pitti.
In the Uffizi there are lots of the well known pictures by Raphael & Botticelli.
Milan.
The Duomo (Cathederal[sic]) at Milan is the biggest in the world. It is built in Gothic style & entirely of white marble. It has 100 spires.
The stained glass windows are wonderful & very big. It is said that from the top of the Duomo one can see Venice.
This Duomo is unique in the world. Also at Milan there is the famouse[sic] painting of “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci. It is painted on the wall of the refectory in an old monastry[sic].
Switzerland Journal April 12th 1937 (4)
Accademia di Bella Arti
We didn’t have time to see the whole of the Academy, but we saw the main “Chef d’oeuvres”. One of the chief works of Michaelangelo is the statue, the Pieta. He has done two, one of which is in St Peter’s at Rome & the other in this academy. He has signed these two statues, the only things of his work he ever signed.
In the academy all the statues were by Michaelangelo. There are quite a lot that have only been started.
The greatest of all Michaelangelo work stands here _ the enormouse[sic] statue of David. He has done various Davids but this is the greatest of the lot. It was modelled out of a block of Carrara marble which had been put away with as spoiled. David was done by the young Michaelangelo from 1501-1503. The statue was placed in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. It was moved out of its wooden frame in the square of the Cathederal[sic] & it took about 40 men 4 days to remove it to the Palazzo delle Signoria.
There is a story that the chief critic of the Signera, on coming to see the David, said that he thought the nose was a little too big. Michaelangelo gravely mounted the ladder, chissel[sic] in hand & pretended to alter the nose, letting fall some marble dust which he had in his pocket. When he asked the critic what he thought of it now, the critic said “Bravo! Well done! You have given it life.”
Switzerland Journal April 12th 1937 (3)
Florence.
Florence, (or, in Italian”Firenze”) is a lovely old town with the river Arno running through it. It has a cathedral & lots of bridges. The most famous of the bridges is the Ponti Vecchio & it is very narrow with shops on it & a picture gallery running over the shops.
The Cathederal [sic] is a huge place, built, (on the outside) entirely of different marbles. It has a lovely dome & a big tower. This tower is not attached to the Cathederal [sic] itself, it is about 1 1/2 yards away. The Cathederal [sic] has some lovely rose windows & a lovely dome. We heard a short service when we went there.
The Baptistery is really a part of the Cathederal [sic], but it stands in the middle of the square. It is just a dome with the most wonderful roof of pictures & a background of gold.
The Palazzo Vecchio is an old palace of the Medici family. It is very big & holds many quite valuable paintings & sculptures. From its tower, Galileo first had the idea that the earth went round the sun.
Santa Croce is a church. Its face is of different marbles on an old body. It was begun by Arnolfo di Cambio. In front of this church there is a lovely statue of Dante. Within Santa Croce there are the tombs of Dante, Michaelangelo, Machiavelli & Galileo.
St Marko is an old monastery built for the Silverstrine monks. In 1430 it was transferred to the Dominicans. It was rebuilt by one of the Medicinis, who asked Fra Angelico to decorate the walls. From 1490 – 1498 the great Dominican preacher _ Savonarola lived there.
Switzerland Journal April 12th 1937 (2)
Rome (cont:) Customs.
In Rome there are different customs & habits.
One has to walk on certain parts of the street. If you are going up the street you have to go one side & if you are going down, you have to go the other side. The policemen are very strict about this.
Nearly all the men you see are dressed either as a soldier or a monk or a churchman. All the officers have to wear their uniform & it looks very smart & nice _ with hundreds of different uniforms. The women go about with their bundles on their heads. Men come up to you trying to sell postcards or mosaic. Taxi drivers & carriage drivers crie [sic] out to you & ask you if you want a drive, Guides come up to you & try and press you to let them show you around. Sometimes these guides & men who want to sell things follow you round for a long time trying to persuade you.
I noticed that all the official people like policemen, soldiers, sailors & guides in the museums are very young, lots of them, even, boys. But they are all very nice & obliging.
In Rome no one is allowed to sound the horns of their cars. There are lots of horses & carts. The horses down in the south of Italy are all very thin & look very miserable. They are not treated very well. In every shop nearby one sees a photo of Mussolini. Every one seems to worship him almost.
At 12 o.clock in the morning, there is a siren & guns go off to signal the hour. All work stops and museums etc; close until 2.
Peggy1936 