Heather And Roses For Clara

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Annieoakley

Here’s a lovely old postcard (does it remind you of Scotland?) from around 1910 or so, of a lone figure on a pathway that zigzags through fields of purple heather. Overlaying this scene are some pale pink old roses.

“Best regards from Mabel Reeves.” Sent to: “Miss Clara Mason, Shannon City, Iowa.”

Though the postmark year is missing this postcard is probably from around 1910 from which we’d feel pretty certain that the Mabel E. Reeves appearing on the 1910 and 1920 Federal Census’ for Vinton would be the correct Mabel. She appears there with her parents and younger siblings, all natives of Iowa; Mabel born about 1895; parents Lewis and Lula M. Reeves, both born about 1873; Florence R. Reeves, born about 1901, and Harold Reeves, born about 1905. Lewis Reeves on both records is working for the Standard Oil Company.

Clara Mason appears to be the daughter of Marcus Mason and Lola (Streight) Mason, per Clara’s marriage record to Harry (Henry) J. Dippert. Clara and Harry were married August 26, 1921 in Creston, Iowa. The 1910 census for Grant, Union County, IA shows Clara, born in South Dakota (a nice tie-in to the prior post set in SD) about 1890; her father M. D. Mason, a self-employed farmer, born in West Virginia about 1858; mother Lola, born in New York about 1866.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked from Vinton, Iowa, April 10th or 16th, year unknown. Publisher unknown. Circa 1910.

Price: $10.00

Sources: Year: 1910; Census Place: Vinton Ward 3, Benton, Iowa; Roll: T624_391; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0024; FHL microfilm: 1374404. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1920; Census Place: Vinton Ward 3, Benton, Iowa; Roll: T625_477; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 26; Image: 1157. (Ancestry.com)

Ancestry.com. Iowa, Select Marriages, 1809-1992. FHL film no. 1728322. Ref. i.d. 2:3KSNJ7P.

Year: 1910; Census Place: Grant, Union, Iowa; Roll: T624_425; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0150; FHL microfilm: 1374438. (Ancestry.com)

A Flowery Greeting From Mrs. Fred Grannis

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Annieoakley

This is a Lena Davis one, and we’re not yet trying to figure out who is who exactly, as there are more to sort through and post, and that’ll come later. But it’s a perfect postcard to put up on the heels of the prior, since there’s a gingham reference. It’s a great one typical to the Midwest farm country in 1912, with reports of the weather, dressmaking and farming. It was postmarked in Elwood, Nebraska. Elwood is a village in Gosper County, whose population in 2010 was about 707.

“Dear Cousin, – We have had some very cold weather. It is raining now but not very hard. I have been busy. I am making a red calico dress with black color [collar?] over the patter[n] I made the ginghum one when you were here. Fred is drilling in wheat has 45A in now. From Alice.”

Addressed to: “Miss Lena Davis, Almena, Kans.”

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked September 28, 1912 from Elwood, Nebraska. Publisher unknown.

Price: $4.00

Source: Elwood, Nebraska. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elwood,_Nebraska. (accessed May 17, 2015).

The Promise Of Spring

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Annieoakley

Trade card, circa 1898 – 1908. Size: About 3 and 3/8 x 5″ Condition: Poor with folds, tape and some staining.

Price: $4.00

Since we were in Detroit for the last two posts, this one had to be next for the following two reasons: Lilies of the valley always remind me of my hometown; we had them in the backyard when I was growing up. And we just passed the month of April, and April in the D is often subjected to that one last snow or ice storm. Ha, yep, was it a week or two ago when the Tigers were playing in 38 degrees and snow flurries? So, I’m not lying! But what a beautifully designed trade card for the W. M. Hoyt Company. There’s a small lake in winter, with the dawn reflecting yellow off the water, the trees showing bare and the ground still covered with snow. But inserted through the side of this tableau is a promise of spring: a small offering of lilies of the valley with their leaves, and a small sprig and leaf showing from underneath on the opposite side. If you didn’t notice right away, look again and you’ll see the pin drawn in at the top of the “paper.” And one thing that we’re getting used to noticing (but is always wonderful) is how the shadows are carefully drawn or painted in. The back shows, in part:

“W. M. Hoyt Company, Proprietors Fort Dearborn Coffee and Spice Mills, Nos. 1 to 11 Michigan Avenue, Chicago.”

“Why you should buy Hoyt’s Standard Coffee.”

“Because of its flavor delicious and sweet,

Because of its strength, which none can beat.

Because it is fresh, healthful and sound,

Because of its cheapness, its goodness and worth

Because ’tis the best for the money on earth.”

W. M. Hoyt Co. with an address of 1 Michigan Ave in Chicago, shows up on the 1908 commercial city directory, under the heading of Grocers – wholesale.

But the 1898 city directory reveals more information: The W. M. Hoyt Co. was William M. Hoyt, president; Robert J. Bennett, vice-president; Arthur G. Bennett, secretary and treasurer; Albert C. Buttolph and Graeme Stewart directors. Address 1 – 11 Michigan Ave, and 1 – 9 River Ave.

Sources: The Chicago Association of Commerce’s Membership Directory, June 1908, p. 115. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989.)

The Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1898, p. 873. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989.)

Birthday Greetings For Maggie Miller

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Annieoakley

“Dear Sister, we are all vell [well] and hope you are the same we would like to see you. we pretty near for got you Birth days. write sone [soon] from Bessie.”

Addressed to: “Miss Maggie Miller, Gentryvill, MO.”

There’s a common name (for an uncommon girl, no doubt!) Maggie or Margaret Miller. Nothing shows up in city directories or census records in Gentry Village for Maggie, or even under just the last name and with this exact location. We have an earlier post that went to a Maggie Miller in Saint Joe, and it’s possible they are the same person. The postmarked date and place are unreadable. It’s a beauty of a card, though: roses, forget-me-nots and daisies frame a view of a home (ever so commonly depicted) at river’s edge, and with a foot bridge in the foreground.

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Printed in Germany. Series 1620b. Circa 1907 – 1911.

Price: $4.00

The Keystone Craft Shop

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Annieoakley

This postcard is a double mystery – for the postcard artist and the whereabouts of the shop that was giving out these complimentary cards.

J. Leslie Melville’s signature appears at the bottom left of the card – a little difficult to read on this one here; however, one or two current eBay offerings clearly show the name. The other Melville examples, all under the theme of “The language of flowers,” date from around 1908 – 1910, with one like ours postmarked in the year 1909. A couple of advertisements show up also; one from 1908, Gleanings in Bee Culture (below) and the other from 1907. So, that gives us a time frame for the Melville-signed postcards of at least 1907 – 1910. The ’07 publication comes from a volume of The American Farmer, and was written as, “…with reproductions taken from the famous paintings by L. Leslie Melville.” The “L.” seems to have been a misprint.

1908 advertisement from Gleanings in Bee Culture

The second part of the mystery is regarding the shop that’s listed on the back of the card:

“Compliments From: The Keystone Craft Shop. Pictures And Picture Framing A Specialty. 828-830 Jason Street”

Oddly, no historical references were found whatsoever for the shop mentioned. City directories for the street address (searched without the city) did not even bring up any possibilities.

Divided back, unused postcard. Artist: J. Leslie Melville. Printed in Saxony. Circa 1909.

Price: $6.00

Sources: Gleanings in Bee Culture, Vol. 36. January 1, 1908, p. 1527. Google eBook. Web accessed April 20, 2015.

The American Farmer, Vol. 24., No. 5., March 1909, p. 4. Google eBook. Web accessed April 20, 2015.

Hand-Painted Rose

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Annieoakley

Divided back, hand-painted, used postcard. Postmarked April 21, 1911 from San Jose, California. Printed in Germany.

Price: $1.00

“May loves rarest dearest treasures

Fill life with o’erflowing pleasures,

And this greeting true and tender

Oft remind thee of the sender.”

– W.H.S.

“April 21 – 1911. Dear Ethel. I received your letter. Will write a letter someday when I have time. I hope you are all well. and that Bill is all right again. Larry[?] didn’t go home to day. Will go to morrow. You can come down when ever you want to. Will be glad to see you. May and Alice are well. She walks all over now. Mrs. McGrath – love to all.”

Addressed to: “Miss Ethel Main, 253 14th st., San Francisco, Calif.”

This Birthday Wishes postcard is much the worse for wear, but it must have really been nice when brand new. The pink is very bright. From scrutinizing the card, that appears to be dirt rather than mold; there is no mustiness, but it’s still kept separate from all the others, just in case. This is part of The Ethel Main Collection, which we haven’t researched yet, but will later. The verse is lovely, but wasn’t found online. So, the identity of the poet W.H.S. is a mystery.

If You Are As Glad…

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked October 8, 1917 from Fresno, California. Publisher unknown. No. 1005.

Price: $4.00

We’re finding the verse funny in this one…..

“If you are as glad to be remembered,

as I am to remember you,

We are both having a real good time.”

Here’s a spray of red poppies on a blue and white background with the above humorous verse. The poppy leaves look more rose-like than poppy-like, and it’s kind of different that the flowers are upside-down….The design of the background might remind you of water or the sky. This is in our Alice Ellison Collection, and the sender wrote:

“Dear Ma I thought of you on your birthday but I was to busy moving to send you a card. How is Bessie. Our new add is 2610 Grant Ave. Write soon Love from Dos.”

The card is addressed to: “Mrs. J. M. Ellison, Sacramento, Calif, 1314 F st.”

Sailboats And Roses

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Annieoakley

Here’s a gorgeous antique card, from around maybe the 1880s – 1890s, of a scene showing several sailboats; the one in the foreground shows the oars in operation. Semi-surrounding this tableau is an arrangement of roses in a horseshoe shape: a multi-petalled rose in pink and one in burgundy, the pink being predominant and in full bloom, with buds and leaves, and beneath this a spray of white with gold center single-petalled blooms. The colors and design are wonderful on this card: the pale green and lavender reflecting off of the water; the difference in the top and underside of the rose leaves; the light showing somewhat through the clouds in the sky; the blues on the boat in the background, almost silhouetted, and to balance this out, the little bit of blue on the roses on our right. I like the placement of the seagulls, (six of them) and we can see a silhouette of a person manning the boat closest to us. This is another one of these little scenes one can get lost in, like a mini-vacation.

This card happens to have a couple of names on the back, in beautiful handwriting: “Lillian Kent” at the top, probably the person the card was given to, and either a partial name that’s cut off or full name with location that’s cut off, “Cora Brown Tea….” I think whoever took the card out of the scrapbook probably did a great job considering it’s a delicate operation. Too bad we can’t read the last word though, as that would probably let us identify the person that was the likely sender.

Victorian era card. Circa 1880s – 1890s. Size: 2 and 7/8 x 4 and 1/4″

Price: $15.00

To Ethel From Annie

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Annieoakley

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked December 31, 1908 from San Francisco, California. Printed in Germany. Publisher unknown.

Price: $5.00

“A Happy New Year” is the caption on this 1908 postcard printed in Germany. It shows a pink rose and green leaves above a pineapple-shaped outline (for a vase perhaps) and a burgundy background fading to a lighter color at the bottom. It’s another in the Ethel Main Collection. The sender writes, “Dear Ethel – Wishes for a Happy and prosperous New Year from Annie.” The card is addressed to: “Miss Ethel Main, 2319 Folsom St., City.” We know “City” in this case refers to San Francisco, since this appears on the postmark.

Tennis Lovers Christmas Card

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Annieoakley

Christmas card of heavier cardboard, and rounded edges. Missing right bottom corner. Artist and date unknown. Circa 1890s – 1910. Size: About 6 x 4 and 1/2.”

Price: $6.00

“May Christmas Joys be Scattered round Thy head.”

Here’s an unlikely looking Christmas card, and it continues the topic of a few posts ago – non-traditional cards. No snow, no trimmed tree, no manger scene or Santa Claus, but instead some beautiful daisies, along with a summery card, and a tennis racquet in the middle of it all. This is for when you’re hoping for summer to return, to get back to the courts. Christmas joys scattered round thy head – like tennis balls you loft before the serve or the shots coming at you? I like the “card within a card” idea. It’s very nicely done, with the shadow included. You just naturally want to open that card up all the way, to see what it might say inside. There’s an old piece of gauze-type tape running along the top back edge, which you can see a little of here, along with some glue marks on the back. This might have been inserted in one of those old photo albums with the sort-of built in paper frames on each page, then taped to the back. But anyway, this was a must-have since it is so unusual.

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Category Archives: Flowers

Heather And Roses For Clara

A Flowery Greeting From Mrs. Fred Grannis

The Promise Of Spring

Birthday Greetings For Maggie Miller

The Keystone Craft Shop

Hand-Painted Rose

If You Are As Glad…

Sailboats And Roses

To Ethel From Annie

Tennis Lovers Christmas Card