Tag: Education

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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.

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Climate Education family History Photographs Postcards Teaching Vintage writing

Celebrating a Roaring 20’s Birthday: Warren Spitler’s Legacy and the Mystery of Effye

To: Mr. Warren Spitler From: Effye 1920

Am having the time of my life. Can you find me on the beach? Come down, the water is fine. All well and able to sit up an take notice.

Effye.

The 1920 census was the first census to record a population of over 100 million in the United States. 192o was the ACLU was founded, and Congress decided not to join the League of Nations. By August 26, the 19th Amendment of the Constitution was passed, granting women the right to vote. Racial tensions, however, ran high in the nation. Lynchings occurred in throughout the year in both the North and the South. The Roaring Twenties had truly begun.

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you may recognize this card. This is one of the first cards I posted, and I didn’t research it. Since I had a bit of a late day at work, I decided to revisit the card and do a little bit of research. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find anything — as you know that’s how the jelly rolls sometimes, but I like the art on this card. I think it’s beautiful and I love the beach scene. So, I figured I’d give it a go.

Imagine my surprise when I easily found a Warren Spitler in the family search records. Even stranger, Warren was born on September 18, 1884. The post date of this blog will be the anniversary of his 140th birthday! I’m a bit of a superstitious gal, and I can’t help but think Warren may have had something to do with the timing. Let’s get into it.

As I said, Warren was born on September 18, 1884 in Augusta, Virginia. There’s no (accessible) information on him until the 1930 census, which places him in Covington. He was 45, and living with his brother and his brother’s family. He’d remain there in the 1940 census as well. Both the census records and Find a Grave indicate that he was a salesman in a department store, though was type I don’t know.

It seems that Warren never married, so I wondered who Effye may have been and what relationship the two of them had. I thought perhaps a sister, though there was none that stood out as having the nickname Effye. There is an Abbie, so maybe that’s it? The handwriting also seems a bit childish to me, so I thought niece perhaps? But, searching through the family tree I can’t find many of his siblings who married. If you note the grave, Warren is buried next to his brother Clarence, also unmarried. I didn’t go deep into the family tree, but there weren’t many nieces or nephews to be found.

So, who is Effye? Is it a nickname for a sister or a niece? Is it a friend of Warren’s, or perhaps even a cousin? There’s a few cousins that could fit the bill, but again I came up short. Still, I hope that Warren found time to “sit up and take notice” on the beautiful beach with the people he loved.

Happy birthday Mr. Warren Spitler!

Front of Postcard, 1920

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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

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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!

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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.

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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.

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Grace’s Summer Getaway in Michigan: The Mystery of Grass Lake

From: Grace, To: Unclear. Date: 1920-1940

…dining room girl and tomorrow I expect a woman to help in the kitchen, then I will have fixed out for the summer. Ruth is not with me this summer. How. wish you could come and see me this summer. I think it would do you good. Can’t you come? My address at the lake is:

My Lake Cousin

Grass Lake

Michigan

Write me. With love to you and Ted.

Grace P

The village of Grass Lake is a small community nestled in the mid-west corner of Michigan. As of 2020, just over 1000 people lived in the village. In the early 1900’s, the main industries would have centered around the railroad, as well as the lake. Possibly tourism as well.

Unfortunately, I can only guess as to the origins of this postcard. It’s got no divided back, which would date it prior to 1907. However, it also doesn’t have a “Post Card” or “Private Mailing Card” stamped anywhere. While the cursive on the card is beautiful, it’s not the sweeping loops we’d see on a postcard from 1900-1905.

There are a few other clues as well. The somewhat laid back and conversational tone (“it would do you good”, “can’t you come”) of the card indicates to me that it wasn’t written during he first decade of the 20th century. Grace also mentions that she’s “fixed out for the summer”, which tells me it’s an extended vacation. My gut tells me this was written somewhere in the decade of the 1920’s, although I suppose it could have been anywhere between 1920-1940.

Who was Grace? Without a postmark, date, or even last name, I couldn’t research her, or her cousins. But, I have a few guesses.

My primary guess is that this is a young(ish) wife who’s family is at the cabin for the summer. Grass Lake is close enough to larger cities that it’s feasible Grace stayed at the cottage while her husband traveled back and forth for work. With her husband gone, she’d want another adult as company — hence the card sent to her cousin.

My other thought is a teenager. However, it seems unlikely that a teen would say “I expect a woman to help in the kitchen”. She’d probably say “Mama expects a woman to…”. So, while I guess it’s possible, I don’t think that this card was from a teen.

Poor Grace. I hope she found company in her loneliness. I sure wish I had the other part of her letter.

Painted image of Wolf Lake, Michigan

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Education family History Photographs Postcards Teaching Vintage writing

Lloyd Hublers 1911 Postcard: A Valentines Day Prank?

From: Unknown To: Lloyd Hubbler, 1911

Oh you kid: I’d enjoy another dance with you like the one I had at the Dickeyville dance. Would like to make a date with you, “You Honey Bunch”. Will try and be out for the 15th. Hope you will be there, dear. Will show you another good time. Oh honey I am so lonesome. From – you know who.

(flipped) Look under the stamp honey bunch. xxxxxxx

This is my picture honey.

(On front) I am ready xxx. From your sweet little wife. S.W.A.K

God am so home sick for a x x

Lloyds sweet wife ha ha

I can’t express to you how much I am obsessed with this card. Every inch of it is filled with writing. X’s dot the landscape of both the front and the back and someone added additional rouging and eyeliner to the image on the front. This postcard SCREAMS of some sort of joke, and I am absolutely here for it. So, let’s drop the card into history.

1911 sees the disaster of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York, the invention of Crisco, and the founding of the first movie studio. However, I have to wonder if the news of these events hit the small village of Potosi. Situated in the southwest corner of Wisconsin, modern day Potosi boasts a population of just over 600 people. Like many small towns, it was originally founded as a mining and farming village. Now, it hosts an annual catfish festival and fish fry the second weekend of August.

In 1911, Lloyd Hubler was a few months shy of his 20th birthday, and at least according to Family Search, still unmarried. He had one brother, who was 8 years his senior. Although the card puts Lloyd’s last name as “Hubbler”, I’m pretty sure it was “Hubler”. The Lloyd I found has a father named “William Scott”, but he’s listed as Scott W. in the census records. Seeing as the card was sent “c/o Scott Hubbler”, and the Hubler’s lived in Harrison County (where Potosi is located), I’m fairly certain I have the right man.

But birth days, death days, draft registrations, and the marriage index provide only the barest amount of context for a life. Who sent this card to Lloyd? Why? There are a few clues that we can use to point us in the right direction. Or at least to make some fun and semi-guesses.

First, the card was sent on February 16, two days after Valentines Day. My mind immediately goes to two scenarios. First, maybe there was a Valentines Dance for the surrounding area. Here, Lloyd met a girl and made the gravest mistake: he told his friends about her. Looking to pull a prank, they put together this card and sent it to him, care of his FATHER for added embarrassment.

Second, Lloyd’s older brother was 28 at the time. It’s possible he sent the card as a practical joke, but why would he misspell the name? While I think it’s possible he had something to do with the card, I doubt it was entirely done by the brother.

So, poor Lloyd had to deal with the embarrassment of being sent this provocative card. Because it was a postcard, everything could be seen by everyone. Not only could his father see and read it…but so could the postman, the postal workers…you get the idea. What did poor Lloyd do to deserve this humiliation? We will never know.

Lloyd did end up finding his “sweet” wife. In 1918, he married Leora Hinman. They went on to have three children. She outlived her husband by a decade, but I hope that their life together was S.W.A.K.

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Education family History parenting Photographs Postcards Teaching Vintage World War II writing

Two Wives, a Botanist, and a Ghost Ship…Oh My! (The Lawrence’s Part II)

From: Ida To Mrs. Dana Lawrence

If you haven’t read my blog post from yesterday, I’d recommend going back and taking a gander. Though part 1 is not entirely necessary, you’ll have more context for this post because I’m going to basically jump right in.

Yesterday, I explored the story of Ida’s postcard and the complicated legacy of the dropping of the Atomic Bombs as well as Victory over Japan day (known as VJ day). As the world entered the Nuclear Age…Ida went on vacation to Natural Bridge.

But what about Mrs. Dana Lawrence, the recipient of the postcard? The more I searched, the more I found, and honestly the stranger it got. So, I’ll go in chronological order and start at the beginning: with Dana Lawrence.

Dana is the patriarch of the family. Born in 1875, he married his first wife, Helen Ethelwyn Briggs in 1897. Their marriage lasted until Helen’s death in 1906. She was 18 when she married, and only 27 when she died. Their union produced three children; Marion Louise, Robert Parker, and Leonard.

With three young children at home, I imagine Dana may have been looking for help. In 1908, Dana married Anna Maria Mathewson. THIS is our “Mrs. Dana Lawrence.” I’ve talked before about how women are often obscured in the historical record because they are referred to by their husband’s full name. This is one of the many times I’ve had to trace the man first and hope to uncover the woman.

Anna was 25 when she married Dana and bore two children: Lucy and George, and THIS is where it got interesting!

George Hill Mathewson Lawrence was actually the first member of the family I found, because apparently he was a somewhat famous and well thought of botanist! This is the first “famous” connection I’ve run across with one of my postcards and while it’s only niche famous, it’s still a pretty cool find — at least I think so.

I know for sure that George entered the military during World War II, serving as a Lieutenant in the Navy. I don’t know where he served, but seeing as Ida specifically asks if Anna had heard anything from the “boys since August 14,” I suspect it was in the Pacific. If you remember yesterdays post, Japan informally surrendered on August 15. So, the greeting makes sense.

Now, I’ve also promised you the Queen Mary, and don’t worry, I’ll deliver! Leonard Lawrence (youngest son of Helen) has an interesting attachment to his record. It’s the passenger list of the RMS Queen Mary. He took the liner from Southampton to New York City between April 25-April 29 of 1951. Apparently he traveled first class as well. The ship now anchors in LA as a popular tourist attraction, and is considered one of the most haunted places in America. But probably not with any of the Lawrence clan.

There are plenty of other tidbits I found, but not as interesting as the ones I’ve shared. Anna died in 1959, at which point I assume this postcard was boxed, shuffled around, sold, sold again, and so on and so forth until it made it into my hands. Once again, it’s the friendship between two women that uncovers a part of family history.

Thanks for reading!

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Education family History Photographs Postcards Vintage World War II writing

“First Holiday in Four Years”: The Complicated Legacy of VJ Day and the Strange History of the Lawrence Clan, Part I

From: Ida To: Mrs. Dana Lawrence 1945

VJ Day 1945

Any good news of the boys since Aug. 14th?

Yesterday we drove thru (sic) Shenandoah Valley, Luray, New Market, Staunton to Natural Bridge — First holiday in 4 years except Xmas day — Return by way of Charlotteville tomorrow.

Love to all,

Ida

I’ve been waiting to post this card until September 2, which in 1945 was celebrated as “VJ” day, or “victory over Japan” day. I planned to do a post that discussed the complicated legacy of the United States’ victory over Japan which resulted in utter destruction and death in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. That message is still at the heart of this post. However, the research into this postcard took twists and turns that brought me to a second wife, a famous botanist, and even the illustrious RMS Queen Mary.

Therefore, this post will be part one of two. To honor those men and women who fought and died in World War II, as well as the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I will discuss VJ day in today’s post. Tomorrow, I will discuss the strange and winding tale of the Lawrence clan.

September of 1945 finally brought an end to the brutality of World War II. The war remains the bloodiest conflict in human history, with the deaths of an estimated 15 million military personnel and 38 million civilians.

Although Hitler met his demise on April 30, and by May 8 of 1945, the war in Europe was over, the US and her allies were still fighting the war in the Pacific against Japan. That war continued through the Summer and in weighing the death estimates of a full land invasion, President Truman made the decision instead to drop two atomic bombs. The United States dropped “Little Boy” on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, and “Fat Man” on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. These two bombs laid waste to the cities, and resulted in upwards of 200,000 deaths. More, if you count those who’ve died in the years since the bombings.

By August 15, Emperor Hirohito announced the unconditional surrender of Japan to the Allies. This agreement was formally signed on September 2, 1945 — hence the term “VJ Day.” This is likely the history you know, or at least partially know.

There are many conflicting opinions on whether or not the bombs should have been dropped. I, personally, am in the “should not have dropped it” camp. However, I am a cultural historian and I primarily studied the colonial United States. I can give you in depth information about the color “Haint Blue“, but if you ask me about military history I often come up short. All this to say, I’m not here to argue for or against one side. I think Truman’s decision was wrong, but I understand others may vehemently agree with me.

What’s clear is the atomic bombs not only quickly brought an end to the final stages of World War II, they also leapfrogged us into the nuclear age, cold war, and mutual assured destruction. History was forever and irrevocably changed in the few moments that it took to release those bombs on a civilian population. Humans of the world must live with those consequences, and we can’t ever go back.

The thing that strikes me about this postcard is the disconnect between Ida’s tone and the immense world changing events that are happening around her. Yes, she acknowledges that the war is over. Yes, she asks about the “boys” (at least one of whom was deployed and I will talk about tomorrow!), but then she goes straight into a discussion of her vacation. She even sends the postcard from the Natural Bridge landmark. It’s so scarily mundane.

I chose postcards for this little project specifically because they provide a small snippet of information about the life of a person. It’s like peeking into a half-lit window while you’re passing a house at 60 miles an hour. You get a small sense of their surroundings, but not intimate details. I understand that we can’t, and often don’t, get the true feelings or fears or hopes of the sender. However, it seems to me as though the atomic bombings loom much larger for us in 2024 than they did for Ida in 1945.

Instant access to news and information was not an option for Ida. Wartime propaganda and bias would have also influenced what she knew, how much she knew, and even what she thought. News of the bombings and the Manhattan Project was tightly controlled and in the aftermath of the bombings, 85% of Americans responded favorably and believed we should have dropped the bombs. They vividly remembered those lost in the storming of the Normandy beaches, and were glad the war would not claim any more American lives.

So the fact that Ida and her husband chose to take a vacation after 4 years of war was probably not that strange. They were celebrating victory, celebrating life, celebrating the end of the war and reveling in American patriotism. However, I can’t help but get the ick from it. I know this is because I have the benefit of history. But the dropping of the bombs was one thing I truly thought made the world stand still.

But it seems that some Americans went on vacation.

It’s a lot to think about, and I have to wonder what events will be momentous to our ancestors that aren’t truly hitting us yet. Or, perhaps it was too much for Ida to take in, or she felt powerless, so chose to spend time with those she loved? That, I can understand. So many things have happened in the last five years that made me feel powerless to the press of history. But, we keep living and doing what we can to maintain normalcy.

Maybe that’s all Ida wanted.

Stay tuned for part two!

Natural Bridge Virginia