Category Archives: Postcards Used

Blomberg Property, Kinnekulle, Sweden

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Undivided Back, used postcard. Postmarked February 13, 1905 from New York, NY. Publisher:  Axel Eliassons Konstforlag, Stockholm, Sweden. No. 3561.

Price:  $10.00

Addressed to:   “Mrs. O. Thunstrom, 288 Flushing Ave., Astoria, L. I.”

“N. Y., den 12 febr. 1905. 

 Jag kommer till om frelag, för att stanna 10 dagar har nu lofvat [lovat] att stanna här, och det är ej utan att jag är ledsen deröfver [däröver] i alla fall, men det får väl gå för en tid. Hoppas att ni alla mår godt, stora och små. Vidare när jag kommer!  Många hälsningar, August.” 

The adverb deröfver, according to Wiktionary, is an obsolete spelling of däröver. Below, a translation from online sources. We’ll try to get a better one, shortly:

“I’m coming to you on Friday, to stay 10 days now have now promised to stay here, and it’s not without I’m sorry for anyway, but it may be a while. Hope you are all good, big and small. More when I arrive! Many greetings, August.”

Blomberg Säteri

From the above link, Blomberg Manor is beautifully described as being located  “…on the flowering mountain Kinnekulle on Lake Vänern.”  (Google translation coming up very poetic – no doubt from the Swedish!) The first-known original proprietor was from the early Middle Ages, an Olof Skötkonung of Blomberg. As to be imagined, since then the estate has passed through a variety of hands (bishop, priest, statesmen, noblemen, captain) and uses (dairy, lime mortar, grinding mill, sawmill, distillery). Today it is proudly owned by the Jönsson Family, and is an  “ecologically driven farm in regards to agriculture and meat production”  per quick web translations.

Sources:  deröfver. n.d. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/der%C3%B6fver (accessed April 30, 2017).

Blomberg Säteri. (blombergsäteri.se.) Accessed April 30, 2017.

Nubble Light, York Beach, Maine

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Undivided Back, used postcard. Postmarked September 3, 1904 from York, Maine. Publisher:  Chisholm Brothers, Portland, Maine. No. 40.

Price:  $5.00

A fifty-year span

This is the first postcard from our Olaf and Elise Thunstrom Collection which was a wonderful find this spring in San Juan Bautista, CA. They’ll be going up in chronological order, according to postmarks (a few we’ll have to guess at as they are unmarked) and are a collection of 29 cards, some sent from Sweden. They span a nice, neat, half-century, from 1904 to 1954.

A little background, so far….

Sweden natives Olof Thunström and Elise Bengtsson were married May 19, 1894 in Manhattan, New York. They had two sons, Olaf, born July 19, 1895 and Clarence (Wilhelm Clarence) born March 15, 1899. (Olof seems to be generally spelling Olaf here in the States). Per the 1900 Federal Census for Manhattan, Olaf was born January 1863 and Elise, March 1863. The family was living on E. 53rd St. (house number not given) and at this time Olaf was working as a plumber. From a few quick searches, son Olaf gains newspaper mention as a track star in high school and becomes a musician, by trade. Clarence was found working as a clerk with the stock exchange, but we’ll delve into details as we go on. This particular Nubble Light card from 1904 has a short message on the front:   “Kära lilla Lisa”  (Dear little Lisa) and it’s signed,  “Amanda.”  We’ll see if our friend, Lars, in Sweden, can help on the rest of the message, and on some of the upcoming cards, too. The card is addressed:

“Mrs. Olof Thunström, 14 West 49 Street, New York.”

Happily still in use

Cape Neddick Light or Nubble Light or just “the Nubble” has been in service since 1879.

Sources:  Ancestry.com. New York, New York, Marriage Index 1866-1937.

Registration State: New York; Registration County: Queens; Roll: 1787091; Draft Board: 173. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Manhattan, New York, New York; Roll: 1113; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0745; FHL microfilm: 1241114. (Ancestry.com)

Cape Neddick Light. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Neddick_Light (accessed April 24, 2017).

Next To Nature

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Divided back, Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked July 8, 1907 from Los Angeles, California.

Price:  $12.00

” ‘Next to Nature.’  Got your cards. B.J.”  Addressed to:

“Harry W. West. Inglewood, Cal.”

Had this card not already have been captioned (love it, thank you!) by the sender, I think I would have given it the title:  “What We Were Wearing In 1907”  as it seems a nice example of some varying styles in women’s fashion. And aren’t they beautiful…these five friends posing and smiling for the camera, seated on a stretch of lawn, on a sunny July day.

Addressee, Harry W. West is most likely the person named as such on the 1910 Federal Census for Pasadena, born Iowa about 1887, of Swedish-born parents, occupation driver with an ice company; spouse Freda L. West, born Sweden, about 1887. From an Ancestry.com family tree, Freda’s maiden name is stated as Lundgren. Below, a crop from the 1909 Pasadena city directory, showing Harry West, employee of the Pasadena Ice Co., residence 988 Glen Ave.

Sources:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Pasadena Ward 5, Los Angeles, California; Roll: T624_86; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 0315; FHL microfilm: 1374099. (Ancestry.com)

Thurston’s Residence and Business Directory of Pasadena, 1909-1910. p. 357. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Three Cheers

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Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked February 25, 1910 from Pueblo, Colorado. St. Patrick Series No. 3.

Price:  $3.00

“Erin Go Bragh”

Three cheers for Old Erin’s Isle,

Three cheers for the harp and flag of green.

Three cheers for the shamrock boys,

And a kiss for the Irish Colleen.”

Another for St. Pat’s Day….Three-leaf clovers this time, and a pretty, rather heavily corseted colleen, pinning a clover on her man’s lapel. They’re out for a night on the town, she in her finest dress, he in top hat and tails. He’s bringing the shillelagh though, just in case of any trouble. 😉  Addressed to:   “Mr. J. M. Ellison, Sawnee, Okla.”  which the sender probably wrote in haste, as it should, of course, be Shawnee. She writes:

“2 – 25 -10.  Dear Mike: – Your letter received and I want you to do what ever you think best about that place. It sounds alright to me. Hope to see you soon. Love from all, Ma.”

To Miss Ida From Emma

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Undivided back, used postcard. Postmarked June 6, 1907 from Unnaryd, Sweden. Stamped in Eureka, California post office on July 1, 1907.

Price:  $10.00

Wow, well this Swedish postcard (the last in our Ida L. Vance Collection unless we come across more) took almost a month to get to Northern California and be delivered to:   “Miss Ida Vance, Eureka Humboldt Co., Box 454. California U.S.A.”

The sender writes:   “Dear Miss Ida your[?] safe home. Give my love to all, Emma.”  Or, is that supposed to be “Dear Miss Ida Vance” ? Hard to tell from the writing. And did Emma return home to Sweden or was Ida her traveling companion who returned early to California, or was Emma’s comment meaning something like, “Here I am traveling all over and you’re safe and cozy at home” ? We could interpret Emma’s short note multiple ways, for sure.

“Motiv från Slottsskogen”  translates as “Scene from the Castle Forest.” Castle Forest is a large park (with lots to do and see) in central Gothenburg (Göteborg) Sweden on 137 hectares (about 338 acres.) It was established in 1874, on land that was once a private reserve for deer hunting.

“Imp. Joh. Ol. Andreens Konströrlag, Göteborg.”

Possibly Johannes Ol. [Olaf, Ole? etc.] Andreens Konströrlag is the publisher and/or printer of this postcard. The abbreviation “imp” is a mystery for the moment.

Source:  Slottsskogen. Göteborgarnas park sedan 1874. http://www5.goteborg.se/prod/parkochnatur/dalis2.nsf/vyPublicerade/8602D7D46CAE30F0C1257A2F003D64CB?OpenDocument. (accessed February 20, 2017).

Arnold Arboretum Rhododendrons

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Undivided back, used postcard. Postmarked March 15, 1909 from Fenway Station, Boston, MA. Publisher:  Boston Post-Card Co., 12 Pearl St. No. 770.

“Arnold Arboretum. Rhododendrons. Jamaica Plain, Mass.”

Price:  $5.00

It’s funny, one would not think of this postcard as “hand-colored” as is described on the back, but in looking for color, we do notice the blue-green tinge around the middle of the card. This is one of five that we’ve found that had all been sent to Miss Ida L. Vance of Eureka, CA. In noticing the postcard date, we see that the card was a little old already when it was mailed, since it’s a non-divided back. It was probably produced around 1906 or early 1907 before the postal rules changed. Miss Ida received at least three cards from this particular unknown sender, as we can see the handwriting was the same as in the two (of three) previously posted. (Did postcard collectors mail them to themselves ever? Seems like a good way to record dates and locations, so some probably did!)

A living tree museum on 281 acres and the National Register of Historic Places, just among other things….

Arnold Arboretum: a heavenly place to visit, hang out, and learn. Check out their website, and since we’re especially fond of history, here’s a direct link to their history page.

Just to put into context for our postcard era, here are two excerpts from a long article that appeared in the Davenport Daily Republican, (Davenport, IA) April 7, 1901. Reading the second portion gives us a little bit of a time-travel effect:  We’re now in the “future” (beyond, to be precise – over 100 years) that the writer was imagining!

Sources:  The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. https://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/ (accessed February 20, 2017).

“Planting Trees In Living Museum.” Davenport Daily Republican. Sunday, April 7, 1901. Sunday. p. 11. (Newspapers.com)

To My Valentine, 1910

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Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked February 10, 1910 from Los Angeles, California. Printed in Germany. Number 4129.

Price:  $3.00

A smiling cupid, with pale green gossamer wings, is knocking at the door, ready to deliver a valentine gift:  A garland of forget-me-nots which, at present, frame the doorway and drape over the large red heart. The sender wrote the year, 1910, on the front. On the reverse:

“Dear Ella, write me another one of your good letters. Dossie.”

Addressed to:   “Ella Ellison, Pueblo, Colo., 26 St. & Cheyenne Ave.”

I Say Hello George

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Divided back, used, Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked February 3, 1908 from Chicago, Illinois.

Price:  $12.00

This card has been hanging around:  I’ve been meaning to get it posted forever but by a nice coincidence, the date it’s going up here at LCG is the exact date on the outgoing Chicago postmark, plus 109 years.

Pretty Elsie, who provided her photo to cousin George, was not identified in records. An in-depth search would be needed to trace the cousinship. (Is this a word? Yep!) She writes:

“I say ‘Hello’ George do you know you[r] loving cousin, How are you old chap, I thought perhaps you might want you[r] little cousins picture, what do you think of my boys coat, classy ‘heh!’ Love to all the family, and also you[r] cousin in Dubuque the one I like. I am with love Elsie.”

Funny how Elsie drops the “r” in “yours” each time, and don’t we get a sense of who she was, from her handwriting, the note itself and the photo? I think she was fun to hang out with. As far as history and fashion it’s always nice to have a dated reference but it’s doubly nice to have the wearer’s comment about what they were wearing. And not that it, by any means, took 109 years for the bow to go out of style, but we can appreciate the irony in the coat being the main subject for comment while today it’s the hat with the huge bow that jumps out at us!

Card addressed to:  “Mr. George Letch, Jr., East Dubuque, Ills.”

Our girl Else, wasn’t found in records but George Leroy Letch, Jr., was born September 19, 1887 in East Dubuque, IL, son of George L. Letch and Theresa Erdenberg. The 1910 Federal Census for Dunleith Township of East Dubuque finds George, Jr. with parents, George L., born IL, October 1864 (occupation freight train conductor) and Teresa, born IL, April 1867 and George, Jr.’s sister Roena, born IL, August 1889.

Sources:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Dunleith, Jo Daviess, Illinois; Roll: T624_294; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0021; FHL microfilm: 1374307.
(Ancestry.com)

Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007. (Ancestry.com)

Of Gaiters And Dairy Ranches

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Divided back, used, embossed postcard. Postmarked January 3, 1933 from Buhl, Idaho. Number 327. Publisher unknown.

Price:  $4.00

Best New Years Wishes…

“To you dear friend

Sincere Greetings

I fondly send

This New Years Day.”

Well, we’re late in posting this per the above sentiment, but what a cute card, and I got to wondering if the little girl was wearing spats (the yellow footwear with side buttons)  – but no, spats (short for spatterdashes) or at least how we think of them today, were the shorter, over the ankle covers, so we would call these gaiters. It seems like the term gaiter underwent a full circle, first found in reference to how troops were outfitted, and per the article below, used for warmth as well as for spatter guards.

From The Pennsylvania Gazette in 1760.

19th-century ads for gaiters reveal various types….canvas, silk, lasting, button, laced, Congress, heeled (that gave it away right there)….come to find out gaiters had by then, become the popular word used to describe a half-boot form reminiscent of that two-tone affect where the leggings met over the shoe. But the word was also used loosely, for example, Congress gaiters were really a half-boot, of a style very common today.

Below, an advertisement from The Louisville Courier (Louisville KY). What’s “chrap” in the top ad? It was a little disappointing to find this was just a misprint!

From the website American Duchess some beautiful photos of women’s footwear in the category in question:   “Extant Victorian Side-Lacing Gaiters.”

Last but not least, and returning from our tangent above: We get a kick out of Hazel’s casual-sounding promise of the hopeful future endeavor outlined in her note. Did she find one? Whether she did or did not, we like her style. You go, girl!

“Dear Aunt Alice & all. I do hope you will all have a better year than the one ending. I am coming down there this summer and hunt me a dairy ranch. Love – Hazel.”

Addressed to:   “Mrs. Alice Ellison, 1015 O St., Sacramento, California.”

Sources: The Pennsylvania Gazette. April 24, 1760, Thursday. p. 2 (Newspapers.com)

“Extant Victorian Side-Lacing Gaiters.” January 13, 2014. American Duchess. Historical Costuming. (americanduchess.blogspot.com) Accessed January 11, 2017.

The Louisville Daily Courier. May 31, 1849, Thursday. p. 2 (Newspapers.com)

May The Fleeting Seasons

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Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked December 23, 1922 from Sacramento, California. Publisher unknown.

Price:  $4.00

“May the fleeting seasons as they come and go

Each their richest gifts on you, my friend, bestow.”

We wish they were a little less fleeting, but here’s to beautiful moments in every season, with love and friendship to all! And this is a cute one, quite worn, but very adorable, and of course, part of our Alice Ellison collection. The “city” in the addressee’s “direction” to borrow an old term, is of course, Sacramento. And we find that postcard senders often distinguished this part of the address in just such a fashion, as this card was, for the time being anyway, staying within the city limits. The sender wrote:

“With best regards to you and the other girls from, O. K. Hughes. W. C. Co.”

Addressed to:   “Miss Ella Ellison, % Ennis Brown Co., City.”

The W. C. Company wasn’t found, though we did not spend too much time in the search, but here’s an Ennis-Brown ad from the California Fruit News, December 1922. Ella likely worked as a clerk for this fruit and produce company.

Source:  California Fruit News, December 16, 1922, Vol. 66, Number 1796. p. 16. (Google eBook).