Tag: Micro-history

Seattle Day was a Hummer

Warren Bullard, 1909

Seattle 9/10/09

Warren,

I am still taking in the sights and am not half through. Seattle day was a hummer. There was 117,013 tickets sold this racket on the “Pay Streak” was fine, they kept going all night.

I suppose you are busy fishing by this time. Who is running the the lower ground this year.

(615-12th ave N.)

J.A.M

I was curious about the tickets and the “pay streak.” After a (very) little bit of research, our friend J.A.M seems to have been enjoying the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific exposition in Seattle, also considered Seattle’s first World’s Fair (as indicated on the post). The “pay streak” was a row of attractions that seemed to change over time and cost 25c – 50c per attraction.

Like any fair, many of the attractions offered were marketed toward curiosity seekers and were therefore dubious in nature even for the time. For example, a one month old orphan was auctioned off (wut?), and premature babies in incubators were next to machines that could slice a salmon in half. A reminder that just because technology progresses, humans don’t necessarily follow.

Tags History, Micro-history, Postcard, Postcards, Seattle, writing, Writing Community

History Postcards writing

Get a Kick Out of It

Mr. A.D. Keese, Date Unknown

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 oiut 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 the few postcards I have where the words are typed directly onto the postcard. I think this is interesting, because it would have involved some nifty formatting, as well as access to a typewriter. I hope Lois eventually heard from her Grandma.

Front of Postcard

Tags History, Micro-history, Postcard, Postcards, writing, Writing Community

History Postcards

I Am All Excitement

Mrs. W. Beals, date unclear (I suspect 1900-1920)

I suppose you are home and “hard at it” as I have been. I am on the verge of getting some new bed room furniture so I am all excitement. I will write you a letter sometime soon. Hope you and Dorothy were greatly [unclear]. All wish to [unclear]

(flipped on edge) Write me a letter and tell me about your stay at the beach.”

— Etta J

What I love about this particular postcard is the way the writer (Etta) seems to speak breathlessly on the page. The words practically tumble across the paper, and she’s even flipped the page for a postscript which is not so much a request, but a demand for information about the beach. I have to imagine these are friends or sisters or even cousins pulled apart by marriage.

Lynchburg to Bluefield W.VA is 115 miles.

Front of Postcard. Randolph Macon Women’s College

Tags History, Micro-history, Postcard, Postcards

History Postcards

Expect to Thresh This Week

Post author By mshipstory
Post date June 13, 2024
No Comments on Expect to Thresh This Week

Miss Annie Stephens, 1909

October 11, 1909

Dear Annie,

Just tried you again Saturday and was always glad to hear from you. We are all well and hope you are well and enjoying yourself. We are having lovely weather now and every body busy. We expect to thresh this week. We were up Lincoln Creek yesterday. Clyde is feeling tired. Cant say much on a card. So…(unreadable)

— Lulu (or perhaps Lula).

Front of Postcard. Shows Rainier National Park

Tags History, Micro-history, Postcard, Postcards

Postcards

Choices You Have of Being Entertained

Post author By mshipstory
Post date June 12, 2024
No Comments on Choices You Have of Being Entertained

Miss Mary Morgan (unknown date)

Dear Mary,

This is just a line to let you know I’ll expect you (and Helen) Sunday at 1:00 for dinner and (?) afterword. (the question mark stands for the choices you have for being entertained.)

Well, I guess that’s all. Till Nov. 21.

Love,

Aunt Mae

I wonder what they chose to do that night?

Front of Postcard. The postcard seems to be somewhere between 1930-1950. Thanksgiving fell on November 21 in 1940…perhaps that’s when this “line was dropped”?