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One of the most aristocratic little resorts
Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 50-53 First up, two more cards from Europe. I’m only sharing the fronts here. Based on the handwriting on the back, I’m guessing these also came from Billy (who’s so far been responsible for most/all of the foreign cards–and no I still don’t know his last name). As is quite typical of Billy, there’s no message. That said, these differ from several of the most recent cards in that, as with a few earlier ones, they’re directed to “Miss McMahon” at Shields Ave rather than State St, and thus were likely intended for Katheryn rather than Anna. With respect to the images themselves, note that…
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Boston, Bangor, Karlsbad, and the Great White Fleet
Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 46-49 Three of the four cards included in today’s post went to Anna McMahon, or another Miss McMahon, on State Street. They’re an interesting array of images, nevertheless for two the reverse offers the possibility to tease out more connections between the Miss McMahons and their correspondents. First up: Boston. This card, as with others sent from the northeastern U.S., came from J.T.R. Alas, I still have no clue what those initials stand for. It is of a Boston image, and was sent from Boston (Back Bay Station, specifically) on 12 July 1907. Then there’s these two cards from different parts of Europe–Bangor in Wales…
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Not setting the world on fire with orders
Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 44-45 Fred Newton was in sales, although we still don’t know what business. The first card for today provides a little more information about his operations, although it doesn’t change the “don’t know” side of the equation very much. The card itself is a view of one of Seattle’s parks. In fact, both of today’s cards are of Seattle parks–originating with the same firm, Paul C. Koeber out of New York and Kirchheim, Germany. Fred might have purchased them at the same time but, given the amount of time separating the postmarks (over two weeks), it’s just as likely he acquired them separately. The lines…
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Make short work of the “tall + uncut”
Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 40-43 I originally intended to focus on one card at a time. That didn’t last long! It proved much easier to spend extensive time on the initial cards I presented, both because I was starting to figure out what to do with this blog and because each was selected for one or more iconic qualities which rewarded in-depth examination. With this album, the attractions for me include seeing how the cards fit together–how Fred (and others, especially when we move on to add other albums) uses the cards. What information he includes, where he’s open versus coy and allusive. TLDR: I’ll share however many cards…
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Old Haunts and Burros Revisited
Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 35-39 On the 26th of February 1908, Fred sent Katheryn another card where the image was the inspiration for the communication. In this case, he even specified where he got the card: in a drug store in Portland, Oregon. Drug stores were a mainstay of the postcard market–and this particular card presented a local view, and was one of the United States images produced by the publisher, W.G. MacFarlane. Once again, Fred inscribed suggestive initials on the image, but in this case he did so not to invite Katheryn to imagine herself in Portland so much as to encourage her to think back to a…
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Billy in Berlin and Fred in Salt Lake and Seattle
Katheryn McMahon Newton Album, cards 32-34 First up, explicit reference as to how Fred expects Katheryn’s correspondence to reach him. Alas, this inspires in me an even greater desire to see her side. I recognize this desire is unlikely to be fulfilled. Her cards and letters most likely were destroyed at some point, whether deliberate or accidental; if they do survive, they may be scattered and even if they aren’t it would be a herculean task to try and locate them. “Dear Kit: Just arrived in the MormonTown – Train 1 hour + 50 m late. Passed through a fierce blizzard + snow storm after leaving Glenwood Springs. Am writing…
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From the Governor’s Private Secretary to Writing Everyday
Katheryn McMahon Newton Album, cards 30-31 Evidently, Fred decided to call on the Governor of Colorado, Henry Augustus Buchtel, while passing through Denver. I still don’t know enough about him to find him in the Census–and I’m not (yet) going to start other research to find him in Seattle and/or Chicago records and related materials. The population of Colorado at the time was numbered in the high hundred-thousands; that of Denver in the low hundred-thousands. Fred’s evident comfort level in making the call suggests he came from higher up the class ranks–even though he settled for “a very few minutes” with the Governor’s private secretary. To continue the discussion of…
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Berlin, a Terrace, and Mental Telegraphy
Katheryn McMahon Newton Album, cards 27-29 First a card not from Fred but with a message. One “Billy” (last name unknown) is in Berlin (Germany) and moved to send a postcard to Katheryn–whom he (or she) addresses as “Kitty”–and ask forgiveness for not writing before. This dates to 1907, i.e. before most of the cards from Fred. Without more information about the individual, there’s fairly little to say as regards sender. Or is there? This does provide an inscription to compare with Fred’s. First off, it’s shorter–or rather, Fred’s are longer. I’ve acquired enough postcards, and particularly enough batches of postcards sent by one person, to say that Fred is…
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