The Wanamaker Diary was issued by Wanamaker's Department Store, Broadway at 8th Street, in Manhattan. The diary was intended not only as a record-keeping volume, but also as a souvenir and as a vehicle for advertisers whose goods Wanamaker's stocked. The diary was crammed with general information, advice, and numerous facts about New York, including the seating charts for nearly every legitimate theater and stadium in the city. 

A large number of the advertisments in the diary refer to stores and businesses in Philadelphia where Wanamaker's was originally based before expanding to New York City in 1896.  The New York store, a famous landmark in the city, was razed by fire in 1956, 34 years after the death of its founder, John Wanamaker.