This transcribed and richly annotated volume presents the diary of Anna Keyser Baker (1821–1877), a third-generation Philadelphia Swedenborgian whose writing between 1874 and 1876 offers a rare, eloquent window into everyday city life and spiritual reflection, all while becoming increasingly aware of one’s own mortality. A voracious reader, dedicated friend, woman about town, and Sunday school teacher devoted to the worldview and doctrine of 18th-century Swedish mystic and theologian, Emanuel Swedenborg, Anna documented sermons, conversations, community charity work, and personal introspection. Through her diary, readers encounter scenes from 19th-century parlor visits, mountain and beach vacations, church gatherings, and walks through a transforming Philadelphia—right down to her impressions of the Centennial Exposition of 1876.

More than a private journal, Anna’s record encounters a full cast of real-life Philadelphia figures—such as William Spohn Baker, her brother and a renowned collector and interpreter of Washingtoniana; Gertrude Starkey, future wife of industrialist and founder of Pittsburgh Plate Glass, John Pitcairn Jr.; Susan J. O’Neill, prominent Philadelphia philanthropist and activist; Timothy Shay Arthur, author of the provocative best-seller Ten Nights in a Bar-Room and What I Saw There; and more, gathered thoughtfully in a new “Directory of Entities” assembled at the end of the book. Anna’s writing reveals a remarkable generosity of spirit and a deep appreciation of others that animates her descriptions of family, friends, and acquaintances with warmth, humor, and careful attention.

Readers are guided through these references with historical notes, images, excerpts from period newspapers, and corroborating accounts through the careful editorial work of Swedenborgian historian Christopher Augustus Barber. The diary’s blend of accessible theological insight, gentle poetry, social detail, and personal candor offers both devotional depth and a portrait of Philadelphia and humanity that will appeal to readers of all backgrounds.