• Collecting,  Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Travel

    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…

  • Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Puzzles,  Social,  Travel

    Now am to blame for being stuck on the West

    Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 123-125 Fred evidently had a very good meal at Hotel Tacoma. How do we know? He wrote Katheryn about it in pretty as much detail as one can squeeze on a postcard. The color came through quite nicely on this in reality. There are places of misalignment, but the contrast between the green, gold/yellow, and brown shoes up a lot better in person than in the photo. I’m not sure where the “Uncle Dud” came from. Probably an inside joke or family joke between the two. Any other suggestions are welcome. On the reverse, Fred detailed a feast. How many courses? How many of them…

  • Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Logistics,  Travel,  Weather

    Lonesome in a God-forsaken Hole

    Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 116-119 A variety of streets and buildings for today. Two of the cards had no messages, but their reverses are nevertheless worth showing alongside the fronts. The cards were sent by different people to different people–at the same address and roughly the same time. I haven’t (yet) done further research into the addresses but it’s quite possible that 1800 State Street, Chicago, was a boarding house or a family lived there who took in a boarder or . . . well, actually, there are quite a few explanations. This will have to wait on some of the external research I’ll do when I write about…

  • General Info,  Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Travel

    The trimmest little boats to take you over

    Katheryn McMahon Newton album, cards 71-75 Today’s cards are a bit of a grab-bag variety. They do continue the water theme from the last post. First up, a fairly characteristic post from Fred while in Seattle. Once again he lauded the attractions of the West in general, in this case Seattle, as incentive for Katheryn eventually joining him, gave her an idea of what he does on his weekends, regretted she wasn’t there to enjoy it with him, and reminds her to write to him. Dearie: This is a beautiful country for scenery. They claim in summer it is a regular Paradise on earth. We are enjoying early easter styles…

  • General Info,  Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Real Photo Post Cards,  Social,  Travel,  Vitals,  Weather

    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…

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

    Good Company and Weather; Bad Connections and Mail

    Katheryn McMahon Newton Album, cards 25-26 This first card is not in particularly good condition. There’s a notable fold down the middle–almost a tear. Most of the cards from the album are in better shape, so my guess is that this card got bent when being mailed from Seattle to Chicago. When it happened doesn’t really matter–it’s unlikely to make a difference in any particular way except that the notable damage would likely reduce the price were it to be sold on it’s own. Then again, as with so many of these cards, their value is not so much in the images as their contents–particularly their collected contents. The image…

  • Collecting,  Katheryn McMahon Newton Album,  Social,  Travel

    Where the Birds are Better Than Alarm Clocks

    Katheryn McMahon Newton Album, cards 10-12 The next card in line lacks any inscription whatsoever. Whichever postal station marked the card managed to add wavy lines canceling the stamp without including anything to indicate when or where it was posted. The where probably Portland, Oregon, given that the front bears glittery letters offering “Greetings” from there As for the rest? My guess: Fred Newton at some point in 1907. Fred, because it’s his handwriting (or a very close approximation) and he passed through Portland at various points. 1907 given the address specified for Katheryn McMahon: the Atlas [School] Supply Co. on Wabash Ave in Chicago. A cursory review of the…

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