General Info
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Be good and enjoy your self
Thomas Gray Haile subcollection, cards 19, 46, 104, 166 A variety of mysteries for you this week: disappearing writing or, rather, the fading writing (due in part to card condition. For this one — I have guesses as to parts of the message, but not the whole. For the most part with the Haile cards, I’ve only been showing the front. Here’s the front and back. You tell me (if you choose) what you think the message is. As for the image, it’s a saying (humorous or not) in a frame. Rather a pretty frame, too. The card doesn’t have an easy-to-find insignia or maker’s mark. Someone with a keen…
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Truth, Deception, and a Lucky Wishbone
Thomas Gray Haile subcollections, cards 24, 5, and 22 We’re back! With some lovely roses to start us off, and a nice sentiment for a 1 April (1908) card. This is fairly tame for Madge, in image and message. The inscription itself is short: “April 1st Received your card tonight. Guess you were not disapointed about the letter. I was good last Sun. I am afraid to say much There is a show in town tonight Mary has gone.” Again, this offers hints about their layered communication in cards and letters, plus Madge’s being “afraid to say much” about being “good.” Then there’s this card. Sent for a holiday, given…
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With Love and Best Wishes
Thomas Gray Haile subcollection, cards 30, 21, 63, and 40. Two cards from Madge for today (or is it three?), and one other. Here we go . . . First up, one from Madge with a suitably love/romance-oriented image. A rather brief message, but bearing much in the way of implications: Just nine more days until the twenty second–Dixie was down yesterday afternoon and I ‘spect yours and John’s ears burnt for we talked about you all the time Dixie is sick tell John. Be good Madge [unknown] to Thomas Haile, 18 February 1908 One suspects the date reference was to when she next expected to see Thomas. Dixie evidently…
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Valentines, union suits, and wrestling
Thomas Gray Haile subcollection, cards 36, 55, 167, and 95 First up, a nearly blank slate ripe for speculation. This could be from Madge–but equally might not be. There is very little to go on. With respect to the sender’s identity, we have the choice of the card, which suggests a romantic connection, and the name and address of the recipient. This is the kind of card Madge generally chose (i.e. romantic, as the following posts will demonstrate), but . . . the handwriting on the card isn’t close enough for me to incline that way (much as I’d like to). Further, the card was addressed to Mr. T. Gray…
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Good and True and Truthful
Thomas Gray Haile subcollection, overview Time to switch to a new set of postcards! The Haile cards. These, too, date from around 1907-1908, with some later cards. Nevertheless, the Haile cards differ in many respects from the Katheryn McMahon album. The Haile cards don’t constitute a coherent album collection. Oh, they were in an old postcard album when I got them . . . but mixed in with other unrelated cards. In short what I’ll be focusing on for the next month or two (or three) is a sub-collection: cards that at some point became part of some one’s collection. Was that someone one person? I don’t know. Were they…
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Numerical proof of love?
Katheryn McMahon Newton album, an initial chronological and numerical assessment For about five months, I’ve been posting about the cards contained in the album and referring to an eventual chronological assessment. This is–and isn’t–it. It is, because it’s what I’m providing; but it also isn’t, because I don’t promise it addresses all the issues I mentioned in earlier posts. There’s only so much I can do now. I expect this particular album and assortment of cards to play a strong role as I analyze and write about early post cards in bulk and in specific, but at this point I’m still processing cards and getting ideas (and sometimes having those…
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Daddy dear and sweetheart valentines
Katheryn McMahon Newton album, additional materials Before we go to the additional materials, a correction regarding a recent post. When discussing card 127, I somehow leapt to associate references to the “U.S. Ex. agent” as exports. I’m not sure what I was thinking. At any rate, this was far more likely a U.S. Express agent — i.e. a firm that he had arranged to ship materials to Katheryn. A precursor / antecedent to UPS and/or FedEx. Especially given one of the letters below! The album contained two letters and three cards when it reached me. These all date from later-on. The cards on the left and right are signed from…
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An ordinary park bench to the casual observer
Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 130-133 The last cards in the album! There are a few non-cards for the next post, then on to a chronological overview–and we’ll be off to our next set of cards (I’m looking forward to introducing Madge to the world). But I’m getting ahead of myself. First up, one of the few items in the album that affirm Katheryn married Fred. In this case, his mother (name alas unknown right now) sent them a postcard which means I have their address in Seattle as of late 1908. If they were still there (or nearby) in 1910 this may help locate them in the census. (FYI:…
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The customary expression appropriate in a case of this kind
Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 126-129 For today, four cards from the album that are not images of places (or flowers). Whoever went through the album plucking out cards likely left them behind as of little value. In terms of inscriptions, three of the four have something on them with two speaking to Fred and Katheryn’s relationship. This one, for instance, dates from when Fred was courting Katheryn. The postmark is hard to read, but places this on/around the 25th of July, 1907. He addressed her as Kittie, as this came before the shift to Katheryn. He added lines to the front of the card, affirming the printed warning to…
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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…
