Saturday, March 28, 2020

Sepia Saturday: Wish You Were Here


Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.


Last week I started on a story based on a postcard to answer this week’s Sepia Saturday prompt. The card was from a resort in Pennsylvania. There is little information about the resort, so I plowed forth on a story about the sender. Frankly, it was a bit of a snooze-fest, but I was committed.

Then Thursday afternoon I received a mysterious email from the new owner of my grandparents’ house in Cradock letting me know she had found 5 boxes of STUFF belonging to my parents and grandparents. “I’m coming over right now!” There are canceled checks from the 1930s, life insurance policies purchased by my great-grandparents, my parents’ college notebooks and tests complete with a signed Honor Code, and letters. LOTS of letters.

And these postcards.
 
Postcard of Hershey Park 1948 https://jollettetc.blogspot.com
Hershey Park, Hershey PA
Postcard Atlantic City 1948 https://jollettetc.blogspot.com
Atlantic City, NJ
(love the humor in the lazy way to send a postcard message)


They were from my mother’s BFF Betsy Ward. The dates got me to thinking. June 14 and 15, 1948. As I suspected, on June 12, 1948, Betsy married John Lumsden, a dental student at the Medical College of Virginia.

Admittedly, these postcards are quite handsome. So artistic. So of the time. But the BACKS of the cards – now that’s where they get interesting.
Postcard Hershey Park 1948 https://jollettetc.blogspot.com

Back of Hershey Park card
We arrived here tonight in time for everything to be closed even the Zoo! But we did see the amusement park. Made out fine at the Statler. Had a nice room. We may leave for Atlantic City tomorrow but it all depends how this place is.
Betsy & Johnny

Postcard Atlantic City 1948 https://jollettetc.blogspot.com
Back of Atlantic City card
Mary E,
Weather is sad so no swimming. Walked the boardwalk but hitting the spots tonight when I look 21 [Betsy was 19]. We are both fine but hungry so must go eat. See you Friday. Hope you are holding out okay. Johnny’s in the shower (cold water)
Love “Us”



The gem is the Hershey Park card with the added message at the top: Wish you were here!

I bet Johnny loved that!

I don’t know about you, but I did not send out any postcards while on my honeymoon.

The weather is fine at Sepia Saturday. Wish you were there!

Wendy
© 2020, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.

12 comments:

  1. Love the postcards and the messages on them.

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  2. What a treasure to get boxes full of family things. Love the Hershey postcards as well as the messages.

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  3. You must have been so excited to find out about those boxes. "I'll be right over!" made me smile. I would have, too! And the postcard of Hershey Park fit right in with the prompt. How fortuitous was that! :)

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  4. How marvelous to get 5 boxes of family memorabilia like that. Delightful!

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  5. Momma and Betsy were true blue friends.
    What a weird and wonderful find.

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  6. Wow what a find from your parents' place! Such a sweet set of postcards! I agree I didn't send out any postcards on my honeymoon but did call parents to say we had arrived safely at our location.

    Betty

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  7. What a great surprise to get that call.

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  8. Wow! what an amazing surprise email! I think I'd have gone straight over too, despite being 'locked-down' to within 2 kilometers of home. Looking forward to all the stories they tell.

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  9. Buried treasure? How often does that happen? My grandmother kept a similar box of postcards, some dating back to the 1900-10s from her parents. Most of the messages are like these, but priceless for their handwriting and voices.

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  10. I expect you will have much to share in the next months. Enjoy the trove!

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  11. Great postcards. Would love to see Hersey Park today.

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  12. I seem to remember sending postcards on my honeymoon. But what I remember the most is wiring my dad after 2 days in Honolulu and asking him to send money. Ha!

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