AN OLD-FASHIONED LOVE STORY

I think we've often said we "like old things" ... in our foyer hangs a framed memory which is somewhat unusual and distinctive.  Though the frame is fairly new, the memories inside are old, dating to the early 1900's. 

This is a collection of 47 leather postcards ~ the earliest legible date is 1905.

In those early years of the 20th century a gentleman courted (VBP) my grandmother who lived in LaFargeville, New York.  The only postmark that is partly distinguishable suggests he may have lived in the village of Carthage ~ both towns upstate near the Thousand Islands and St. Lawrence River.  He faithfully sent these cards to her, always a brief note on the back, sometimes a touch-of-wit written on the front.

Now, Grandma Myra did not go down the aisle with this man ~ choosing instead my Grandfather.  Yet, she must have been quite smitten (VBP) with him ~ saving all his postcards and lovingly stitching them together ... and here they are, over 100 years later, memories of an old-fashioned love story.

The collection is framed in an equally distinctive manner.  When I decided to frame the collection several years ago, I wanted to have both the front and the back  in preservation glass.  The piece can  only be displayed one way, however, this framing allows the backs of all the cards, along with notes, postmarks, and addresses to be viewed.  Many postage stamps remain, though some apparently fell off over the years. Below, close-ups of two of the cards and their flip side ... long before the days of zip codes, nine digit zips, or even street addresses!  The mailing side shows how Grandma stitched the cards together.  Oh, and the stamps ~ just one penny, if you please!

SAVANNAH'S PAW TRACKS ~ VBP PROTOCOLS