From the readers: The Golden Institute, 'Bridge Babies' and more

Let's take our minds off the rapidly unfolding events in the Middle East for a few minutes with a roundup of recent reader comments...

Ads from a 1983 Marvel comic: RJSMACHINE writes: "Just came across this ad in a reread of New Mutants 3 from 1983. Don't know why it stood out but, yep, I too was curious about The Golden Institute. My search led me here. That's it, lol."

And Dustin adds: "I was also led here by an ad in a 1983 Hercules comic book I just received."

All roads from 1983 comics lead to The Golden Institute ... and Papergreat. But the answers may remain forever a mystery. I did a new search and didn't come up with anything about the $4 cures for loneliness, either.

1938 receipt from Albert Brothers Steam Bakery: Nancy Hayes writes: "Actually, the founder of Albert Brothers was my grandfather, Stanley Albert. He and his brother Henry founded the business. Stanley Albert died in the early 1960s. His wife was Gertrude Albert, nee Steiner, and they lived across the street from the bakery on Railroad Avenue." 

Thanks for sharing this information, Nancy! We now have a more complete and accurate record of the history.

Saturday's postcard: Ginza Tokyu Hotel: Anonymous writes: "When I was a kid, we did the 'round the world' trip and, while in Tokyo, stayed in this hotel. I remember that we stayed in the 'Western-style rooms,' but there were 'Japanese style rooms' also. I remember it was very close to the Kabuki theater."

Curious book cover: "Bridge Babies": Anonymous writes: "My dad was a competitive bridge player. This was in our house. As a kid I would look at this book for hours. Inspired my sense of humor for sure." 

It's definitely an unforgettable book cover!

The Lost Corners of Paul Crockett: Thanks to this 2018 post and the ongoing discussions in its comments section, I think we're destined to be discussing Crockett, the Manson family and Paul Watkins until the end days of Papergreat. 

The commenters have even included actor Wings Hauser, who, sadly, died earlier this year at age 77. I'll always remember his memorable scene with Bruce McGill in The Insider.

Anyway, in 2023, Chris Harris made the following comment on the Crockett post: "Much has been said in a negative way about Paul Crockett. I witnessed over a period of two years having introduced him to many notable people that Paul Crockett had a tremendous ability to inspire a positive attitude in all the people he met, including myself."

On May 18, Anonymous replied to Harris: "I was 3 or 4 times advantaged by spending some time with Crockett between 1971-1973 in Death Valley —  Baker (I think, or Shoshone), and at last at Little Paul's in Tecopa, where I also met a guy named Chris. I suspect that was you. I commented here in 2019 that a biography of the Big Paul I knew, whose influence I saw in others there, would stand as a useful memorial to his exceptional understanding of our natural selves. I thought then that Manson had also learned aspects of this way of being, that this was a source of his ability to control adherents, but which he ended up turning against those he envied and despised. Paul probably believed it'd be better not to have to live the rest of his life completely in the shadow of the Manson phenomenon. Many others, however, would now be better off knowing more about Paul Crockett."

Going back 45 years for a product that I'm not putting in the headline: Anonymous writes: "Arthur's used to have well-made women's clothing that you will never see today. All my clothing when I was little came from Alfred Carlos's Polly Flinders smocking."

The (new) oddest stuff I've found tucked inside a book: "evape" writes: "I found 6 small jigsaw puzzles among my father's old things. In the bottom it says © 1933 Cynthia Mills, Boston. I don't know how it got here but my grandather was in USA some time."

A letter my grandmother mailed to me 33 years ago: Tom from Garage Sale Finds writes: "What a sweet letter and a great keepsake. I remember 1992. I was just hitting the job market and couldn't find anything. Of course it wasn't so bad I was selling bleach door to door. Those people knew hard times.

Coincidentally, because I couldn't find a job during that year (1991 to 92) I spent a lot of time with my grandparents too and got to know them a lot better. I wish they were still around as I have so many questions now that I never thought to ask."

And even our parents. At least once a week I think of something I wished I had asked Mom about, or written down when she answered.

"Jim and Judy," a 1939 grade-school textbook with a York connection: Anonymous writes: "I started 1st grade in 1952. The Jim and Judy book was our primer. I loved them and have fond memories of learning to read with them."

Scholastic book: "27 Cats Next Door" (aka I feel seen): Kittiana of the blog Wind-Up Castle Of Wonders: Self Discovery writes: "I just wanted to thank you for posting! I enjoy your blog very much & hope you will continue posting for a long time to come!"

That's so nice of you to say! Thank you. I hope I can continue posting for a long time, too. 

Saturday, June 14, 2025: Completely random postcards

This linen postcard from Mebane Greeting Card Company showcases the Lehigh County Soldiers and Sailors Monument, which was erected in the center square of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1899. The website of the 47th Pennsylvania Volunteers states: "It was intended by its makers to inspire — and it does with its imposing form and its message of hope — that, no matter how greatly divided a nation may be, it will always be possible for its citizens to come together again when they appreciate both their shared humanity and the guiding principles upon which their Republic stands"

There are several state of Delaware historical markers that have this same text. I believe this A. Ken Pfister postcard shows KC-34, which was installed in 1940 on North State Street in Dover. It states: "County seat since 1680. William Penn, in 1683, ordered townsite laid out and named Dover. Plotted in 1717. Temporary capital in 1777 and permanent capital since 1779. Federal Constitution ratified here in 1787, making Delaware first State in Union. State Constitutional Conventions held here in 1791-1792, 1831, 1852, and 1897."

Looks like a nice day for a peaceful rally. 

Oh, hey, it's Windsor Castle, one of the principal residences of British monarch, most of whom have been kings. This postcard was published by Valentine & Sons and features and original watercolor painting by Brian Gerald. 

This Lehnert & Landrock postcard out of Cairo, Egypt, shows the golden throne of King Tutankhamun (c. 1341 BC – c. 1323 BC). Tutankhamun lived in a culture that revered gold spiritually, symbolically and politically, where it signified kingship. Unlike other Egyptian pharaohs, he didn't leave any personal writings behind (and there were no social media back then). Most historians believe that his official decrees were authored by his inner circle of advisers, who wielded great power. But that's all history now.

Anyway, those are just some postcards I randomly pulled from the shoebox.

My 2,000th Postcrossing arrival

Here's Mama Orange posing with the "Happy Mother's Day" Postcrossing postcard that represents the 2,000th arrival in my mailbox since I joined in December 2012. On average, I've sent and received 13 postcards per month since I started this hobby 12½ years ago to have fun and help keep snail mail alive. 

According to my Postcrossing statistics, I've engaged with 83 different countries while either sending or receiving cards. Germany is the No. 1 country in both categories, with 451 sent and 434 received. Russia is still No. 2 in both categories, even though I haven't been able to send postcards to Russia since the U.S. Postal Service suspended service to that country in March 2022. The Netherlands is No. 3 in both categories.

And it's from the Netherlands that I "met" Marte, one of the many pen-pal relationships I've developed through Postcrossing over the past decade. We still exchange postcards about once per week. I've also had pen pals from Ukraine, Russia, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, and Mexico, among other countries.

The 2,000th arrival is from Mia in Taiwan, who's been on Postcrossing since 2017. She enjoys map cards and lighthouse cards, and writes on this Hibeetle postcard that plum rain season has arrived in Taiwan and is very welcome. I learn something with almost every postcard! Here in Arizona, we're awaiting monsoon season. Maybe it will come early, maybe it will be right on time. Either way, we will happily welcome the rains.

Foldout postcard of Los Angeles in a very different moment

This A. Mitock & Sons folding postcard of Los Angeles, California, was mailed in April 1956 to the Ideal Convalescent Home in Gresham, Oregon. (Which presupposes, I guess, that there's a Non-Ideal Convalescent Home.) It shows the clean, happy and economically vibrant side of Los Angeles seven decades ago. Construction was completed on the iconic Capitol Records Building that very month of April 1956.

Today, Los Angeles is having a very different moment. The Associated Press reports:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. immigration authorities extended their activity in the Los Angeles area Saturday in the wake of protests at a federal detention facility and a police response that included tear gas, flash-bangs and the arrest of a union leader.
Border Patrol personnel in riot gear and gas masks stood guard outside an industrial park in the city of Paramount, deploying tear gas as bystanders and protesters gathered on medians and across the street, some jeering at authorities while recording the events on smartphones.
“ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are,” a woman said through a megaphone. “You are not welcome here.”
One handheld sign said, “No Human Being is Illegal.”
The boulevard was closed to traffic as Border Patrol officers circulated through the area. ICE representatives did not respond immediately to email inquiries about weekend enforcement activities.
The immigration arrests in Los Angeles came as President Donald Trump and his administration push to fulfill promises of mass deportations across the country.

It's a harrowing, heartbreaking contrast to this 1956 postcard highlighting Wilshire Boulevard, MacArthur Park, Miracle Mile, the original Brown Derby restaurant, pedestrians gaily going about their day and "Olvera Street operated by Mexicans in their colorful native costumes."

Photo postcard from a Ukrainian

This circular postcard is from my Ukrainian pen pal who has been displaced since Russia's invasion of her country in February 2022. She's currently in Germany, but is there under temporary, visa-free EU travel rules, and may soon have to be on the move again. It's nearly impossible for most of us to fathom what she's been through in the past three-plus years, with it being too unsettling for her to permanently return to Dnipro, Ukraine, while regular missile attacks continue. Yet there's not a permanent place for her elsewhere in the world. All of this while trying to juggle working remotely and live her life.

This postcard is a photo she took while on a short stay in the Netherlands. "I still remember that graceful woman on the bicycle," she writes.

In a recent email, she added: "Trump's winery [sic] really REALLY sucks, and I'm so sorry that your profession also implies the involvement in all of those negative news. For Ukraine, it's catastrophic too. Honestly speaking, I've reached the point where I'm tired of all the negative stuff around (including war, loss, uncertainty about the future) to the extent when I just stopped reading news and being engaged in those things."

That's a feeling I suspect many empathize with in these overwhelming times.

Related posts

• October Postcrossing wrapup
• Ukraine correspondences
• Cat postcard & cat tale from a war-weary Ukrainian
• Nifty envelope from Ukraine Postcrossing pen pal
• 1960s pocket travel guide for Kiev
• Modern postcard: The great stairway in Odessa, Ukraine
• I hope Yuriy Sosnitskiy becomes a famous artist [this one breaks my heart now]
• Colorful Postcrossing card and stamps: "Welcome to Ukraine" [which contains links to even older Ukraine posts]

Saturday's postcard: Bucolic Valldemossa on bucolic Mallorca

Nearly 13 years ago, I did a "Saturday's postcard" post on Mallorca. Here's another. Part of the beautiful village of Valldemossa is pictured on this mid-century postcard, which appears to be hand-colored. "Foto Casa Planas" is listed in the publisher's spot on the back of the card, and the caption indicates that we're looking at "La Cartuja y Palacio del Rey Sancho." To us, it's the Valldemossa Charterhouse, which, as Wikipedia explains "is a palace in Valldemossa, Mallorca that was royal residence of the king Sancho of Majorca and later Royal Charterhouse (15th century) of the Carthusians." It's also known, I believe, as the Royal Charterhouse of Jesus of Nazareth.

The postcard was mailed to Union (probably Union Township), New Jersey, in mid-October 1957, shortly after Lew Burdette, Hank Aaron and the Milwaukee Braves defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series, 4 games to 3.

The cursive note is dated October 15, 1957, in Palma de Mallorca and states*:

Hello Folks

Left Barcelona by ship, took 14 hours to get here. The Valents and I are enjoying the excursions to all points. This is the monastery where Chopin spent many years composing. It is way up in the mountains near the shore. Most beautiful view, but then this whole island is wonderful. It is 100 kilometers from point to point in any direction. Loads of tourists: English, German, French, few Americans. 

Love, Cecilia

*The handwritten message contained a frustrating lack of capital letters and periods, so I did some light fixing.

Postcard from my great-grandfather to my grandmother*

*I think

This postcard was mailed from Hotel Ruiz Galindo in Fortín de las Flores, Veracruz, Mexico, to Bushnell General Hospital in Brigham City, Utah, sometime in the early to mid 1940s. (The six-cent Mexican stamp used was issued in 1940.)

The card was mailed to Mrs. J.G. Ingham. That would be my grandmother, Helen Chandler Adams Ingham (1919-2003), who worked at the hospital during World War II. She was married at the time to Jack G. Ingham. 

I'm pretty sure that the short note ("This is a gorgeous place. Expect to return home shortly.") was written by my great-grandfather, Howard Horsey Adams (1892-1985), who signed as "Poppa." But I'm not 100% on that. 

One of these days I need to see what I can find out about Jack Ingham. He and my grandmother had divorced by the early 1950s. I have a fair number of photos of him, but not much in the way of biographical information, and he was never discussed much when I was a child. 

From the readers: Toys of yesteryear, Earle Cook Jr. and liminal spaces

It's ridiculously already 100 degrees outside, so it's a good day to try to type up a post while Bandit sleeps between my arms and Mommy Orange gives my right arm a bath. Here are some reader comments that have come in since early February:

Can we have a national discussion about this vintage toy advertisement? Anonymous writes: "The floor is lava. This is why the guy needs rescuing by a lift cage. Big Josh has pecs. But so did my Big Jim's roommate, GI Joe, with a taped-on leg. He was a Vietnam vet, but still highly deadly and capable."

Never underestimate the capabilities of an action figure and an awesome imagination.

A long-gone motor inn, longer-gone ancestors and a sketch: Anonymous writes: "I remember [Framingham Motor Inn in Framingham, Massachusetts] fondly. My now hubby of 50+ years and I had our 1st upscale date there."

Book cover: "The Second Hammer Horror Film Omnibus" (1967): Anonymous writes: "Five shillings was a pretty high price for a paperback in the UK in 1967. You could buy new paperbacks for 2/6, half that price. Probably first publication, royalties to Hammer and film script-writers, and Burke's own fees helped put the price up."

Thanks for the insight! 

Old postcard: "The World's Most Famous Chicken Dish": Anonymous writes: "My family dined frequently at MD's Chicken in the Rough in New Market, Virginia. As a child, the warm rolls and honey were my favorite. The chicken platters were generous and mounded high with shoestring potatoes. I believe MD's burned in the early 1980s. It is sorely missed!!"

Thank you for sharing that memory, and I'm very sorry to hear about the restaurant's fate.

Unfortunate apparel of 1980: The official Star Trek duty jacket: Anonymous writes: "I still have the LED jacket. The silver is flaking off but the LEDs still work."

Realms of the uncanny: Dreamcore, backrooms & liminal spaces: Anonymous writes: "Hmmm, it seems like this dreamcore and liminal space isn't ... imaginal enough. But I appreciate the pictures you already have. Keep doing what you're doing!!!"

Thanks! I'll have to wrangle up another post of my photos this summer.

Luckyday buttons — the talk of the town: Two replies on this 2015 post!

Anonymous #1 writes: "I have a half a card with a red head in a yellow sun hat and red ribbon around it. They must have been known for putting different models on the cards!"

And Anonymous #2 writes: "I have a 2.5" x 3.75" card with 3 of 6 remaining white baby buttons 1/4-inch wide, states size 12. Baby sitting in left upper corner wearing a blue hooded cape over white dress, shoes and socks. Card color is pale pink. Price imprinted in right lower corner is 5 cents."

A postcard of Earle W. Cook's house, for some reason: Anonymous writes: "Earle W. Cook Sr., the senator, was my great uncle. My grandmother had this postcard and I saw it in the mid 1960s. This house was torn down later in the 1960s to make way for the construction of Interstate 40 through Kingman, Arizona. Earle Cook Jr. died May 12, 1981, in northern California. The family, including me, to this day still believe Earle Jr. was innocent."

I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment and for providing these additional details. It's was certainly a strange, strange case, involving a bomb on a jetliner.

1938 holiday postcard from Leinhardt Bros. of York: Anonymous writes: "I have a dresser made by Thomasville Chair Company in NC (the name changed in 1961 to Thomasville Furniture). The paper tag stapled on the back of this beautiful mahogany chest of 4 drawers had 'Leinhardt Bros York, Pennsylvania' typed on it. The piece was probably manufactured in the 40's. Just guessing by the style. Anyway, it ended up in Florida!"

Postcard of vanished attraction:

Ed's Ghost Town in Indiana: Beth Michael-Chasse writes: "Ed’s was an awesome place and we loved stopping there when we were kids. Dad would usually stop on our way from Shelbyville to Chrisney to visit our grandparents. Ed’s was located about halfway between the two towns, making it a great place for a break. The time or two he didn’t stop saw us crying with disappointment and in dire need of a restroom stop. My favorite things to look at were the shells and rocks, the puzzles in the toy section and of course we had to get some of their stick candy. The many signs along the road informing us we were getting closer to Ed’s were each read aloud with growing excitement. We were so ready to get out of the hot car and hunt through souvenirs and interesting odds and ends. When the interstate was finished, we never saw Ed’s again. That was such a huge disappointment for us. We sometimes talk about Ed’s and we enjoy those nostalgic trips down our memory’s lane. I wish I could go back just once more."

Thanks for sharing these wonderful memories, Beth! And thanks again to everyone who commented.

March 2025 Postcrossing updates

Some Sunday afternoon postcard updates as I try to figure out why the theme song from 1975's Almost Anything Goes is stuck in my head — and why that early precursor of all of today's reality show nonsense has a rating of 8.5 on IMDb. I love 1970s culture as much as anyone, but sheesh. Anyway...

Postcrossing Arrivals

Gavin from Scotland, who works on technology that services pipelines, sent a photo postcard of snow-covered Castle Fraser and added in the message on the back: "We have actually had sun all week for a change. So hopefully spring is on its way." Alas, "Spring" is on its way here in the desert, too, as the forecast says we'll be in the mid-90s by the end of March.

Anke from Germany has a cat named Louis Vuitton and mentions that she's from Friedberg, which has a huge historic castle complex and a special connection to Elvis Presley, who was stationed there during his time in the U.S. Army.

Bona from Hong Kong, who prefers "chill" video games, writes: "It's pretty hot here too, but we are surrounded by water."

Victoria from Manchester, England, sent a postcard that features King Charles III's "Diversity and Community" postage stamp, one of four marking his new reign. Victoria writes: "I have a cat called Willow. She is the cutest in the world! When I adopted her in 2022 she had been there the longest as she was so timid, but she's really come out of her shell now. I think she's ready for a friend. I've been inquiring about kittens to join our family!"

Lothar from Germany, who is a retired mechanical engineer and works on model trains, also sent a great castle postcard featuring Meersburg. He added: "We visited it several times during our holidays in that region, but not in winter." He mailed the card with a stamp celebrating 500 years of the Wasunger Carnival.

Thanks and messages

from Postcrossing postcard recipients

Ari from Italy writes: "I received your lovely postcard (at the speed of light, too), thank you SO SO SO MUCH!! I love it, it truly made my day. And thank you for writing part of it in Italian, it warmed my heart so much. We are also very worried about the US's current situation, but I hope you'll be able to be hopeful towards the future; the world has known progress, peace and cooperation before, and I believe that oppression and violence won't survive for long."

"B" from Belgium writes: "I have recently received your postcard. I don't dare to say anything about the political trends in the US. All I can say is be patient during four years. ... I am a federal civil servant. In my country, the status of a federal civil servant is threatened. The current government want to eliminate it. I have already done a strike day. I have the impression that this is a general movement of which DT represents the hardest face. Thank you for your sending and for your words in my mother tongue. I appreciate it."

SimLing from Malaysia writes: "Hello Chris! Thank you for your cute postcard of your cats, it makes my day. I am so happy to receive the very first postcard from you since this account started. It will be the cover page of my collection. I've listened to 2025 remaster version of 'The Lamp lies down on Board Way' [sic] which just releases few days ago. Artistic!! And will always pay attention to the artist."

Jasmin from Germany writes: "Thanks a lot for your postcard! Your three cats on the picture are really cute. And I really appreciate your words. Well, D.T. is on the news every single day. And everyday I ask myself again: what the hell is he doing today? How he treats Selensky, how he speaks about Ukraine as if Ukraine caused this war. I spent some days in Hamburg last weekend and did not watch any news. But then one evening I suddenly read a headline that said Selensky was booted out the White House. And some people had annotated the article, complaining about his outfit — because he was not wearing a suit. I mean — what?? Everybody knows that what he is wearing is his kind of uniform. He even met King Charles wearing this 'normal' clothes ... Oh my goodness. As if there was nothing more important in this world. So I continued reading and started book no. 9 this year! Last year I read 55 books."

Lena from Latvia writes: "Hello Chris! Already felt the slight excitement and joy of receiving a postcard letter! I am 60 years old and writing letters to loved ones and acquaintances was a common thing once upon a time. I am glad that there is such a community of people postcrossing. It was nice to read some of the text in Latvian. (The content of this snippet is not joyful, though). A person always makes a choice where to direct his attention and with this attention feeds and supports an event, a phenomenon, a state. Just thinking out loud. ... I'm glad to live on this Earth! Every day is a gift! And people, all people are connected to each other like a single cloth, the fabric of being. We influence each other and we can do it consciously. You have powerful professional opportunities to influence the inner state of people, the vector of attention can be directed to the beautiful aspects of life. There are so many of them around! I seem to be getting carried away ... I've worked in different fields — now a school librarian. Today I taught a class at an elementary school about Astrid Lindgren's books and was pleased that some of the children took the books to read. For some reason, Fahrenheit 451 came to mind."

COVID-19 anniversary and the kindness of Canadians

It was five years ago today — March 13, 2020 — that President Donald Trump declared COVID-19 to be a national emergency. It came amid movie stars Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announcing they had tested positive for the coronavirus, a global stock market crash, the NBA suspending its regular season, Broadway going dark, etc., etc. Soon, the schools, and almost everything, would be closed.

So much happened in a few whirlwind days.

So much more has happened since then. Lordy, so much more.

One of the things I must remind myself of, and that is increasingly difficult to find these days in the United States, is how much grace there was in 2020, even with Trump as president. 

And not just in the United States, of course. Brian Busby, author of the outstanding book blog The Dusty Bookcase, recently sent me a piece of early 2021 ephemera that tells one small story of how Canada tried with deal with the isolation brought on by the necessary COVID-19 lockdowns. Canadians were given these free, postage-paid postcards "to reach out to a friend or family member, whether they're in town or anywhere in Canada, courtesy of Canada Post." A small gesture in the grand scheme of things, but an incredibly kind one.

More than 13 million of the postcards were printed and distributed. At the time, it cost about $1 Canadian to mail a postcard within the country (not including finding or buying a postcard). So it was especially good for folks on tight finances.

Mediaplus had the contract to design the postcards. You can see all of the designs here. 

In a March 2021 interview, Canada Post's Sylvie Lapointe told NPR's All Things Considered: "We just thought we need to do something for Canadians and try to put a smile on each other's face and to tell someone that you care about them and you've been missing them for the past year. ... A lot of people seem to be sending them to someone in long-term care, so someone who's been isolated from their family for a long time."

Nowadays, when Canadians are sending each other postcards or messaging each other, they're likely discussing that the hell is wrong with the United States. President Trump 2.0 continued his bizarre imperialist ramblings today about our wonderful neighbor to the north:  "To be honest with you, Canada only works as a state. It doesn't, we don't need anything they have. As a state, it would be one of the great states anyway. This would be the most incredible country visually. If you look at a map, they drew an artificial line right through it between Canada and the U.S., just a straight artificial line. Somebody did it a long time ago, many, many decades ago, and, uh, makes no sense. It's so perfect as a great and cherished state keeping Oh, Canada, the national anthem. I love it. I think it's great. Keep it. But it'll be for the state. One of our greatest states, maybe our greatest state."

As Brian Busby notes: "American wine and spirits have been pulled from our liquor stores. American fruit and vegetables are spoiling in our grocery stores. Like Covid, this is like nothing I've ever seen."

And like nothing we ever fathomed seeing, or wanted to see.

Saturday's postcard: Fairmount Park in Philadelphia

Today's linen postcard, mailed in 1944, showcases Horticultural Hall at Philadelphia's Fairmount Park.

Horticultural Hall was one of many structures built for the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine that was held in Philadelphia in 1876. It was meant to be a permanent building, unlike some of the other structures for that event, and thus had an iron and glass frame atop a brick-and-marble foundation. And it was a tourist destination and home to tropical plants for decades after the exhibition. But the decision was made to demolish it after it was severely damaged by Hurricane Hazel in 1954, a decade after this postcard was mailed. The Fairmount Park Horticulture Center now stands on that site.

This card was mailed to Newville, Pennsylvania, with the following message, written in pencil and cursive:

Spending a few hours in Phila. I don't know what to do with you now. I owe you .50 as I only spent 1.50 for very pretty flowers. I hope I don't spend it while I am away. Wish you were along. Aunt Lillie and Ruth.

This card was mailed with the 1-cent "Four Freedoms" stamp. According to Gordon T. Trotter of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum: "On February 12, 1943, a 1-cent green stamp was issued to promote the spread of the Four Freedoms throughout the world. The design is an allegory of Liberty holding the Torch of Enlightenment, below which is inscribed 'Freedom of Speech and Religion, from Want and Fear.' Intended as a patriotic regular issue stamp, the stamp replaced the 1-cent National Defense stamp of 1940."

The Mystic Stamp Company adds: "President Franklin Roosevelt personally selected the image for U.S. #908. He believed that the stamp should convey to the world the reasons the U.S. had joined the war — the Four Freedoms outlined in his 1941 State of the Union address."

FDR's Four Freedom's speech concludes: "Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain those rights or keep them. Our strength is our unity of purpose. To that high concept there can be no end save victory."

Note: This is Papergreat's 1,000th post in the Postcards category. That's a lot of postcards.

Saturday's postcards: 2 cards stashed away more than a decade ago

It's been a quiet (though windy) Saturday. After taking care of all the cat chores — including feeding community ferals Mamacita, Creamsicle and MeowMix — this morning, I spent some more time pruning circa 2012-2014 time capsules, finishing with a satisfyingly heavy bag bound for the trash can. 

During the pruning, I came across a handful of postcards, including these two. The first features a black bear (photographed by Hälle Flygare). More than a decade ago, I put stamps on it but then had some sort of false start on the Postcrossing card I intended to send. So now I have available a bear postcard featuring Jimi Hendrix and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus stamps (both issued in 2014). Thanks to the nature of USPS forever stamps, the postage is still correct for sending an international postcard! 

The other postcard is a blank "Silveresque" card published by Valentine's. Edinburgh Castle has appeared on Papergreat before, but not this particular card. Now it has once again been liberated from an envelope and can be mailed to someone, to cheer up their day.

Vintage postcard of Barrose Terrace in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

This vintage postcard showcases a sprawling estate once known as Barrose Terrace, in West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Some background information about the estate appears on Extraordinary Stories from an Ordinary Guy, a blog by a Lancaster County resident who goes by LDub.

LDub writes of the exterior: "The garden was built by Ulysses Grant Barr who was also one of the organizers of Lancaster's Meadia Heights Golf Club. The garden was located just past the golf club where Mr. Barr resided. ...  In 1928 workmen began to blast rock to form the different levels of the flower garden.  It took four years to complete the entire garden. ... In 1933 fountains and lights were added."

A 2022 article by LNP | LancasterOnline's Erin Negley adds: "People could come here from Lancaster city, often by trolley, to see the terraced gardens and fountain or the neighboring golf course." Negley adds that when the house was purchased by its newest owners in 2018, the main structure on the 8.5-acre property had nearly 8,000 square feet of space. Some smart and needed renovation downsized that figure.

There's no year legible on this postcard's postmark, but the one-cent stamp used was first issued in December 1936. It was mailed to an address in Lancaster and the cursive, pencil message states:

Dear Billy,

I am having a swell time. I'm taking horse back riding this year. Try and come to see me. Please write my address is:

Camp Winnemont

West Ossipee

N.H.

I will write again but not so soon.

Lovingly,

Your Make Believe Cousin, Polly

Camp Winnemont was a summer camp for girls in New Hampshire founded by Walter H. Bentley, who died in 1945. The camp kept going for nearly two more decades after this death. A 2006 post on Winnipesaukee Forum states: "I went to that wonderful camp in... '62 and '63 - that was the very last year that the camp was going to exist and we were all devastated!!"

Another post on that forum contains this cute Winnemont song that dates to the 1930s:

Oh I'm a hayseed

My hair is seaweed

And my ears are made of leather

And they flop in rainy weather.

Gosh-a-hemlock

Tough as a pine knot

I'm from Winnemont you see.

From the readers: Jim Lewin, Hatchy Milatchy, Lakeview Gusher and more

Well, I had my gall bladder removed yesterday, so I'm taking it easy and handing off today's post to Papergreat's awesome commenters. Thank you so much for everything you contribute!

RIP Jim Lewin: a wonderful bookseller, writer and human being: Joe writes: "Jim was one of the nicest guys you'll ever find. I loved and miss going to York (Pennsylvania) and stopping at the Emporium to see what new treasures I could find and say hi to Jim. Only knock on him was he was a Bills fan, but he didn't treat me any worse for being a Jets fan. RIP Jim!"

I'm bummed that Jim's beloved Bills didn't finally beat the Chiefs and get to the Super Bowl on Sunday. Perhaps the Eagles can somewhat avenge Buffalo and get the job done against the Chiefs on Feb. 9.

Have a very Fritos Thanksgiving: Anonymous writes: "We have had our stuffing like this for all my years of life (41). My grandma has always made it like this since before 1948 when she married my grandpa. It’s delicious. However we toast the bread, and no apples and no baking powder but everything else is exact. And we drizzle some of the turkey juices over the top (basting) as it bakes. It’s DEVINE!!!!"

Note: The original recipe that I blogged about didn't contain apples or baking powder.

WNEP-TV staff from 1975, including Miss Judy: Anonymous writes: “I remember when I used to watch Hatchy Milatchy with Miss Judy back when I was growing up. Those were the good old days and — take it from this streetwise man — those were good times. Believe me they were good times."

Revisiting the Lakeview Gusher: Dan Brekke writes: "Chris: You posted this five-plus years ago, but it somehow escaped my notice. Thanks again for helping me with the images, and also for the kind words regarding the piece I wrote."

You're very welcome!

Cheerful Card Company can help you earn extra money for the holidays: Two more great and appreciated comments on one of the most popular Papergreat posts of all time:

Anonymous #1 writes: "I recently became curious about what ever happened to the Cheerful Card Company, so I looked online and stumbled on this site. I've really enjoyed reading this page. I sold Cheerful cards and other products from their catalog briefly when I was about 12 or 13 years old in the early 60s in Chicago. I quickly figured out that I could make bigger profits by dealing with a local wholesaler (perhaps manufacturer, I'm not sure) called Elmcraft, which I found in the yellow pages, located a few miles from my home. I drove there on my bicycle and found that they had a showroom filled with cards and other products, including boxes of closeouts or marked down cards that I was able to buy for much less than the prices from Cheerful, resulting in bigger profits. I didn't last long; lost interest in it, and I don't really recall why. Until sometime during college, I actually thought I'd have a career in marketing, perhaps sales. As an adult, I am not the least bit entrepreneurial and I hate trying to sell anything to anyone. Nevertheless, I look back fondly on that experience as one of the steps in my personal development that made me who I am today. I'm guessing that many of the people who sold those Cheerful products benefited from the experience far beyond any money that they made."

Anonymous #2 writes: "OMG — this page is a gem! I‘m sitting here in Austria in 2024 reading digitalised comics from the 1960s and found the advertisement of Cheerful Card Company and wondered if I could find anything about them on the internet! And here we are!

So nice to read all the memories of the people who were selling these cards!"

I love that the internet, for now at least, remains a place where great memories like these can live on and be shared.

Straight Arrow Injun-uity card from Nabisco Shredded Wheat: Anonymous writes: "I will always remember visiting my grandfather, who ate 'Hay Bales' for breakfast, and saving the Indian lore card dividers which my cousin and I fought over. We tried to get the full set."

1909 Christmas postcard mailed from Auburn, New York:  Anonymous writes: "I have a stamp collection that I believe is the best single stamp collection in existence. I think I'm ready to let it go. Can anyone help?"

We are intrigued and I'm sure there are many folks out there who would like to help. But you didn't leave any contact information!

Mystery bookstore in Lancaster: Greg's Book Mart: Anonymous writes: "If this is the store I'm thinking of, they sold used books and also crystals and other occult items. They were at the end of that shopping center on Columbia Avenue, next to where the old McDonald's used to be."

The Three Investigators #1: The Secret of Terror Castle: Mark West writes: "I've been a big fan of the series since 1978 (when I was 9) and discovered a hardback of The Secret Of Skeleton Island during a wet playtime at school (I'm in the UK). Loved them ever since and I re-read at least six of the titles a year."

Today I learned that "wet playtime" is what they call it in the United Kingdom when rain cancels playground recess. Over here, we just called it "indoor recess" during grade school. By the way, Mark wrote a fabulous blog (years ago) about The Three Investigators. Please check it out!

A groovy response from the CEO of Whirley-DrinkWorks! Anonymous writes: "Great blog you have here. I live in Canada. We used to have Husky gas stations and they had the dashboard mugs. I just purchased one on eBay. Do you know if these are safe to drink hot coffee from? Just wondering about the chemicals and whatnot, since these were made before everyone was concerned about plastic. Thanks."

I do not know about the modern safety of these older plastic cups. That is far, far from my field of expertise. It's a good question. I recommend seeking out quality sources in the scientific field or within your relevant federal government department. It's a good thing you're in Canada, because in the U.S. this type of vital information may become harder and harder to find, the way things are going.

Saturday's postcard: Tuning out the world in November 1962

This postcard was sent from Chicago to York, Pennsylvania, and postmarked on November 9, 1962. The Plastichrome card highlights the George Williams College Camp in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, with the caption stating "Toboganning is one of the most popular of the winter sports at George Williams College Camp on beautiful Lake Geneva."

The cursive note on the back of the card states:

"This is a beautiful and peaceful spot. I haven't read a newspaper nor heard a radio nor seen TV since Monday. See you Sunday."

Getting away from the world, especially in stressful times, is a privilege that not everyone has. But it's not hard to see why someone might have wanted a break at this particular moment. For context, this was just days after the conclusion of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when fears of imminent global nuclear war were at their absolute peak.

Other news in early November 1962 included space race and nuclear testing machinations between the United States and Soviet Union, unrest in the Middle East, the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela, and the death of Eleanor Roosevelt. 

But, mostly, you can understand why someone might have wanted a vacation from the news in early November 1962, following the unfathomable tension of those 13 days in October.

Here's hoping we don't have a similar showdown with ... checks notes ... Denmark or Panama later this year.

Related posts

• How would Delaware respond to a nuclear attack?
• Keys to surviving nuclear war: Caves, laxatives and tobacco
• Book cover and alarming endpapers: "All About the Atom"
• "Atomic Explosion and the End of All Things" By H.E.M. Snyder
• 1951 civil-defense pamphlet: Be prepared for fire after atomic blast
• A thing that happened today (1/13/2018)
• Дайте миру шанс [a Samantha Smith post]

Postcard: Addison, Pennsylvania, a chicken, a mystery and french pickles

Here's a postcard of modest West Main Street in Addison, Pennsylvania, that's postmarked September 1913. I first wrote about Addison in 2020, and I think I have at least one more old postcard of the tiny borough somewhere. Maybe I'll get to that one in 2030, but (way) sooner would be nice! I do love old Pennsylvania postcards. Especially those that were mailed.

Zooming in a bit on West Main Street, it appears that the traffic consists of a man and a chicken. 

This postcard was mailed to Miss Mary J. Augustine of Stauffer, Pennsylvania. Or is it Stouffer? This one is a mystery, because I'm not seeing Stauffer/Stouffer on any list of historical Pennsylvania place names or unincorporated communities. The closest I could initially guess is that it's Stoufferstown, in Franklin County, which is named after Abraham Stouffer. But that didn't seem like a great fit. So I did a little more sleuthing.

Mary J. Augustine appears to have lived in Addison at some point, before moving away to the mystery location. This postcard was sent to Mary in care of William Bliss. I found the following in the digitized text of the November 10, 1904, edition of the Mount Pleasant Journal: "A broken front axle compelled William Bliss, of near Stauffer, to leave his buggy on South Church street Saturday evening." The Mount Pleasant Journal was a publication in Westmoreland County. So Stauffer's somewhere in that county, though it's no longer a place anyone refers to by that name, it seems.

The cursive message on the card states:

Read your card was glad to hear you was better [Can't deciper] still alright I canned more tomatoes today have 27 qt now have beans nearly all picked & french pickles made have not hear from Dr. today [Can't decipher]

According to Wikipedia, "Cornichons, or baby pickles, are tart French pickles made from gherkins pickled in vinegar and tarragon." So that's a thing I learned today.