A Hearty Greeting

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked June 17, 1912, Arapahoe, Nebraska. Publisher unknown – possibly John Winsch.

Price: $4.00

“June 17, 1912. Dear Cousin Lena. I got your letter saturday. I was away sewing all week. I will be looking for a card most any day to say you are coming. They are going to celebrate the fourth at Gosper. you must be here for that. we will meet you when you come down at the depot. well good by hoping to see you soon Ellen.”

Addressed to “Miss Lena Davis, Almena Kans. R. R. #3.”

Another in our collection for Lena. A nice colorful country scene of a couple greeting a neighbor at sunset. The scene is inside an outline of a four-leaf clover and to the right is a small bunch of probably forget-me-nots. The background is unusual in a stone-type gray pattern, and the caption is “A Hearty Greeting.” This card was postmarked in Arapahoe, Nebraska, but I’m not sure what the stamp above the barely discernible month of June is. Looks like it’s “GPM” but I’m not finding any explanation for this acronym.

There is no stated publisher info on this postcard but the header design was used by publisher John Winsch according to many other sites, and postcards that are showing up online with his info on the front of the card. But it could have been a design that more than one publisher used.

Art Nouveau Violets

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Annieoakley

Divided back, embossed postcard. Postmarked March 20, 1915. Publisher: E. Nash. Series or number L-11.

Price: $10.00

“Greeting you with friendship so warm,

As to pierce the gloom of any storm.”

A stunning Art Nouveau style, embossed postcard showing violets, the above verse, and an unusually “framed” rural rainy day scene, on a sort of pale peach background. The artist depicted a person up there on the path getting caught in the rain. But what about the part where the path crosses over the stream? It just sort of flows magically across the water. Anyway, this is one from the “Lena Davis Collection” and the sender wrote:

“Long Island. March 17. Dear Cousin. how are you. have a cold. how do you like the mud. Ralph went to the sale to day. Harrold[?] is coming home with him. have drove my colts once. did you have a good with Will. the boys are going to Norton tomorrow I guess. did you go Sunday School. guess Irvin Kickly is maried to day that is what I hear. I haven’t made up my mind to go to German yet. …….?…….As ever your Cousin J. K.”

J. K. sent this postcard from Long Island, Kansas. Norton and German are nearby towns. I’m not sure what town this says for Lena. It’s possible it’s a misspelling of Culver, as it looks like Calvert or Colvert which are not showing up as towns in Kansas. Also it’s hard to read the writing on the bottom left and side. Not sure what that says there. It’s interesting to take note of how much is going on in this sender’s message, what with his or her cold, the mud, the colts, Ralph, the boys, Irvin’s supposed marriage, the Sunday School question and the uncertainty of the trip to German, KS (!)

Figs

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked May 1908, Thomasville, Alabama. Publisher: K – Win & Co., Art Publishers, Chicago, Illinois.

Price: $8.00

“Hello Cousin – how are you fine I hope. I am all ok. I guess you got my picture now you must send me one of yours! I am sending Sister Edna a card. She sent me one. From you loving cousin Doc Spinks Winnie said to tell you to ans. her letter soon.”
And on the front of the card the sender wrote “ans this card soon from your Little Cousin Doc.”

Addressed to: “Miss Leua Hinson, #63 St. Stephens Rd., Mobile Ala”

The exact date of the postmark is hard to read but we can see that it is May 1908 and postmarked in Thomasville, Alabama. The postcard’s a beauty showing a fig tree branch with leaves and fruit, and with the caption:

“A beautiful form is better than a beautiful face: It gives a higher pleasure than statues or pictures. It is the finest of the fine arts.”

Leua Hinson (an odd first name) wasn’t found online in general, nor specifically in the 1900 or 1910 census records for Mobile; nor was the exact address of 63 St. Stephens Rd found in either census, but the house number could have changed at some point. From there we move over to try to locate the sender’s name in records. A little difficult without a first name, however Doc is relaying a message from Winnie, so Winnie might be Winnie Spinks, found with her parents and siblings on the 1910 Federal Census in the Thomasville area, Choctaw Corner, Clarke County. Winnie has a younger brother named Daniel, so we wonder if Doc could be Daniel. Would we write nowadays and call ourselves a “little cousin?” I can’t picture it, but I’ve seen other references to “little cousins” on other old postcards, so it was not uncommon back then. Getting back to the subject of the addressee’s first name: Maybe it’s a nickname or a misspelling of something but that third letter there does not seem to be anything other than a “u.” By the way, Doc’s handwriting is cool. Just look at that “H” ! Imagine if, first of all, we were writing, not typing or texting, and secondly, if we took the time to write like this:

Lastly, “Sister Edna” was researched a little, though not extensively; her last name could have been Spinks, Hinson or other, or perhaps this was her title, as in a religious order.

Source: Year: 1910; Census Place: Choctaw Corner, Clarke, Alabama; Roll: T624_6; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 0035; FHL microfilm: 1374019. (Ancestry.com)

Stein 4th Of July Float

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Annieoakley

Undivided back, Real Photo Postcard. Circa 1902 – 1906.

Price: $20.00

“Dear Uncle Walter, Your postals I received. Many thanks for same but sorry to say I lost the postal card Saturday of you. send me one again. be so kind and send Saturday again. This is our float for the 4 of July. I am the one with the head …?… turned …you[?] …with love to you …?…I [?] …?…I will go to stay with Grandpa next month. Myrtle Stein”

Card addressed to: “Mr. Walter Stein, New York City, N. Y., #104 West 100th Str.”

RPPC gem

This is a gem of a postcard from probably 1902 – 1906: A Real Photo Postcard, from the undivided back era, showing a photo, taken during a Fourth of July parade, of the Stein family’s horse or mule-drawn float. There are lots of details to try to pick out here. We can see the Stein name on the side of the float, though the word after Stein is hard to read. You’ll notice what appear to be street signs just behind the tropical looking plant. The signs seem off-kilter so maybe they were put up for the parade. And is the plant part of the float? It’s hard to tell. One of the signs looks like it says “First National.” Here is a cropped but not resized photo. You should be able to click twice on the image to get the best view.

Man or bear?

Continuing on with some of the other details, there’s a lady wearing a large hat, and a gentleman with a white goatee. There are several different hat styles the men are wearing. And that looks like part of a windmill behind the wooden utility pole. There’s the star-spangled banner and oh that beautiful iron railing that the banner hangs from! On the float the man in the front wears a funny hat, and there are three girls at the back, one of whom is Myrtle, probably the one on our right, based upon what she says in her note. And what are we looking at just to the right of the man? To me it looks like a fake bear standing up, with his head looking upward and his left arm reaching up or holding onto the vertical support, and a chain or rope around his waist. My husband thinks it’s a guy in a fur coat with a belt and wearing a hat. (This is always so amusing, to wonder if what you think you see is really what you see, and if not how far off were you? You can picture yourself doing that quick heel of the hand to the forehead gesture, saying, “Ahhhh, of course, I see it now, it’s….” as you are cracking up laughing.) Come to think of it, this would be hot weather so it seems doubtful someone would be wearing a fur coat…

Railway Mail Service

Although the card is postally used, the postmark did not get fully stamped, unfortunately. What we can read of the postmark is “.& El Paso. R” and just below that “Tr. 9.” (Train 9? Trolley 9?) To the right of that is a mark that should have read “RMS” which stands for Railway Mail Service and means that this postcard was processed in a mobile post office, such as a railway, or streetcar. The postal workers would have worked in a separate mail car attached to the train or on a trolley where half of the car would be for passengers and half for mail. The railway postal clerk job was dangerous, involving the possibility of train wrecks, falls, fires, robberies and derailments.

A Mystery

The addressee, Walter Stein, was not found at this address on the 1905 New York State Census or the 1900 and 1910 Federal Census for Manhattan. There are multiple entries for Myrtle Stein in various locations but no confirmation was found for this postcard. As for railway companies or lines there are at least seven that end in “& El Paso” that I’m finding in a quick search so this avenue of research is also proving to be difficult…Okay, so we have another for the Mystery category, but still, this is a great postcard. And one more note: At first glance the photo for this postcard looks like it was glued on to the card, as there’s sort of an optical illusion effect happening on the right. But it would have been cropped and taken somewhere to have it made into a postcard, so it’s actually all one flat surface.

Source: Smithsonian, National Postal Museum. Web. 4 Jul 2014. [http://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibits/2c1_railwaymail.html]

Everybody Happy

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked June 15, 1908 from New Haven Connecticut. Publisher: Bamforth & Co., Holmfirth, England and New York. Printed in England. Series 1092. Copyright 1908 by Bamforth & Co.

Price: $15.00

This card is along the lines of the prior post, with that early 1900s sense of humor, and the chalk painting type of colors, a little muted, not showing very great detail. In this one four pals have had a rip-roaring night on the town and are staggering arm-in-arm down the street in the early morning hours, quite drunk.

This is technically a divided back postcard since the card was printed in England in 1908. Postal regulations allowed the divided back in 1902 in England and 1907 in the U.S. (March 1, 1907.) I think the fact that it hadn’t been too long since the change, plus the subtlety of the dividing line of the postcard back header, accounts for Ida, the sender, having treated this as an undivided type. This publisher’s header is beautiful and one of the more distinctive. I wonder if it reminds anyone else of a cat with those “kitty ears.” Bamforth & Co. was started by James Bamforth in 1870 in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, who started out as a portrait photographer, moved to making lantern slides which led to making silent films. Much has already been written about the company and is easily found online. According to a Wiki entry Bamforth & Co Ltd. starting making “illustrated ‘saucy’ seaside postcards” in 1910, so this 1908 postcard might have been one of their earlier ones.

The sender wrote:

“Hello kids. Why don’t you write. Business is OK. We are kept very busy of late now that the hot weather has begun. Ice cream sodas are going better than half off[?] We are at home. Love to all. Ida….Hows Ma & Pa ..?…our love[?]….The boys are anxiously waiting for your girls arrival. They are going to meet you all with a brass band.”

Card addressed to: “Miss Fannie Halpin. 378 W. 35th St., New York City, NY.”

Fannie Halpin was born in New York and is the daughter of Meyer and Rebecca Halpin, who were both born in Russia and spoke Yiddish. She is on the 1910 Federal Census for Manhattan at the same address as the postcard, with her parents and siblings. She had older brothers Harry and Nathan, a younger brother Max, and a younger sister, Susie. Apparently the family had changed it’s name to Halperin some time between the 1908 postcard date and the 1910 census. They show up on the 1905 New York State census (Fannie was working as a bookkeeper) living a block over on 36th St. and under the name Halpin. Meyer Halpin/Halperin owned his own furniture store. By 1920 the family has moved to New Haven, Connecticut. The 1920 census shows Meyer and wife Rebecca, Nat and Matthew (Max had changed his name to Matthew); living next door is Fannie, who is now Fannie Corr, widowed, and with a 3-year old daughter Phylis (born in Connecticut.) The 1940 census shows Fannie and Phyllis Corr, and living next door is Fannie’s brother Matthew I. Halperin, and his wife, June. Fannie by this time is a secretary at an orphanage, and Phyllis is a public school teacher.

Sources: New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1905; Election District: A.D. 11 E.D. 18; City: Manhattan; County: New York; Page: 27. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1910; Census Place: Manhattan Ward 20, New York, New York; Roll: T624_1044; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 1210; FHL microfilm: 1375057. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1920; Census Place: New Haven Ward 9, New Haven, Connecticut; Roll: T625_191; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 369; Image: 522. (Ancestry.com)

“United States Census, 1940,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KW9M-3LJ : accessed 29 Jun 2014), Phyllis J Corr in household of Fanny H Corr, Ward 16, New Haven, New Haven Town, New Haven, Connecticut, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 11-101, sheet 17B, family 485, NARA digital publication of T627, roll 541.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamforth_%26_Co_Ltd

Me And Sport

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked July 24, 1920-something? Circa 1920s. Kruxo stamp box.

Price: $6.00

Real Photo Postcard with caption “Me And Sport” of a little girl, maybe about ten years old, posing for the camera with her dog. The dog appears to have been caught in the middle of a bark (!) and looks to be some type of short-haired hunting dog. Sport is seated and the is girl standing behind him; both are on some type of animal skin which has been placed over a carpet. When we turn over the card we see that it was taken out of a scrapbook or photo album; most of the black album paper covers the card, but we can make out that it was signed by Harriet, and it was sent to somewhere in Minnesota. It seems likely then that it is Harriet in the photo.

The year of the postmark is hard to read; it looks like 1920-something. This style of Kruxo stamp box is from circa 1908 – 1920s. We can see that the card was postmarked in Saint Hilaire, Minnesota, which is a city in River Falls Township, Pennington County, and located in the northwestern part of the state. Too bad we don’t have a last name for Harriet, as there are maybe three or four possibilities showing up in census records, if we presume that she lived in the River Falls Township area. We can see from the wavy appearance of the photo that the postcard may have gotten a little wet at some point, although there is no musty odor detected at all.

Trimmed Garbage Pail

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked Chicago, Illinois, June 15, 1910. Publisher unknown.

Price: $15.00

This is such a great one. Love it! The caption is: “The Latest Style – Trimmed Garbage Pail.” This postcard shows what appears to be a tinted photo of a young woman with a garbage pail for a hat, complete with large red bow and a large amount of yellow flowers. I don’t know how they did this one. Would the subject have posed like this, or would the image have been “doctored up” afterward? The face of the material for the front of the card is vertically ribbed, and is of the type that when you view it from an angle, you see the sort of “watered silk effect.” It’s very neat.

The sender wrote, “Don’t come early tomorrow because we are all going for[?] some excercises.” As you can see, most of the outer part of the back paper facing is gone, but it looks like maybe they were going “for” some exercise. And we don’t know if there was a signature, originally.

The card is addressed to “Miss E. L. Brownell. 2514 Washington Blvd. Chicago, Ill.”

The address of 2514 Washington Blvd in 1910 is in Ward 13, district 0629. The Federal Census does not show the addressee living there or anyone with the name of Brownell. The street number in the census record has a blot over the number 1, (hilarious – what are the odds?!) but the address appears to be 2514. The surrounding districts were checked and cross-streets double checked, etc. so I don’t see any other possibility for this address. The family living there at this time shows James Kirby, his wife Anna, and daughter Edna, who was born about 1894 in Chicago. The census was taken on April 21st of 1910, while this postcard was sent June 15th. The Kirby family shows up living at a different address in the neighborhood on the next census. So it looks like they must of moved shortly before this postcard was sent…..There is an extremely helpful website called A Look At Cook (listed below) for ward maps in Cook County, Illinois. This made pretty short work of finding the address.

An entry shows up for a Mrs. E. L. Brownell in the 1887 Chicago city directory at 326 S. Paulina, which is about a mile and a half away. But this is Mrs. and the addressee appears to be Miss. But there is an Edna L. Brownell on the 1940 Federal Census for Chicago, born Missouri about 1878, living at 2018 W. Van Buren St. This address on today’s map is just down the street from the 326 S. Paulina address. Then the other thing is that the daughter’s name is Edna on the 1910 census at Washington Blvd. But, this appears to be just a coincidence. Edna was a pretty common name at that time, plus the dates of birth would be way off.

On the 1900 Federal Census for Chicago, there is an Edna L. Brownell, born August 1878 in Kentucky. Single, living with widowed mother Carrie Brownell. Edna’s occupation is music teacher. The address is 948 Washington Blvd, which is about 2 miles east of the address on the postcard. I think this person is the most likely candidate for the addressee.

Sources and related information: Year: 1900; Census Place: Chicago Ward 12, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 258; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0335; FHL microfilm: 1240258. Ancestry.com)

Year: 1920; Census Place: Chicago Ward 18, Cook (Chicago), Illinois; Roll: T625_329; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 1035; Image: 17. (Ancestry.com)

“United States Census, 1940,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KWB5-C99 : accessed 27 Jun 2014), Edna L Brownell, Ward 25, Chicago, Chicago City, Cook, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 103-1574, sheet 12A, family 276, NARA digital publication of T627, roll 971.

The Chicago Directory Co., Donnelley, Ruben H., compiler for The Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago. p. 273. Database online. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989)

http://alookatcook.com/

I Ain’t Nobody’s Sweetheart Yet!

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Annieoakley

Divided back, artist-signed, used postcard. Postmarked March 1921 from Fresno, California. Publisher: Edward Gross Co., New York. Comic No. 25. “Smile Messengers.”

Availability status: SOLD

Adorable cutie in white dress with pink polka dots and wearing a big pink bow in her hair. The caption is “I ain’t nobody’s Sweetheart yet!” This postcard, as the printing on the front states, is from a painting by C. H. Twelvetrees. For more information about the artist see the prior post.

The sender wrote, “Dear Sis: Your letter received today. Keep an eye on that job. I will come at once if there is any chance. If there was only two jobs why say I missed any thing. I wouldn’t have seen them any way. Has Alice moved yet? Calla[?] has been here all afternoon. I am going to spend all day Thurs. with her. Write again soon. Love from Bess.”

Card addressed to “Miss Ella Ellison. 1314 F St., Sacramento, Calif.” and is another from the Alice Ellison Collection.

Why Don’t You Come To Fresno

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Annieoakley

Divided back, artist-signed, used postcard. Postmarked from Fresno, California May 22, 1917. Publisher S. Bergman. Series or number 1060.

Price: $8.00. Besides the usual wear, this card has some soil marks on the little girl’s face.

In keeping with the prior post, here’s another one having to do with the city of Fresno, with the caption reading, “Why don’t you come to Fresno, Cal.” This is one of many that was produced using this same theme, with the city and state in a flag or pennant, though the designs and publishers vary. This one happens to be an artist-signed postcard by Charles Twelvetrees of a painting or drawing of a cute little girl in a pink dotted dress and straw hat with blue bow. A copyright logo appears at the bottom left of the front of the card which is hard to read, but others online have identified the publisher as S. Bergman (indeed the last name is discernible after knowing what to look for.) The copyright here looks like 1917. The card is addressed to: “Miss Henrietta Ellison, Sacramento. Calif. 1314 F st.”

The sender writes (this is good): “Dear Henry. Do you think you could come here – alone if Ma will let you or maby you dont wont[want] to come do you? Dos. yes. no. no yes” (Love the yes no no yes part.) “Dos” is short for Dossie. This is one of many from our “Alice Ellison Collection.”

The artist: Charles H. Twelvetrees was born in New York, about 1872 or 1873. A separate post will be up within the next couple of days on him, as there has been some confusion owing to what seems to be an incorrect middle initial of R, and whether his father was or was not also an artist. There are lots of online records to dig into for clarification, and we’ll get there in just a jiffy.

Oh, You Lollypop!

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Sent from Pontiac, Michigan on April 28th, year unknown. Publisher: Samson Brothers. Series 257. Made in the U. S. A. Circa 1909 – 1916.

Availability status: SOLD

“Oh, You Lollypop! Such is life – some gets the Lollypops and I gets the stick!”

It looks like Mae, the sender of this card, was an optimist, as underneath the above caption she (or someone) wrote “Not so.” Sent April 28th from Pontiac, Michigan, but the year didn’t show up. Addressed to: “Miss Effie S. Kidd, Davisburg, Mich.” The sender wrote:

“Dear Effie I got my permission and will meet you Thurs. – if you come. How are you coming. Did you get your trunk allright. Mae”

There is an Effie S. Kidd who was married May 8, 1916 in Springfield, Oakland County, Michigan. Springfield is actually Springfield Township, and Davisburg is located in Springfield Township, so this would be the same Effie S. Kidd for this marriage as the addressee on this postcard. The marriage data shows Effie, age about 22, born in Detroit, daughter of William Kidd and Christena Barclay. Now, the interesting thing (relating to this postcard) is that Effie married Sydney T. Lillycrop, age about 23, born London, England, son of George Lillycrop and Eliza Outen. Lollypop/Lillycrop – Humorous definitely, coincidental perhaps, or by design? Did Mae choose this card on purpose because Effie had confided to Mae that she liked Sydney, or Effie and Sydney were boyfriend and girlfriend already? The imagination runs wild. Maybe Sydney was dating someone else, Effie was upset (like the little girl on the postcard) and Mae was telling her don’t worry, you’ll get him (some gets the lollypop and I gets the stick – Not so.) It’s funny, though.

The 1900 Federal Census taken in Royal Oak, Oakland County, Michigan shows Effie and her parents and siblings: William and Christana Kidd, ages 43 and 38, both born in Scotland. William works for the railroad; the children are William, James, Robert F., Effie S., George, Annabell and Alfred. The two oldest children were born in Canada and the younger born in Michigan. Effie is listed as born January 1894, and this is confirmed in the Michigan birth records with the exact date as January 5th.

Taking into account Effie’s birth and marriage dates, we could estimate this card to be from about 1909 when she was around age 15, till right before her marriage in 1916.

Sources: “Michigan, Marriages, 1868-1925,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N359-HV8 : accessed 19 Jun 2014), Sydney T. Lillycrop and Effie S. Kidd, 08 May 1916; citing Springfield, Oakland, Michigan, v 4 p 256 rn 158, Department of Vital Records, Lansing; FHL microfilm 2342717.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Royal Oak, Oakland, Michigan; Roll: 735; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0105; FHL microfilm: 1240735. (Ancestry.com)

“Michigan, Births and Christenings, 1775-1995,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F42H-2VM : accessed 20 Jun 2014), Effie S. Kidd, 05 Jan 1894; citing Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, reference bk30 pg89 cn1332; FHL microfilm 1377671.

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