I’m always amazed at how the senders were generally so on time with their holiday greetings. (This from one who is usually late in sending hers.) This one is stunning, and rather out of the ordinary, showing a beautiful design of a very fashionably dressed young woman who is smiling and throwing snowballs. A wrought iron fence is behind her, and in the far distance a house. The caption “January first Greetings” appears in a cloud, and there are also a couple of evergreens. The sky and border are done in silver-tone. I love the young lady’s expression, her chic winter coat in white with black and red trim, and her red hat. The silhouette of her shoestring bows are a nice touch. The sender wrote:
“Dear Alma, we both wish you a very Happy New Year – Mary.”
The street name on the address seems to have been misspelled; it may have been meant to be addressed as: “Mrs. Alma Johnson, 33 Wadsworth St., City.” It’s postmarked December 31, 1915, from Hartford Connecticut. A 99 year old card, almost to the day!
There are a number of Mrs. Alma Johnsons for this time period on census records in Hartford. The address of 33 Wadsworth St. does not show in the Hartford directory at all in 1915. The 1914 and 1916 directories show the address but different people are living there.
The 1910 Federal Census shows a married Alma Johnson, with husband and children living at 32 Lawrence Street, at the cross street of Ward, which would be a close walk to the address on the card. This census shows head of household Otto A. Johnson, born Sweden, about 1882, occupation Packer in an iron foundry; wife Alma, born Sweden, about 1875; their daughter Esta, age about 1 and 8/12[?]; Alma’s children by her first marriage, Carl, Hilda, Rhiner and Anna Sherman, ages 11, 10, 7 and 5 respectively. All the children were born in Connecticut, and the year of immigration for Otto and Alma shows 1895. This could be the correct record but it’s not for certain. The 1920 census shows the address of 33 Wadsworth St., but a different family is there by this time. The 1910 census doesn’t show the exact address, at all. So, this turns out to be kind of a funny conglomeration of a search – involving a common name, a seemingly incorrect street spelling and missing records. We’ll leave this one then, and move on, as to really try to verify the identity of the addressee would be too time-consuming.
See Another For Alma Johnson for the second postcard we have that was sent to this same person.
Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked December 31, 1915 from Hartford, Connecticut. Publisher: The Fairman Co., Cin. & N.Y., “The Pink of Perfection.” The design on the front was copyrighted by the G. A. Company, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Price: $20.00
Source: Year: 1910; Census Place: Hartford Ward 8, Hartford, Connecticut; Roll: T624_133; Page: 34A; Enumeration District: 0191; FHL microfilm: 1374146. (Ancestry.com)