From Papa
-
January 18, 1911
Mexico (MO)
Dearest Girls
Ice! Ice! and then some
more ice. This part of the
country has been ice bound since
last Tuesday (and it winds?)
down trains late from 1-3 hours
late trees are breaking down
under the weight of ice.
hope you are finding better at
home although I see by the paper
you have had some sleet.
your lovin Daddy
The portrait on the front is “Starting On a Long Journey”. I looked around online, a lo and behold, there is a market for these sort of things. I was more interested in reading about the artist, Alfred James Dewey. Apparently he was a studied artist who had what sounds like a full career.
It’s nice to picture great grandad, sitting on the train, scanning the news for weather at home.
-
2011
Fayetteville Ark.
My Dear Little Sweetheart
Thank you for the fish
you sent to me if I was-
‘nt so far away from you
I would like to send
you and mama some
of these fine apples
your loving Dad
The portrait on the front is “An Ozark Apple Orchard”. I really love the landscapes. I love that someone stood there and painted that orchard and then it was made into a postcard. Photos are nice, but there is something really lovely about a postcard that is art.
I guess my Aunt Marianne was Fritzie. I have to check, but I swear my dad had a dog name Fritz at some point in his childhood. Maybe is was just a familial term of affection.
-
August 23, 2012
Perry, MO
My Dear Girls:
It-I can’t be any hotter than this
hope you are standing it alright
yours lovingly, Dad
The front of the card is a portrait of Mark Twain with the quote “Man is the only animal that blushes, or needs to.” Which is from Following the Equator, a book of Twain’s I’m unfamiliar with which apparently chronicles his trip around the globe on the lecture circuit. Something worth checking out.
-
February 20, 1911
Bowling Green
My Own Little Girl:
Mr Redmond will perhaps send out for the Red Diamond tray that’s that big yellow case see if there is anything ____ in it if so please take it out. also papers if any
Your loving Boy?
This postcard, titled “The Witching Hour” depicts a romantic evening rowing out by moonlight. And the note begins romantically enough: My Own Little Girl. And then, he asks for a favor, a tray to be lent to an associate. And yet it’s still utterly charming, and the romance is not lost when he signs it “Your Loving Boy”. I assume the question mark is in jest.
-
Back soon!
Thanks for checking out my Tumblr. I am still here, have just been traveling a lot for my job. Committing to getting back to it in the next week.
Lisa
-
August 8, 1911
Dearest Eppy:
Isn’t it a lonesome job for you? pet
Daddy.
I love these illustrations. The girl with her hand in the jam sneaking kisses. It is lonesome being good sometimes :)
-
Say Marion!
Don’t shoot your head off on the glorious 4th
from Josie
Mixed in with the postcards from my Great Grandfather are notes from friends and neighbors. My Great Aunt Marianne had quite a few addressed to her. Often they don’t have stamps or postmarks so I wonder if the children just exchanged them by hand or left them in each other’s mailboxes.
Columbia, Gem of the Ocean, was popular patriotic song of the time period and Columbia was actually a popular nickname for the US at the time in poems and music.
Given Josie’s backhanded message, I can’t help wonder if she wasn’t the first frenemy on record.
-
June 6, 1908
Dearest:
how are our human flowers getting along?
Daddy.
PS Doing good business
Not too much to be found about the poet with the speshal way of spelling, Klarenc Wade Mak. I did find this document that shows he clearly was using his own unique dialect, even in casual correspondance.
-
March 9, 1911.
Dearest Girls:
I hope you are all feeling fine. I’m not getting away from the railroad this week can’t do any driving this week roads are impassable will be in late Friday night.
Your loving Dad
The picture on the front is of a water intake tower off of Chain of Rocks, St. Louis, MO. It appears the tower still stands today: http://www.builtstlouis.net/watertowers/watertowers9.html
