Subseries II: Pittsburgh Office Diaries, 1897-1933

Following his break with Carnegie, Frick pursued a number of construction projects in downtown Pittsburgh, including the Union Arcade Building, William Penn Hotel, and Highland Building. His first such endeavor, however, was the Frick Building, designed by Daniel H. Burnham, and completed in 1902. Much of the building was leased to tenants, but Frick maintained offices on the nineteenth floor for his staff of secretaries, stenographers, bookkeepers, accountants, and legal counsel. Upon his death in 1919, the Frick Building was willed to Frick's daughter, Helen Clay Frick, who maintained the same offices in the building. Many of Frick's office staff continued to be employed by the family and by Frick's estate, which was not fully settled until the late 1920s.

This subseries contains various types of daily diaries maintained by Henry Clay Frick's office staff at the Frick Building. Entries document regular income from interest, dividends, and notes; payments for insurance premiums, dues, assessments, and mortgages; regular disbursements to family members and others; board and stockholders' meetings; visitors to Frick's Pittsburgh office and his whereabouts during absences from the city; reminders about office tasks such as payroll, taxes, and bills; and numerous clippings, largely concerning local news, but with some national coverage as well. Not all types of diaries were maintained for every year, and diaries were started and stopped at various times, sometimes due to staff changes, but the reasons are not always clear. More detailed descriptions concerning each diary type can be found below.

Diaries are grouped by type, then arranged chronologically within each group.