Business

  • Business,  Collecting,  Travel

    A supply of the necessary?

    E.C. Patton album, cards 8-11 Still early days in this album, but some interesting cards so far (images and/or messages). Four more cards for today. I’m not sure of the sender, whether their signature is the bottom center scrawl or the letters on the right side. The message comes through clear enough, however. “Thanks for Oregon’s capitol we’ll need one (perhaps?) suppose you heard about the Political Graft trying to remove ours to Berkeley. Ha! Lots of excitement here now. I’m patiently waiting for that letter” [unclear] to E.C. Patton, 2 March 1907 The reference to the letter suggests these two may send each other cards (and perhaps both collect)…

  • Business,  Collecting,  General Info

    A complete line of holiday goods!

    E.C. Patton album, cards 4-7 First up of today’s cards–one that could serve as a trade card. The sender managed to combine quite a few purposes in this! It’s an announcement of a sales call, a sample of the firm’s work, and an advertisement. Behrendt evidently made quite a run of these cards to serve as introductions. At least one of his sales force (presumptively male given the “Our Mr.”) got a stamp made with his name to save writing it everywhere. Although that doesn’t mean that S.L. Kayser wrote the card–perhaps the firm had clerks with good handwriting for that part. Certainly the few written words on the card…

  • Business,  Collecting,  General Info

    When is the new year again?

    Due to this and that, I cannot promise how often I’ll be able to post between now and the end of the year. But here’s taste of what we’ll be working through whenever I am able to post (and I do promise to try to mark Thursdays) because I’m looking forward to this: E.C. Patton’s album. There may be some similarities between Patton and McMahon Newton. I strongly suspect Patton was white, as Newton likely was. They may have come from similar upper middling classes. Both albums contain cards mostly postmarked in the early 19th century (naturally, since that’s mostly what I collect). BUT . . . let’s start with…

  • Business,  Collecting,  General Info,  Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Logistics,  Social,  Travel

    Keeping Secrets and Choosing Addresses

    Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 110-112 This first card was postmarked and dated 10 February 1908. These don’t always align quite so nicely. I’ve usually erred on the side of citing the date Fred wrote on a card over the postmark unless I’m talking about the mailing. At any rate, back to the card. There’s nothing explicit to this effect–it was merely an image of Denver with a quick query about how the town struck Katheryn–but I suspect it was Fred’s arrival-in-town-safely missive. After all, we know he’s sending two or more cards from most places he stays for a night or two. Anyone who’s been in Denver more recently…

  • Business,  Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Social,  Travel,  Weather

    “same old cold stormy smoke, begrimed + sloppy place it is”

    Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 107-110 Fred Newton was the product of his time and culture: white, likely of Anglo-American ancestry, and possessed of relative privilege. Based on earlier cards, he had enough station to call on the Governor of Colorado when passing through (though he settled for a few minutes with a private secretary). His attitudes about gender and sex were typical of the time; I’ve already posted about how, from a modern perspective, some of his endearments for Katheryn don’t work for me (maybe they do for others). Given the card he sent Katheryn from Pocatello, Idaho, he was also racist. Here’s the front of the card in…

  • Business,  Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Social,  Travel

    “The more ridiculous and absurd it impresses me”

    Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 105 and 106 Only two cards today, but each with fairly lengthy messages that should fill up a fair amount of space. First up, a card that does not appeal to me at all image-wise. Back in the day, people likely looked at the factories belching smoke and thought “progress” but I, from my 1st Q 21st century viewpoint think “pollution.” Based on the inscription on the reverse, this was supposed to show Seattle’s tidal lands. (And that’s tidal, not tribal although the whole thing belonged the Duwamish peoples.) Perhaps, but I mostly see smoke. The tinting doesn’t help either as most of the buildings,…

  • Business,  Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Logistics,  Social,  Travel

    The Man of the Hour

    Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 101-104 Last post included Fred’s post-show review of seeing “The Man of the Hour” at the Pueblo Opera House. The first card today Fred sent to Katheryn prior to the viewing, with a little backstory — and an image of the Opera House. Based on this card, Fred did not stay at the Antlers Hotel, although he referenced it in a prior card. Instead, he stayed at the Grand. Good Morning Dear: Wrote you of my arrival here last night. Dont tell a whole lot about [on reverse] the town yet as have not had chance to look up + over the place. Met a…

  • Business,  Holidays & Birthdays,  Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Real Photo Post Cards,  Travel

    The Kenyon, the Antlers, and the Second Ward School

    Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 90-92 First up, another card from Indiana without a message. This one differs from last week in three key respects (apart from image): recipient, place sent from, and information about sender. It went to Katheryn (aka “Kittie”) at her place of work, came from Franklin, and we actually have something about the sender. Not much, a matter of initials or a nickname left open to interpretation for those of us, unlike Kittie, not in the know. Car or CAR or CaR? It may not be much, but it’s something. The image portrays a school in Franklin, the same place as the postmark. The school reminds…

  • Business,  Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Social,  Weather

    Food, sports, and canoodling in the water

    Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 76-79 In a bit of a switch, the two cards from Fred in today’s post have lengths in reverse to what one might expect: the card from 1907 has the longer inscription and the 1908 the shorter. First the older card (comparatively speaking). A lovely image, and very nice coloration (even though someone wrote 27 upside down in the lake). Fred was evidently in a sentimental mood, based on the inscriptions on both sides of the card. The reverse has a longer meditation on the evening. Dearest: Had a dance + chicken Frye here last night After I got back from Lake Geneva in Auto…

  • Business,  Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Logistics,  Social

    In the best of health but working like a beaver

    Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 64-65 More ships, albeit not naval cruisers. Both of today’s cards, as usual, went from Fred to Katheryn. First up, a rather pretty view from northern Oregon versus northern Washington. Fred posted it in Seattle, so either Oregon views were for sale up in Seattle or (equally likely) he picked it up while down in Portland (or Astoria, for that matter). In this case, he’s tossing a bunch of different topics into the message–writing a postcard instead of sending her a letter because he’s tired. Seattle Apr. 3rd 1908 Dearie: Just in from Green Lake a small town about 18 miles from here. Made a…

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