I Am So Lonesome: A Valentine Greeting of 1909

This is the sixth vintage greeting that I am posting in celebration of St. Valentine's Day.

This card is not as attractive to me as some of the other cards in this series.

I dislike the dull, metallic, grey surface.

The portrait medallion looks insipid, to me.

But, the plaintive message affects me very much.

Postmark

Washington, PA

February 10, 1909

Address

Miss Edith Holmes

449 West Chestnut

Washington

Message

Dear Edith,

I am so lonesome I thought I would send you a card.

My address,

Alta Engle

21 West Prospect Ave.

Washington, PA

In care of Mr. E. L. Christman

Comments: 18

Peter Wimsey Feb 13, 2008, 9:33am EST

I hope Alta is not some wierd whiner - I was affected by her plaintive cry.

Thanks for checking on these folks, Kate.

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Stephanie B. Feb 13, 2008, 10:17am EST

I can't say the card does much for me anyway. Again, the sentiment seems over the top for interactions between friends and relatives to me. I'm curious about Alta, though.

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Peter Wimsey Feb 13, 2008, 12:57pm EST

Lunchtime!

In reverse order.

I am not sure the "true love" inscription is meaningful.

In 1909, people spoke of love and true love and affection, and "passion" with a recklessness that would startle everyone of the late 20th Century.

At the same time, the tradition of passionate affection between female companions is very well-established.

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Peter Wimsey Feb 13, 2008, 1:05pm EST

Alta is only 16 years old at the time she wrote this card, and that may explain a lot.

She is not some abandoned woman, eking out a meager existence.

She may be unhappy in the home of her step-father.

Her friend and "true love", Edith, is 31 years old and living at home with her mother.

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Peter Wimsey Feb 13, 2008, 1:05pm EST

One does wonder what happened to these people.

I am checking the location of Washington, PA.

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Peter Wimsey Feb 13, 2008, 1:13pm EST

Washington, PA is southwest of Pittsburg, not too far from West Viginia, south and west, and Ohio, to the west.

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Beaker (just Beaker) Feb 13, 2008, 1:40pm EST

You're so good at looking things up, Kate. You have a membership to the genealogy site?

I like all the cards, Peter, even the ones that aren't especially lovely. The cards Junior gives out to his classmates will no doubt have Star Wars or race cars on them.

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Peter Wimsey Feb 13, 2008, 1:50pm EST

I recall the cards I exchanged in grammar school, too, J.K.

I like the vintage cards for the much longer history represented by them, and for the better quality graphic arts, usually.

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Peter Wimsey Feb 13, 2008, 11:36pm EST

Thank goodness for Kate's addiction.

I hope you are earning Gather Points sufficient to meet the annual fees.

I like the old names, too, Marilee.

There are venerable names in my family that have not been used in this generation.

Names like Cora and Anna.

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Stephanie B. Feb 14, 2008, 10:38am EST

My grandmother was named Edith and it's my middle name. No offense to anyone intended, but it's a name I truly dislike (others include Agnes, Agatha and Gertrude). There are some lovely and venerable names I like, like Catherine and Eleanor, but there are several names I'm glad I rarely hear any more.

Of course, some of the "new" names for girls don't work for me either: Jordan, Taylor, Avery (all near relatives or mine). My daughter's new sister (via father and stepmother) is named Samantha Elise, which I think is quite pretty.

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