Studio Portrait Of A Beautiful Girl

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This one was found in a small antique store in the Watsonville, California area. There is no writing on the back of the photo, and the only identifying information we have for the photographer is the embossed design at the top left of the photo cover and the embossed “H” at the cover’s bottom right. We have a dated photo of the same type showing under the posting entitled “Harriet L. Weston, 1917”  so perhaps this photo is from around this date.

From a close-up view of the photo it looks like the young lady is wearing a jumper (sleeveless dress worn over a blouse) style outfit, except that the wide linen collar appears to be of a lighter color than that of the sleeves, so jumper may not technically be the correct term. In any case the outfit, though plain, was probably lovely. (Thinking of the quality of the fabrics.) It’s very possible that this is a school uniform, and most young ladies would surely scoff at the description of “lovely”, but in browsing other vintage uniform photos, we see that some of them were really very stylish, and anyway, who doesn’t appreciate a fine linen blouse? The other factor indicating that this could be a school photo is the fact that she wears no jewelry and wears her hair swept back from the forehead, and short in the back, to mid-ear. It’s hard to tell whether this is really a bob or if she had longer hair that was pinned up, but the style has that overall wholesome look.

Size:  About 4 and 3/4″ x 2 and 1/4″  Date:  circa 1915 – 1920.

Thou Art Dear To Me

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Undivided back, used postcard, circa 1901-1907. The cancellation mark shows Abbeville and appears to indicate the month of December, but the year is missing.

Price  $8.00

Beautiful undivided back era postcard in muted tones (except for the yellow) showing an image of lovely red-haired woman in what appears to be a Grecian or Roman style dress, holding a sprig of flowers, with the caption, “Thou art dear to Me.”  We see some flowers directly behind her and the suggestion of a column. The border is done in a robin’s egg blue with a simple design of yellow and white flowers.

The back’s lettering shows the words “Post Card” and “This side for the address only”  done in a silver tone. At the top left is a small block letter “A” which may be the publisher logo, but nothing, as of yet, has been found for this supposed publisher. (Another one for the mystery category.) The card is addressed to:

“Miss Rubie Stubbs. Abbeville GA”  with  “R. F. D.”  written at the bottom left, which stands for  “Rural Free Delivery.”  This was used in rural areas for houses that did not have a street address.

Ruby Stubbs, appears on the 1900 Federal Census in Abbeville, as the youngest child of George W. and Maria Stubbs. Her older siblings are Annie, Mary L., Emmett, Homer and Hassan. All are born in Georgia, with Ruby’s date of birth showing as about January 1890.

Update:

In response to contact from a reader that has another postcard addressed to Ruby and was wondering if there was an address for her, I had looked for more info, no address found but here’s some additional info:

“I don’t have an address other than what the 1900 census shows when Ruby was about 10 years old, which is just the town of Abbeville (specifically Militia District 1158 written at the top of the census page) in Wilcox county. Looking at random pages on that census, it seems their were no house numbers, or even a road listed, for any of the town’s residents at that time. I do see that their father, George W. Stubbs, unfortunately died later that year, in July 1900, and the 1910 census taken in Abbeville shows the mother, Maria and three of the adult kids were living next door to Ruby’s older brother Hassan (Samuel Hassan Stubbs) and his family. Ruby had married James F. Nance, October 7, 1909.”

Sources:  Year: 1900; Census Place: Abbeville, Wilcox, Georgia; Roll: 229; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0099; FHL microfilm: 1240229. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1910; Census Place: Militia District 1158, Wilcox, Georgia; Roll: T624_219; Page: 18B; Enumeration District: 0139; FHL microfilm: 1374232. (Ancestry.com)

“Georgia, County Marriages, 1785-1950,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXJ5-7KD : 7 February 2020), James F. Nance and Rubie E. Stubbs, 17 Oct 1909; citing Marriage, Wilcox, Georgia, United States, Georgia Department of Archives and History, Morrow, FHL microfilm 271,347.

Best Wishes From J. W. C.

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“Holbrook Nebr Aug 8, 1912. Dear Cousen, your card got here all ok. I was glad to here from you did the Dr. put Mark in a cast. I ame glad yous dont have to set up any more. I ame out hay agin it is some that i start to leave for seed and it ant no good. I have some for seen yet I will haft to cuting of hay as I can get at it – from your cousen J. W. C.”

Front shows scene inside gold-tone oval of stylish young woman in hat, carrying a basket, gathering rushes or cattails, perhaps. She is at the water’s edge and in the background, across the water, we see a house, sort of cottage-like, maybe in stone, with a taller portion on the left. Mountains appear in the distance, and in the foreground on the left we see what appears to be a duck or goose (or swan?) This lovely scene has a muted effect and is done mostly in tones of blue, green, and brown. Surrounding the oval is a beautiful embossed scroll work of white on pale greenish gray, with a white border. The lettering “Best Wishes From” appears at the bottom with a space where J. W. has filled in his initials.

Divided back, embossed postcard, unused with writing. Publisher K. L. C. or K. L. Company. Series 150. Circa 1912.

Fishing Boats, Mount Lavinia, Ceylon

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Non-postal card showing black and white photo of fishing boats at Mount Lavinia, Ceylon. Mount Lavinia today is part of the city known as Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, a suburb of the capital city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ceylon became Sri Lanka in 1972. This photo looks to be the second in a series under the title “Ceylon Views” and as the description on the back indicates, it was published by The Lake House Bookshop in the city of Colombo. This bookshop is still very much in operation and their website is listed below. Card printed in England. The top of the photo shows what looks to be maybe a little water damage. Maybe from the waters of the Indian Ocean? As to the age of the card, the bookshop was originally established as a lending library in 1941, and developed into a bookshop from there. This places the date of the card approximately from 1941 up until 1972 when the country became Sri Lanka.

Non-postal tourist card, No. 2 Fishing Boats, Mount Lavinia. Publisher:  The Lake House Bookshop, Colombo 10, copyright. Printed in England. Circa 1941 -1972.

Sources:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehiwala-Mount_Lavinia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka

http://www.lakehousebookshop.com/

Song Of The Merchant Kalashnikov

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Russian postcard from a painting of a scene about the epic poem by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (Михаи́л Ю́рьевич Ле́рмонтов). The full title of the poem in Russian is “Песня про царя Ивана Васильевича, молодого опричника и удалого купца Калашникова” and is about Tsar Ivan Vasilyevish (Ivan the Terrible), a young Oprichnik (guardsman in the Tsar’s police force), and the valorous merchant Kalashnikov, but the title is often known under the shortened version of “Song of the Merchant Kalashnikov” (Песня про купца Калашникова). Lermontov (1814-1841) was a gifted Russian poet, novelist and artist, and is considered to be  “…the supreme poet of Russian literature, alongside [Alexander] Pushkin and the greatest figure in Russian Romanticism.” (Wikipedia)

The description on the card in Russian is:

Как сходилися, собиралися, Удалые бойцы московские, На Москву-реку, на кулачный бой, Разrуляться для праздника, потешиться.”

Online quick translations are varied but the description has to do with a boxing or fight scene at the Moscow River. At the bottom left of the back of the card is printed in Russian “12 Художник В. С е м е н о в” indicating series or number 12 by artist V. Semenov. This artist’s name shows up on other vintage postcards of this era, but more information on the artist was not located, as of the date of this posting. In any case, this is a wonderful card (the colors!)

Unused postcard with Russian stamp. Year of stamp 1975. Postcard published 1974. Copyright. Publisher:  “Изобразителъное искусство”  Moscow 1974 (Издательство “Изобразителъное искусство” Москва 1974.)

Price:  $20.00

Sources:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Lermontov

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Song_of_the_Merchant_Kalashnikov

Greetings From Fenton, Michigan

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Beautifully done, non-divided back postcard, printed in Germany, showing purple clematis and a scene perhaps designed to resemble a painting on unfurled canvas of a stone bridge over a river, with mountains in the background.  The caption  “Greetings from Fenton Mich.”  appears in cursive glitter. A stunning postcard.

Addressed to:  “Mrs. Mary E. Beale, 211 Kerr st. North, Lansing, Mich.”

Mary E. Beale, born Canada (of Scottish descent) about 1872, appears on the 1910 Federal Census taken in Lansing, with husband Charles F. Beale, born Michigan, about 1874, along with their son, Stanley, born Michigan, about 1905, and Charles’ mother Mary A. Beale, born New Jersey, about 1835. Charles’ occupation is listed as Picture Framer, and the address given on this census is 213 Kerr. There is no writing on the front (or back) indicating who the sender was. (We wonder if the choice of postcards had anything to do with Charles’ occupation.)

Undivided back postcard, printed in Germany. Postmarked from Lansing, Michigan, July 5, 1906. Publisher A. & M. B. (Albrecht & Meister of Berlin) No. 462.

Price:  $25.00

Source:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Lansing Ward 5, Ingham, Michigan; Roll: T624_651; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0072; FHL microfilm: 1374664. (Ancestry.com)

Basket of Forget-Me-Nots

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“Holbrook, Nebr Aug 15, 1912. Dear cousen I received your card today[?] and was glad to here from you. I ame well and all right. I seen ted and minie and harry and sarah to day. They went grape down on the river and seen them just a minite or to. it has rain all day on and off and to night it is rain stedy. you never said what you want to do about go to the fair. I was just redy to cut some more hay this morning but was to rain. from your cousen J. W. C.”

The line with the word grape is hard to figure out. Maybe the word is a misspelling of something else. Or could Ted, Minnie, Harry and Sarah have been picking grapes by the river? (Maybe someone else will have a better guess at this than me.)

The front of the card shows a lovely design of a draped pink ribbon with bows. Suspended from the center ribbon is a gold-tone basket that is overflowing with forget-me-nots. Center background is yellow with gold-tone framing, and a couple of clovers are thrown in for good luck on each side. The little flower drawings in the bottom corners just add to the charm, as does the caption:

“A BASKET

of for-get-me-nots

To you alone I send;

Expressing my

most kindly thoughts

For one I call my friend.”

Divided back, embossed, unused postcard with writing. Copyright E. Nash. G-19. Circa 1912.

Price:  $5.00

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa

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Divided back, unused postcard. Manufactured by Wayne Paper Box & Printing Corp., Fort Wayne, Indiana. Series H-916. Circa 1940-1946.

Price:  $12.00

This mission, founded in 1772 by Father Junipero Serra, was named after Saint Louis, Bishop of Toulouse, France, and is located in downtown San Luis Obispo, California. The postcard has a gray border,  glossy finish, double-lined header (on the back) and is estimated to be from about 1940-1946 (from the online source listed below.) The card’s publisher started operations in 1898 per their ad below, that appeared in Fort Wayne, Indiana’s North Side High School’s 1936 yearbook edition, The Legend.

A promise kept

Andrew G. Burry, founder of Wayne Paper Box & Printing Corp, buys lunch for his fellow Rotarians:

Sources: Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, history. http://missionsanluisobispo.org/visit/#history. (Accessed March 3, 2018).

Becker, John R. “Wayne Paper Box Co. Cards.” http://www.dejean.com/salem/1930s/wayneboxcards_becker.html (Accessed March 3, 2018).

North Side High School, The Legend (n.p. 1936), Ancestry.com. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1990.

“Centenarian to buy Rotarians lunch.” The Baltimore Sun, February 4, 1973. Sunday, p. 12. (Newspapers.com)

At The Train Depot

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Divided back, Real Photo Postcard, unused with writing, Sailboat stamp box. Circa 1908.

Price:  $12.00

“What did we forget, Dad?”

This one is priceless. A photo taken of father and daughter, and because of the above caption that appears on the back, and the pull cart that we see behind them in the photo, it’s a good bet that they are at the train depot, either waiting for the train, or waiting to be picked up after they got to their stop. It looks like that is a barrel on our far right. The other very interesting thing about this photo is that the dad is holding a pail with a crank and handle on top. It turns out that what he actually has there is a White Mountain Ice Cream Freezer. You can see that the label is coming off. I love both of their expressions, and the possible stories that weave themselves around this photo. It would seem like the writing on the back was done years later by the now grown-up daughter but it could have just as well been done by the mom, after the postcard was made. Either way we can just picture the little girl and her dad having a running joke about always forgetting to bring something on their train trips. And were they going to visit relatives, maybe to have a big family dinner, and then have homemade ice cream for dessert?

As far as the time-frame for this postcard, various online websites date this stamp box version of the sailboat as 1905 – 1908. However, as of the date this post is going up, I did not find anything identifying the name of the company that produced this type of printing out paper. (For example, the Eastman Kodak Co. produced SOLIO, and the Ansco Co. produced CYKO.) But I did find an illustrated ad in Hardware of this version of the White Mountain Ice Cream Freezer, dated January 10, 1907, so taking the stamp box and the ice cream maker into consideration, I am estimating this postcard to be from about 1908,  since the White Mountain label is peeling, so we’d assume the ice cream maker was not brand new. Of course, it could be from after 1908 as photographers sometimes used up old card stock.

Source:  Hardware, Vol. XXXIV, no. 1. January 10, 1907, pg. 33. Publisher unknown, possibly a New York company (looks like the full info was cut off). (Google eBook)

Greetings From Holbrook

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“Holbrook Nebr, Sept 29, 1912. Dear cousen. I got your card last night and was glad to here from you glad your horse are get better. mine are all right yet. The cab[?] is buck yet some. I ame go to try and get it in time this week some time if I can and if i get it to working all right i ame come down sunday so i think can get there and less some happen so i cant leave. your cousen  J W C”

Addressed to:  “Miss Lena Davis, Almena, Kansas”

What was it that was bucking yet some? It sounds like it’s a vehicle that’s not running right, and if so, how do you like that for a horse type expression for a car? As, here we are in 1912, in that transitional period in rural America when the car was still in the process of becoming the established mode of transportation. Also, the distance between Holbrook, Nebraska and Almena, Kansas is about fifty miles, so it would seem like it would be too long of a trip to take by horse, for someone that is very busy making a living farming.

The front side of the card shows a red rose, framed in gold tone, surrounded by an embossed pink and white roses design, white border and lettering at the bottom that says “Greetings From ____” where J. W. has written “Holbrook.” The overall framing (because of the diagonal lines in the corners) resembles a carved wooden frame where the frame juts out and the center part with the rose is flat against the wall. Not that this is anything earth shattering, but I just think that the glimpses into the artists’ ideas for the postcards are interesting.

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked in Omaha, date not appearing, approx. September 30, 1912. Publisher:  KLC or KL Company? Series 153.