mail – Lost Greetings

On the front, we find a sedate pastoral image of George Washington’s estate at Mount Vernon. On the reverse, we read a list of presumed conquests in the form of a litany of female names, though I wager this note was written with tongue firmly in-cheek.

This card was sent from Camp Barkley, Texas to Captain Cassidy, a chemical officer serving in Europe with the 9th Army (based on the APO listed, #339). The recipient may have needed some lighthearted cheer, because as of February 1945 (postmark of this card) the 9th Army had been heavily involved in the Battle of the Bulge, the last major German offensive of the war. I hope that this implausible list of exploits was well received and that the sender wasn’t really the Casanova he purported to be. Though, I did enjoy reading the list of common female names of the time period, and I hope a few of these lovely monikers come back into style. Continue reading “Postcard Casanova [Camp Barkeley, TX – 1945]” →

Vintage Photos

Post Office in the Sand: Servicemen Sorting Packages on an Unidentified Island in the Pacific – [1940s Photo]

January 18, 2020March 30, 2020 Kate

This is not a postcard, but I also have an affinity for photos such as this.

Though postcards have fallen out of popularity as short-form communication, packages are still of vital importance to everyone of us. This is especially true for Americans still serving in far-flung locations around the globe, just as they were in this candid photo from the Pacific Theater of World War II. Instead of being secured with clear packing tape, the parcels pictured here were carefully tied with string before being entrusted to the mail service to bring a bit of home to service members abroad.

“Photograph of two U.S. Army Air Forces servicemen sorting packages in the sand in a post office hut at an unidentified camp on an unidentified island in the Pacific Theater during World War II. A row of Army Air Forces mail bags is seen on a stand. Photograph taken or collected by Capt. Ferd L. Davis of Zebulon, N.C., while he served in the 394th Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomb Group (Heavy), during the war (undated).”

48900386212_488d25687b_o

From Ferd L. Davis Papers, WWII 191, World War II Papers, Military Collection, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, N.C.

North America, Origin, Postcards

Mailed on Halloween [Indiana, circa 1910]

October 31, 2017October 19, 2017 Kate

Antique Postcard

Man, it would be cool to have the photograph of the sender which had just been taken.

I hope you have a very happy and safe Halloween!

Indianapolis 1910s back

Dear Friends,

Hoping to hear from you soon. Haven’t heard from you for a week or so, so answer.

J.B.

We had some pictures taken together Saturday. You know who [?] that friend of mine.

To: Miss Agnes Shrack

Mooresville, Ind.

Postmark: Indiannapolis, Indiana – October 31, 191_?_

Europe, Military Postcards, Postcards

I got your clock. [1954 – U.S. Army Air Force, London]

August 24, 2017August 4, 2020 Kate

The postmark caught my eye on this one. Ray sent this card from a military post office, presumably RAF Lakenheath (APO 09179). It’s a military post mark, which reads: “U.S. Army Air Force Postal Service,” and apparently was still being used long after the separate “U.S. Air Force” was created in 1947. The U.S. Air Force, to this day, maintains a presence at RAF Lakenheath (http://www.lakenheath.af.mil/).

Hi Folks.

I got your clock shiped it about 3 weeks ago. You should get it sometime next month. It is insured in case anything is broken.

Ray.

To:
Mr. Wallace King
Route 2
Crofton, KY

Postmark: U.S. Army Air Force Postal Service 179 – 27 October 1954

Image: London, The Houses of Parliament

Medical, Postcards, United States

She has a rash. [1953 – Cheyenne, Wyoming]

August 10, 2017July 20, 2018 Kate

Poor Carolyn. I’m sure a bout of the measles couldn’t have been much fun. Somehow, she and Ruby managed to enjoy the capitol and Indian reservation. Next stop Colorado Springs.

Hello there. How is every body. Carolyn has been sick ever since we’ve been here but is a little better. She has a rash. [?] or measles. I think it is the shots Dr. [?] sad she had virus infection. We’ve seen the Indian Reservation. The capitol is pretty. we are going over to Col. Springs

See I made it O.K.

Ruby K.

To:

Mrs. Felix Tyson Family
East Morrison
Gallatin, Tennessee

Postmark: July 2, 1953 – Cheyenne, Wyoming

Comic Cards – Comic Postcard C-102 “I’ll bet you thought I couldn’t make it, officer!”

Continue reading “She has a rash. [1953 – Cheyenne, Wyoming]” →