Category: Writing Prompt

Categories
Education family History parenting Photographs Postcards Vintage Work In Progress writing Writing Prompt

Across the Pond: Exploring the Innuendo of a British Postcard

To: Miss D. Ekins From: Unknown Date: 1902-1920

Do you like this. If so don’t have to much

First, I want to give a huge shout out to Gemma at The Seafood Picnic Gift Company for this postcard. She sent the image to me about a week ago and we had fun trying to dissect what all of the innuendo might mean. I apologize in advance that I cut your thumb out of the card!

Second, what’s wonderful about this postcard is that it’s from Northampton, UK. I love this so much, but I don’t know postcard lore, nor have I tried to research outside of the United States. But, there’s always a first, so thank you again for giving me the opportunity to share this amazing card.

My guess is this card stems from around 1915, but it could date as early as 1902 and as late as 1930. For those of you who have been around for awhile, you might be thinking “but the divided back began in 1907!” You’d be right — for the United States. The UK introduced divided back postcards in 1902, a full five years before the US. Seeing as the image on the front is late 19th and early 20th century attire, and seeing as the handwriting is still flowery, I’d guess this was written 1902-1915.

I also think it was written by a man. Partly, because honestly a ladies handwriting would be significantly better (sorry dudes). Also, there’s a weird innuendo going on in the whole card. There’s the front of the card, which says “methinks the lady doth protest too much” (which smacks of Baby it’s Cold Outside“), and the vague (threat?) of “Do you like this, if so don’t have to much.”

I wonder what the card is actually asking Miss Ekins. Does she like what…dancing? Being forced to dance? The sender? Gemma thought maybe it’s a strange affair saying something to the effect of do you like me (the sender) if so don’t have too much (dancing with other men). I think it could be something like do you like dancing? If so, don’t have too much (liquor).

And what of D. Ekins? I found a decent match. A Mary Dolly Ekins lived in Northamptonshire and married John Bennett in 1919. The dates and places seem to align with our D. Ekins, and I’m inclined to think this may be her, but I’m not confident enough in my research abilities to say that it’s more than 50/50.

It feels like a long shot, but let’s say this is our Miss D. Ekins. She was born in 1888 and passed in 1926 at only 38 years old. This is a tragedy, as she was taken both too young, and only a few years after her marriage. With the date of 1919, I have to imagine the marriage was put on hold due to World War I.

Also, if this is our couple, could it be that John sent the card to D during the war? Perhaps he’s imploring her not to dance too much while he’s away? It’s hard to tell since both the stamp and the postmark are missing on the card. But it’s an interesting story…if it’s true.

What do you think? What vibe or story do you get from the card? What could the sender be implying? Let me know!

Front of Card: “Methinks the Lady doth protest too much.”

Categories
family History parenting Photographs Postcards Vintage Work In Progress World War II writing Writing Prompt

May 8, 1945: A Momentous Day

To: Mrs. S.G. Zoeger From: K.B 1945

I hope you had a good time while away.

K.B.

May 8, 1945 was a momentous day for the Western World. In the lead up to this day, we were nearing the end of the storm that was World War II. With the knowledge that allied forces were advancing on Germany, Adolf Hitler took his life and effectively ruined any hail mary on Germany’s part. And, on May 8, 1945, the Allies accepted Germany’s unconditional surrender.

This was Victory in Europe day.

Which is likely why the date was added posthumously, perhaps by Mrs. Zoegler herself. As historical dates often do, when we wake up and go about our lives, we don’t imagine that particular day will become important. But, of course, some days are filled with significance, and this was one of those days.

After hitting such a jackpot yesterday, I decided to choose a card that I’d been holding off on, particularly because I had the feeling that the research would be difficult. Not only is this card not postmarked or addressed, but the two people involved are obscured beneath their initials. However, we still have the clue of the card itself: an image of the City Investing Building in New York City, so that’s where I started.

Surprisingly, I found a few Zoegers. One family in Illinois even seemed promising, though not promising enough for me to be confident in telling their story. Alas, we will never know about the trip they took, or who K.B. may have been. My instinct tells me that K.B. may have been a neighbor who dropped a card into a mailbox when they saw their neighbors were back. From what trip? We won’t know.

But, perhaps that’s not the story this postcard is supposed to tell. Maybe, this card is to remind us that eventful days are just like all the others. They stream in and out of our lives like spider silk. It’s only once we step back for a moment that we can see the huge web of significance that tells our own stories.

Front of Postcard: Image of the City Investing Building

Categories
Education family History Photographs Poems Postcards Teaching Vintage writing Writing Prompt

“He Was Here Last Eve”: Capturing Girlhood and Family Bonds in a 1909 Postcard

To: Miss Mildred Freeman From: Mabel 1909

Dec. 7, 09

Why don’t you write me, M. and I want you to come up Xmas just as you did last year and we go home with you. We will meet you at Russel just the same and we will try and not make any mistake. I went skating last eve and had a fine time only wish you were here. I would teach you how to skate. he was there last eve but I didn’t skate with him. his time was occupied. Now answer right back.

With love,

–Mabel

In December of 1909, William Howard Taft was president, Pearl Harbor is founded, and the Manhattan Bridge opened. Women couldn’t vote, neither world war had broken out, and we were still three years away from the Titanic sinking to the bottom of the Atlantic.

While I love the many different postcards that I write about, and while each of them is a gem unto themselves, this particular postcard feels like something special. Partly, because it reads like it came directly out of a period movie. I can almost hear Mabel’s sweet but chastising voice, almost picture her coy and playful smile, can practically hear her nonchalant frustration at his time being too occupied to skate with her.

It is a perfect snippet of girlhood. The longing, the frustration, the all encompassing angst of (unrequited?) love. So rarely does a card capture the essence of a moment so wonderfully.

Yet this is undeniably Mabel. And she is amazing.

I love this card so much that I almost didn’t want to research the people involved. I know that sounds counterproductive, but I enjoyed the picture painted by the correspondence, and worried that research might ruin that image. And, as I’ve stated time and time again, researching women is complicated. They are obscured by their fathers and husbands, and maiden names can be just as difficult to research as married names.

But this gem of a card just kept on giving. One quick search and I immediately found Mildred Freeman, and her story is just as interesting as Mabel’s story on the card. Mildred Freeman was born September 28, 1894 in North Prescott, Massachusetts. At the time of this card, Mildred was 16 years old. However, she was only months away from her wedding to Charles Fiske, a man 7 years her senior. For reference, he was 23 to her 16 when they married. Perhaps that’s why Mildred wasn’t writing Mabel back…she was being courted by Charles. Mildred had one son and died in 1988 at the age of 94.

And what of Mabel? The letter suggests the two girls are related (especially since Mabel suggests they spend Christmas with each other’s families), so I went through each of Mildred’s aunt’s and uncles in the hopes I could find a cousin that matched.

And I did…sort of.

Mabelle Florence Beach was born on June 16, 1889. At the time of the postcard, she was 20 years old. This surprised me a little, since the voice of the card reads a tad younger. However, it still tracks. The tragic thing about Mabelle, or perhaps not so tragic depending on how you view it, is that she never married. Her father died in 1907, and in the census of 1920, Mabelle was working as a stenographer. Mabelle died in 1944 at the age of 55. She was buried with her father and mother, which I find endearing. Though, I’m saddened he never gave her the attention she hoped to receive.

What a lovely, lovely card. The love between these two cousins endures, and I’m so grateful to tell their story 115 years later.

Front of Postcard: “In the Berkshires”

Categories
Education family parenting Photographs Poems Postcards Teaching Vintage writing Writing Prompt

“Greetings”: The Art of Succinct Messages From A 1908 Postcard

To: Mr. Andrew Berlin From: Martin 1908

Greetings from Martin

The beauty of this postcard is astounding, and I’ve loved it since I first saw it. Yet, I’m in the business of connections, not art and the brief greeting on the back of the postcard always left me a little sad. Unlike so many of my cards, there’s almost a lack of connection here. It’s cold, formal, almost a card of obligation rather than desire.

In my (limited) experience, there’s two reasons why a greeting might be so short on a postcard. First, the writer is young. Let’s face it, kids can pepper you with questions, and string stories from their imaginations, but when asked to write a card or a thank you — they freeze up.

Second, short greetings are usually reserved for undivided back postcards sent before 1907. Those required the sender to write on the front and often left little to no space to send more than a “wish you were here.”

This card doesn’t seem to fit any of the above. The handwriting is too elegant to be considered a childish scrawl, it’s dated 1908 with a divided back, AND there’s plenty of blank space on the front for the sender to write a message if they had wanted.

In going into my research on the addressee, I now have a set of questions in my mind. Like, how old were they when the postcard was sent? Is there a Martin in their family tree? And why might the postcard be postmarked in the same city?

It would be a lovely thing if archives opened up and the answers to all our questions spilled out of their coffers. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. I am not positive that I found our Andrew Berlin. However, I did find record of an Andrew Berlin living in Minnesota at the 1910 census. In that year, he was 7 years old.

If this is our Andrew (which I am not positive that it is) then the short greeting is appropriate for a five year old. Perhaps an Uncle or a cousin sent the card in the cold March months to cheer the boy up. It’s plausible. A beautiful picture, a succinct greeting, calling him “Mr. Andrew Berlin” as though he’s older than his five years. It’s certainly something I might send to my niece or nephew.

The only sort of broken cog in the machine is that I couldn’t find a relation named Martin for this Andrew. But, I didn’t scroll through the myriad of cousins on both sides of the family, so we can hope.

In the meantime, please enjoy my own maiden meditation.

“Maiden Meditation” front of postcard

Categories
Education family History parenting Photographs Postcards Vintage Writing Prompt

Decoding a Vintage Postcard: Untangling Lois’s family ties

To: Mr. A.D. Keese From: Lois 1940’s

Dear Aunt and Uncle;

Glad to get your card. I will write just as soon as I get time. I really like my job. I really get a kick out of it. I went home this last week in. Saw all of the family but Lee and they are all well.

I will close. Write to me soon.

Love,

Lois

Have you heard from Grandma?

This is one of those sneaky little postcards that has a half legible stamped date. I can see it was sent on September 8, but I don’t know the year! It’s smudged out and lost to time. But, we know it has to be past 1907, since it has the divided back.

The publisher, MWM, appears to have been active in the 30’s and 40’s. I was able to find this same postcard in a few places, but no date. Finally, I found one for sale on ebay with a date of 1947. I think this one likely dates slightly before that, but it’s safe to say Lois wrote to her Aunt and Uncle in the 1940’s.

Even casual students of history know that the 40’s were a time of sweeping change. World War II took up half the decade, and in the United States, the war years saw a great gush of women in the workplace as they stepped in to fill jobs left by men.

For the first (and last) time, we created a country that allowed women to work. Childcare was subsidized by the government, women were not only allowed to work, but encouraged to work. Many found fulfillment in wartime jobs, only to be shuttled back to the suburbs when men came home from the war.

And what of A.D. Keese and his niece, Lois? Without a first name I was not confident that I’d find A.D. and his niece. Yet, magically, the family popped up under my first search! It took some time to make sure I had the *right* A.D. and even now, of course I’m never 100% confident. But, I feel pretty good about these ones.

A.D. Keese was born Arthur David Keese on December 29 or 1883. In the census of 1930 he was listed as a farmer, and by his draft registration in 1942, he was living in Florence, Texas. On December 19 of 1915 he married Myrtle Farmer. Arthur died in 1976, and Myrtle passed four years later, in 1980. They are buried together.

Myrtle is integral to the story, however, because Myrtle is the blood aunt of Lois. Lois Donham Carr was a Christmas Eve baby, born December 24, 1924. Unfortunately, the record on Lois is a bit thin. I know that she married and had children, but as for what job she was doing when she sent the postcard, I’m not sure. Perhaps some sort of secretarial work? What is clear is that she had a sweet connection with her extended family and took the time to — not only write, but type — a card to them in her early 20’s.

As for Grandma, Lenora Farmer (Lois had Lenora’s middle name, by the way), she lived until the age of 81, and died in 1955.

What a wonderful opportunity to tell their story. I can see why this postcard has survived through many hands.

Categories
Climate Education family History parenting Photographs Postcards Vintage Writing Prompt

Ida’s 1958 Postcard: Desperately Seeking Summer

To: Mrs. Chas C. Green. From: Ida Lyon

Dear Bea(?) (or Beau?)

Just a card and few. lines — hope yous are well and enjoy yourselves. I’ll be glad(?) when Spring is here so I can be outside. Love snow now. Must close for now. Write when you can.

Love as always,

Your Friend,

Ida Lyon(?)

In 1958, Eisenhower was President, Bobby Fisher won the US Chess Championship, the plastic hula hoop is first marketed, and the space race is in full swing. The country may have been leaning into scientific progress, but it would be another two years before Ruby Bridges stepped into the halls of a white school, and another seven before the Civil Rights Act was passed that outlawed discriminatory voting practices.

It took me a while to research this card, in part because the names aren’t super clear. Again, we have a card that’s being mailed to a woman, but her name is obscured by her husband. I started there, with “Chas Green”. Quickly, I found that Chas is often short for Charles (yay internet!), so I then started to search Charles, Charles C, etc etc, all to no avail. I thought I might get a hit off the address, but no luck.

And what about Ida? Well, I can’t be sure that her last name IS Lyon. Nonetheless, I searched the name on Family Search, and started weeding through the Ida’s. Sometimes searching the archives is like trying to find breadcrumbs lost in a dirt path. They are there, and you can find them, but it’s very difficult.

Since I’m fairly certain this card starts out with a pet name (Bea or Beau) I considered that it was a possibility Ida was writing to her sister. I went to every Ida that would fit the timeframe, and followed the family trees to check sisters and their husbands. On very rare occasions, this tactic has worked and I’ve been able to find the subjects of my postcard.

This time, it did not work. I did find an Ida with a slew of sisters, one of whom was a Betty. Betty was married four times, and as I kept scrolling I hoped that one of them had the last name “green.” She did not, so I kept searching to no avail.

Despite the fact that I couldn’t find Ida or Mrs. Chas Green, the postcard itself is lovely. I get the sense that Ida is a bit cooped up, though she seems to love the snow (I think), she’s already longing for the warm days of summer and looking for connection in the dark and chilly season. It’s also very typical of a 1950’s postcard. It has the divided back, a two cent stamp, and the image on the front has a white border around it that was normal for the era.

Whomever they were, I hope they connected via a longer letter, and managed to see each other in the warmth of Summer.

Mississippi River Lock and Dam, Fountain City, Wis

Categories
Education family History parenting Photographs Postcards Teaching Vintage Work In Progress Writing Prompt

Patricia’s 1954 Postcard: A Historical Exploration of Old Town San Diego

To: Miss Patricia Baker From: Warren, 1954

Hi Pat,

This is an interesting spot in “old town.” Best Wishes

From,

Warren

“Old Town,” San Diego was founded in 1769 by Spanish settlers. The town survived three governments (Spanish, Mexico, then American) before being usurped by “New Town”, or modern day San Diego, primarily because it was closer to the water. Now, a monument to the original settlement stands on the site. It’s full of restaurants, tourist shops, and the Whaley House, the “most haunted” house in America.

In 1954, Dwight Eisenhower was president, Marilyn Monroe married Joe DiMaggio, and Brown V. Board ruled that segregated schools are unconstitutional. The United States was in our Nuclear Era. Suburbs were growing, cars were getting faster, the movies were glamorous, and people had more money for leisure. It might sound great, but the racial and gender divide in the US was huge. The Cold War was raging, and Senator McCarthy was conducting hearings on communism.

This is one of at least two postcards that I have from Warren. I may have more in my stash that I haven’t identified yet. The postcards are separated by a period of years, but both are addressed to the Baker household, both are written in the same all caps handwriting, and both postcards are short and to the point. Nonetheless, they both provide distinct information about the spots Warren has seen or traveled.

When I started my research on the card, I really thought I’d be able to find Patricia and Warren. I have a date, a name, an address…but alas, no real luck. This may be a symptom of using only free sites to conduct my research (what can I say, I’m a cheapskate), however there were SO MANY Patricia Bakers in or near El Monte. Add to the fact that El Monte is in Los Angeles County, and now I’m dealing with a ton of records from LA and, phew, it was a lot.

Plus, our old foe: the maiden name! We know that Pat isn’t married because Warren uses the “Miss” title. Therefore, if she married, her name can get easily obscured in the records and make it much more difficult for us to uncover.

There is a Patrica Baker who lived in El Monte and married a William. She was one of 9 sisters and passed in 1982. I thought this was a good match, except it seems she married in 1946. So, my hopes were dashed.

Sometimes that’s how the cookies crumble. Hopefully next week I’ll have more luck with research!

Categories
Education family History parenting Photographs Postcards Teaching Vintage writing Writing Prompt

The Tongue Wagging Postcard to Mrs. Nora Ringer from Her Aunt Eva 1910-1930

To: Mrs. Nora Ringer, From: Aunt Eva 1910-1930

Dear Nora,

I suspect your tongue is waging at both ends these days. I know you are enjoying your mama’s visit – in from the winter(?) How I would have liked to go with her and sleep like(?) our young(?) Julia. But, I went to South B. and Bluffton. Write me.

Your Aunt,

Eva

Wow. To say I’ve been holding on to this postcard is an understatement. This is one of the first postcards I picked up, largely because I thought the front of the card was so beautiful and vibrant, and the back of the card is so clean and aesthetic. But it was a doozy to try and decipher! In the end, I had to play with the colors and contrast of the card as well as look for common letters that I was confident in. I know I didn’t get everything right, so if you have some thoughts on what these words are, let me know! For now, though, let’s dissect a bit of the history of the card.

As you can see, the card has no stamp or postmark. That tells me it was either carried to Nora in person, or mailed in a separate envelope. However, there are some clues that we can gather to help us determine when the postcard may have been written.

First, let’s look at the front. The image is a sweeping watercolor painting of Vernal Falls and the Cap of Liberty in Yosemite. Paintings like this were popular on postcards in the first half of the 20th century (1900-1950). Additionally, the abbreviation for California is “Cal”. State abbreviations weren’t standardized until 1963. So, we know the postcard must be before that date.

However, I’m not happy with a 63 year possibility. So, the final determining factor is the publishing company. On the back, I’m barely capable of making out a publisher: Benham Co. This publisher was active from 1910-1930. So, although we don’t have a postmark, I can now place the card within a 20 year period. If I had to guess one date, I’d say 1918. No particular reason, just a gut feeling.

There is so much I love about this postcard, including “your tongue is waging at both ends”. Which, I hope I deciphered that phrase correctly because it’s fantastic. I attribute it to the visit of Nora’s mother (they must be catching up on a lot!). But, who are Nora and Eva? Honestly, without a location I can’t be sure. It may surprise you to find out that there is more than one Nora Ringer in the archives.

I did find a possibility. There’s a Nora Ringer living in Ohio who was born in 1906. However, I can only find one census record of her, and “Ringer” is the maiden name. The card explicitly says “Mrs.” That indicates a marriage. Since we are talking about women, Ringer would be her husbands name. Once again, the archives do more to obscure than reveal and we are hampered in finding our Nora because she’s hidden by men’s names. Without the husbands name, or a time frame, or location, I can’t confirm our Nora.

Nonetheless, I hope Nora’s tongue wagged the entirety of her mother’s visit, and I hope she wrote her Aunt Eva a mile long letter filled with a cacophony of gossip and family information.

Cheers to Nora and Eva. May we all have friends and family we can spill the tea with.

Categories
Education family History Local Government parenting Photographs Poems Postcards Teaching Vintage Writing Prompt

“Love Hazel”: A visit to Mount Vernon and a Timeless Connection

To: Miss Eileen Doyle From: Hazel Anderson, 1923

Dear Miss Doyle,

I am writing this card as we are going up the Potomac River to Mount Vernon.

Love,

Hazel Anderson

In 1923, Warren Harding was President until his death on August 2, at which time Calvin Coolidge took over. Yankee Stadium opened it’s doors, Roy and Walt Disney found the Disney Company, and 15o are killed and the town of Rosewood destroyed in the racially motivated Rosewood Massacre.

Although Mt. Vernon was not designated a historical landmark until the 1960’s, Americans have been visiting the site since 1860. Though, at the time of Hazel’s visit, Mt. Vernon Highway had not been built yet, nor was there a marker for the enslaved cemetery on the property.

I have quite a few postcards from Mt. Vernon, and all of them are beautiful. If you don’t know, Mt. Vernon is the home of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Washington left behind a complicated legacy, one full of missteps and careful planning. He was a man deeply rooted in the south, but always conscious of the cognitive dissonance of being a slaveholder in a nation that’s built on a founding principal of equality. I’m not a Washington apologist, not by any means. Yet, I give credit to those who change, or attempt to change, and Washington certainly did throughout his lifetime.

But what of Hazel Anderson and Eileen Doyle? Let’s start with Hazel. Yes, I have a first and last name, but since the postmark is Virginia and Hazel is clearly on vacation, it’s difficult to confirm the correct Hazel Anderson in the records, especially as it’s a fairly common name.

Eileen, on the other hand, is a little easier to find. Especially since I have her full name and address. Despite this, there were quite a number of decent candidates. The best fit is an Eileen G Doyle who lived in Milwaukee in 1930. At the time of the census, she was 27 and single. That means that she would have been twenty years old when Hazel sent the postcard.

To be clear, I can’t match the address to any of the Eileen Doyle’s that I researched. However, the Eileen mentioned above was a lodger in 1930, so it stands to reason that she may have been lodging in 1923 as well. If this is the case, Eileen was a public school teacher for at least twenty years (according to census records in 1930, 40, and 50). She’s also listed as head of household in all records — so single.

I’m always a little sad when I can’t for sure find the people in the postcards I research, but I hope that Hazel and Eileen stayed friends for years, and kept in contact.

Categories
Education History parenting Photographs Postcards Teaching Vintage writing Writing Prompt

Amway Shopper or Distributer? The Story of Mildred Becker

To: Mildred Becker From: Dan and Didi 1979

Keep smiling!

It makes people wonder what you’ve been up to.

Love,

Dan and Didi

In 1979, Jimmy Carter was President, McDonald’s released the Happy Meal, Nickelodeon debuted on cable, and the Department of Education was established. The year also saw a large number of walks and protests supporting LGBTQIA+ rights. A nuclear disaster on Three Mile Island experienced a partial meltdown, American Airlines flight 191 crashed (still the worst aviation accident in US history), and the Iran Hostage Crisis began.

An eventful year to be sure, especially for Amway. Founded in Ada, Michigan, the company is a pioneer in the multi-level-marketing bracket (if you haven’t watched LuLaRich on Amazon Prime, I recommend!), and by 1980’s they reached one BILLION in sales. However, in 1979 a judge for the FTC commission, ruled that Amway was NOT a pyramid scheme. So, although the ruling required Amway to comply with retail rules, it largely allowed (and still does) MLM’s to sell a get rich quick dream to distributors.

By the time Dan and Didi sent Mildred their card, she was 65 years old, and living in Crystal, Minnesota. On paper, she lived a somewhat hard life. She had four stillborn children, her husband died in the 1960’s, and it seemed she had to hustle for a living. Three years prior to this card, her mother, whom Mildred had lived with since the 40’s, passed away. Mildred would live another 32 years (until the age of 97!), and despite her hardships, she left behind a large legacy, including 6 great-great-grandchildren.

So who were Dan and Didi? My initial thought is that one of them was a grandchild. Howver, the phrase “Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you’ve been up to” was something my grandpa always said. So, based on that alone I sort-of think that Dan and Didi were contemporaries of Mildred. They don’t seem to be a brother or sister, so that leaves friends.

However, seeing as it’s on an Amway postcard, and there’s nothing really personal about the card, I do wonder if Mildred was part of a downline for Dan and Didi. Meaning, I wonder if Mildred sold Amway products, and the people who got her into sales were Dan and/or Didi. It would make sense. Why else send an Amway themed postcard with a quippy message on it?

I’ll never know who Dan and Didi were, but thanks to a beautiful obituary, I got to know Mildred a little bit during my research. It’s always touching and rewarding to find a lovely memorial to the person who owned one of my postcards. I love breathing a little bit of life into these captured snippets of time.

Front of Card: Amway Complex at Ada