Robert Indiana kept a series of illustrated journals during the late 1950s and 1960s, in which he discusses the development of his work as well as his daily life on Coenties Slip.

Indiana often mentions current event in his journals, and in his entry for August 15, he notes, in reference to the Soviet space program flights Vostok 3 and Vostok 4, that the Russians had successfully landed after four and three days aloft (respectively), and that "our scientists (government variety) feel [that] we shall still beat [the] Russians [to] [the] moon." He also records that the French and Italians had created the longest vehicular tunnel in the world through Mont Blanc.

Indiana refers to three works in the entry. He records changing the central letters of Marine Works to red, and that he planned to shadow them in black. He also notes that he added numerals again to Hub, this time larger. The page contains a sketch of a detail of Hub, the numeral one in a red circle, and a sketch of "Black Diamond Yellow 8" (8).

Indiana records that his gloom had been growing as he had not heard from Eleanor Ward since the date change for his show (his first solo exhibition at Stable Gallery), but that he finally received a call from her. He also writes that Sidney Janis had let it be known that he was interested in including him in a November show (International Exhibition of the New Realists) at his gallery.