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Views On Indian Creek, Dallas, Missouri

Posted on July 14th, 2014 by

Views On Indian Creek Dallas Missouri pc1Views On Indian Creek Dallas Missouri pc2

Divided back, unused postcard. Publisher:  The Elite Post Card Co., Kansas City, Missouri. Made in the U.S.A.  Number/series:  157.  A-16684. Circa 1908 – 1914.

Price:  $8.00

“Views On Indian Creek, Dallas, near Kansas City, MO.”

Beautiful postcard with Art Nouveau lines and what appears to be tinted photos of three views near Kansas City, Missouri of:  Indian Creek, the bridge over Indian Creek, and Watkin’s Mill, built 1833.

Watkin’s Woolen Mill is a National Historic Landmark and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark. The Missouri State Parks website explains that this woolen mill was the only one of 2,400 textile mills in 1870, that still contained it’s original machinery and equipment.

The publisher for this one (and the following post) is the Elite Post Card Company of Kansas City, Missouri. According to the Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City, this publisher did views of the Midwest, and operated from about 1908 – 1914. They may have been having some struggles or started winding down by 1912 though, as a September 1, 1912 publication gives a short newsworthy note that the company was “petitioned into bankruptcy.”

Sources:  http://mostateparks.com/page/55172/parkhistoric-site-plans

http://www.metropostcard.com/publisherse.html

The Bookseller, Newsdealer and Stationer, Vol. 37. New York, September 1, 1912. p. 160. Web. (Google eBooks)

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Categories: Art Nouveau, Bridges, Postcards

From A Sister Of Yours

Posted on July 13th, 2014 by

From A Sister Of Yours pc1From A Sister Of Yours pc2

Divided back, unused, embossed postcard. Publisher unknown. Circa 1908

Price:  $20.00

Here’s a wonderfully unusual one:  A postcard with a cropped photo attached to it! The card shows a likeness of a pink rose and bud with the stems holding an unfurled piece of birch bark which bears the inscription  “With Best Thoughts.”  Underneath these well wishes, the sender has glued a charming photo of herself, and written,  “from A Sister of Yours.”  At the top corners she wrote,  “Oakland, Calif.”  and  “September 1, – ’08.”

The card is addressed to:  “Mrs. L. L. Collins, Iola, Kansas”  and signed,  “With Love.” 

Thankfully, for research purposes, the date and place of the card were given, if not the sender’s name. The addressee turns out to be Lydia Loretta (Pember) Collins, born Michigan, July 19, 1867, died Alameda (county or city) California, February 19, 1946; parents John Wesley Pember and Sarah Elizabeth Christie. The Iola, Kansas city directory for 1908, shows Lydia married to Louis L. Collins, occupation travel agent, with their residence at that time being 414 S. First St., Iola, KS. Later, on the 1910 census, Lydia and daughter Lucille are shown living with Lydia’s parents and some of the siblings in Oakland, CA.

The identity of the woman in the photo has to be either Goldie, Edith or Alice Pember. The 1910 Federal Census for Oakland, California shows the girls living with their parents and a brother James Lewis Pember. Goldie, Edith and Alice were all born in Kansas, and at the time the 1910 census was taken, Goldie was about 23, Edith about 22, and Alice about 19. The photo would have been from at least a couple of years earlier, so it could be more likely that it is of one of the older two girls. (Doesn’t she look like she might be in her early twenties rather than seventeen?)

Were we doing a family tree for the Pember and Collins families, we would have plenty to work with, and would be including records from locations in Ohio, Michigan, Kansas, California and Canada. (Interesting to note some moving back and forth between Kansas and California and to take note of Louis Collins’ seemingly unusual occupation, for that day and age, of travel agent – but this likely meant traveling salesman, as we see the term come up in pretty often in census records.) And per the census records, the full list of Pember children appears to be:  Lydia, Valentine, Charles, Miles, Mary, John, James Lewis, Goldie, Edith and Alice. The 1880 Federal Census for Jamestown, Michigan shows Mary, age three, and she could be the woman in this photo but this seems highly unlikely, as no other records were found on her. So, we’ll venture to go out on a little bit of a limb and state that here is either Goldie, Edith or Alice Pember! We hope the answer to which Pember sister this is will come to us at some future date.

Sources:  Year: 1880; Census Place: Jamestown, Ottawa, Michigan; Roll: 601; Family History Film: 1254601; Page: 559A; Enumeration District: 247; Image: 0319. (Ancestry.com)

R. L. Polk & Co.’s Iola City Directory including Gas And LaHarpe, 1908. p. 60. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989)

Year: 1910; Census Place: Oakland Ward 1, Alameda, California; Roll: T624_69; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0077; FHL microfilm: 1374082. (Ancestry.com)

California, Death Index, 1940-1997. Place: Alameda; Date: 19 Feb 1946. (Ancestry.com.)

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Categories: Birch bark motif, Flowers, People, Photos With Names, Postcards, Postcards Unused With Writing, Women

Royal Avenue, Belfast, Ireland

Posted on July 11th, 2014 by

Royal Avenue Belfast Ireland pc1Royal Avenue Belfast Ireland pc2

Undivided back, unused postcard. Publisher:  The Valentine Company. Circa 1901.

Price:  $4.00

Turn of the century image in pale aqua and black of Royal Avenue in Belfast. This is a photo that has appeared in several incarnations. Sepia toned or black and white, and some with a little more of the original photo showing. You can see how this one here is a little faded out at the bottom. But in any case, it’s a lovely spot to lose ourselves in for a moment or two. Those are horse-drawn double decker trolleys in the photo, and we can estimate the date of the card as circa 1901 for two reasons:  A similar “Valentine’s Series” card was found online of a Dublin view dated 1901 by the sender, and Great Britain did not allow divided back postcards till 1902.

 

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Categories: Buildings, Postcards, Postcards Unused, Streetcars, Undivided Back

Mother And Son RPPC

Posted on July 9th, 2014 by

Mother And Son RPPC pc1Mother And Son RPPC pc2

Divided back, unused, Real Photo Postcard. PMC stamp box showing diamonds in all four corners. Circa 1907.

Price:  $15.00

Real Photo Postcard (RPPC) showing a studio portrait of a beautiful young mother and her adorable, approximately three year old son. They are both fashionably attired. The little boy, who has blond curls, wears a sailor suit, belted romper-type outfit with a large bow. The mother wears a dress, or it may be a matching skirt and blouse, in a dark material with a squarish neckline, trimmed in matching braid, and a white insert with a double row of dark braid on the high-necked collar. The bodice shows a double row of buttons which continue onto the skirt and flare out to the sides. The woman wears a chain with a round pendant, and a bracelet over the right sleeve of her long sleeved blouse, but one of the most striking things about her ensemble is the Breton style hat. The description found on the excellent Shappos blog under types of hats for the Breton or Bretone is a “women’s hat with ample round crown and brim turned up all around.”

This postcard’s date is estimated at 1907. The stamp box shows PMC with diamonds at each corner, which is a design that is at least from 1907, according to the stamp box examples on the excellent playle.com website. There does not seem to be much known about the company that produced this type of “printing out” paper for Real Photo Postcards. Playle.com shows six different PMC designs ranging from approximately pre-1907 to 1915, and shows a known year for the design we have here of 1907. You may have to take a closer look at the letters in the stamp box, as at first glance they may look like PMO.

Lastly, when viewing photos we sometimes have strong impressions about a person’s nationality (and wonder a little about the political correctness of saying someone “looks” like they are from a certain country) but for me I’m thinking immediately of Ireland when looking at this woman’s photo.

Sources:  http://www.shappos.com/blogs/how-to/9021445-hat-terminology

http://www.playle.com/realphoto/photop.php

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Categories: Children, Hats, People, Postcards, Postcards Unused, Real Photo Postcards, Women

A Hearty Greeting

Posted on July 7th, 2014 by

A Hearty Greeting pc1A Hearty Greeting pc2

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked June 17, 1912, Arapahoe, Nebraska. Publisher unknown – possibly John Winsch.

Price:  $4.00

“June 17, 1912. Dear Cousin Lena. I got your letter saturday. I was away sewing all week. I will be looking for a card most any day to say you are coming. They are going to celebrate the fourth at Gosper. you must be here for that. we will meet you when you come down at the depot. well good by hoping to see you soon   Ellen.”

Addressed to  “Miss Lena Davis, Almena Kans. R. R. #3.”

Another in our collection for Lena. A nice colorful country scene of a couple greeting a neighbor at sunset. The scene is inside an outline of a four-leaf clover and to the right is a small bunch of probably forget-me-nots. The background is unusual in a stone-type gray pattern, and the caption is  “A Hearty Greeting.” This card was postmarked in Arapahoe, Nebraska, but I’m not sure what the stamp above the barely discernible month of June is. Looks like it’s “GPM” but I’m not finding any explanation for this acronym.

There is no stated publisher info on this postcard but the header design was used by publisher John Winsch according to many other sites, and postcards that are showing up online with his info on the front of the card. But it could have been a design that more than one publisher used.

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Categories: Flowers, Postcards, Postcards Used, The Lena Davis Postcard Collection

Art Nouveau Violets

Posted on July 6th, 2014 by

Art Nouveau Violets pc1Art Nouveau Violets pc2

Divided back, embossed postcard. Postmarked March 20, 1915. Publisher:  E. Nash. Series or number L-11.

Price:  $10.00

“Greeting you with friendship so warm,

As to pierce the gloom of any storm.”

A stunning Art Nouveau style, embossed postcard showing violets, the above verse, and an unusually “framed” rural rainy day scene, on a sort of pale peach background. The artist depicted a person up there on the path getting caught in the rain. But what about the part where the path crosses over the stream? It just sort of flows magically across the water. Anyway, this is one from the “Lena Davis Collection” and the sender wrote:

“Long Island. March 17. Dear Cousin. how are you. have a cold. how do you like the mud. Ralph went to the sale to day. Harrold[?] is coming home with him. have drove my colts once. did you have a good with Will. the boys are going to Norton tomorrow I guess. did you go Sunday School. guess Irvin Kickly is maried to day that is what I hear. I haven’t made up my mind to go to German yet. …….?…….As ever your Cousin J. K.”

J. K. sent this postcard from Long Island, Kansas. Norton and German are nearby towns. I’m not sure what town this says for Lena. It’s possible it’s a misspelling of Culver, as it looks like Calvert or Colvert which are not showing up as towns in Kansas. Also it’s hard to read the writing on the bottom left and side. Not sure what that says there. It’s interesting to take note of how much is going on in this sender’s message, what with his or her cold, the mud, the colts, Ralph, the boys, Irvin’s supposed marriage, the Sunday School question and the uncertainty of the trip to German, KS (!)

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Categories: Art Nouveau, Flowers, Postcards, Postcards Used, The Lena Davis Postcard Collection

Figs

Posted on July 6th, 2014 by

Figs pc1Figs pc2

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked May 1908, Thomasville, Alabama. Publisher:  K – Win & Co., Art Publishers, Chicago, Illinois.

Price:  $8.00

“Hello Cousin – how are you fine I hope. I am all ok. I guess you got my picture now you must send me one of yours! I am sending Sister Edna a card. She sent me one. From you loving cousin Doc Spinks   Winnie said to tell you to ans. her letter soon.”
And on the front of the card the sender wrote  “ans this card soon from your Little Cousin Doc.”

Addressed to:  “Miss Leua Hinson, #63 St. Stephens Rd., Mobile Ala”

The exact date of the postmark is hard to read but we can see that it is May 1908 and postmarked in Thomasville, Alabama. The postcard’s a beauty showing a fig tree branch with leaves and fruit, and with the caption:

“A beautiful form is better than a beautiful face:  It gives a higher pleasure than statues or pictures. It is the finest of the fine arts.”

Leua Hinson (an odd first name) wasn’t found online in general, nor specifically in the 1900 or 1910 census records for Mobile; nor was the exact address of 63 St. Stephens Rd found in either census, but the house number could have changed at some point. From there we move over to try to locate the sender’s name in records. A little difficult without a first name, however Doc is relaying a message from Winnie, so Winnie might be Winnie Spinks, found with her parents and siblings on the 1910 Federal Census in the Thomasville area, Choctaw Corner, Clarke County. Winnie has a younger brother named Daniel, so we wonder if Doc could be Daniel. Would we write nowadays and call ourselves a “little cousin?” I can’t picture it, but I’ve seen other references to “little cousins” on other old postcards, so it was not uncommon back then. Getting back to the subject of the addressee’s first name:  Maybe it’s a nickname or a misspelling of something but that third letter there does not seem to be anything other than a “u.” By the way, Doc’s handwriting is cool. Just look at that “H” ! Imagine if, first of all, we were writing, not typing or texting, and secondly, if we took the time to write like this:

H

Lastly, “Sister Edna” was researched a little, though not extensively; her last name could have been Spinks, Hinson or other, or perhaps this was her title, as in a religious order.

Source:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Choctaw Corner, Clarke, Alabama; Roll: T624_6; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 0035; FHL microfilm: 1374019. (Ancestry.com)

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Categories: Fruit, Postcards, Postcards Used

Little Girl Posing On Steps

Posted on July 6th, 2014 by

Little Girl Posing On Steps

Old photo, circa 1900 – 1914.

Price:  $5.00         Size including cardboard frame:  6 and 3/4 x 4 and 1/4″

Another unidentified photo, mounted on cardboard, this time with no mark for the photography studio, showing a cute little girl, about three or four years old, in a light-colored, high-necked dress, wearing a bow, a necklace, and with her hair styled in side ringlets. She wears dark tights and high button shoes, and is standing on the bottom step of a two-step cement stair, next to a low cement block wall, with the leaves of a palm tree and some type of wooden structure showing behind her. It looks like this may have been taken in front of someone’s house or maybe an office building or restaurant, perhaps in Florida or California. I love her direct gaze for the camera.

This photo’s date is estimated to be from about 1900 – 1914. According to numerous websites, the high button shoe style lasted until around WWI when leather was rationed, along with many other items. There is nothing written on the back except for someone’s arithmetic, and the photo and frame are not in the greatest of shape with the corner wear, the uneven sides and a couple of major creases. Ah but the rustic look is in!

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Categories: Children, Old Photos, People, Photos Without Names

Three Kids Photo Taken By The Up-To-Date Studio

Posted on July 6th, 2014 by

Three Kids Photo Taken By The Up To Date Studio pc1Three Kids Photo Taken By The Up To Date Studio pc2

Divided back, unused, Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. Photography studio:  The Up-To-Date Studio. Circa 1907 – 1918.

Price:  $8.00

Real Photo Postcard showing oval studio photo of three gorgeous children, two girls and a boy, who must surely be siblings due to their strong resemblance to one another. At the bottom right is the studio’s identifying mark that was imprinted, and shows “The Up-To-Date Studio” surrounded by a simple leaf-type design. This photography studio is not showing up online, although plenty of entries come up under “photography” and “the up-to-date studio.” The phrase must have been the buzzword of the day for studios and equipment. The AZO stamp box with all four triangles pointing upward places this postcard at about 1904 – 1918, but it has the divided back, so then presumably from about 1907 – 1918.

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Categories: Children, Families, Mysteries, People, Photos Without Names, Postcards, Postcards Unused, Real Photo Postcards

Golden Eagle For Hattie Patuno

Posted on July 5th, 2014 by

Golden Eagle For Hattie Patuno pc1Golden Eagle For Hattie Patuno pc2

Divided back, embossed postcard, unused with writing. Printed in Germany. Publisher unknown. Series 1460 C.

Price:  $7.00

Beautiful postcard printed in Germany of purple flowers with green centers, an eagle in gold, with the rays of the sunrise or sunset in the background. The card is addressed to  “Hattie Patuno, Wellsburg Iowa”  and was never postmarked. And it looks like the sender’s initials are  “A. U.”  but Hattie’s name is not showing up online in Iowa or anywhere for that matter, which is unusual. But wow, the colors on this card!

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Categories: Birds, Flowers, Postcards, Postcards Unused With Writing, Printed in Germany