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On April 23,1918, Aunt Alice, of Coopersville, Michigan sent an Easter card to Miss Hazel Kelly of Grand Rapids Michigan.
The card contains a plain sketch of two chicks against a background of narcissi.
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The card was printed in the United States, and illustrates the decline in the quality of printed postcards after the outbreak of the Great War.
Miss Kelly lived at 1206 Cass (or Case) Avenue in Grand Rapids.
Aunt Alice did not add her last name.
It is unlikely that Aunt Alice could have imagined scores of persons unrelated to her poring over her correspondence after ninety years.
The entire message is contained in the title of this article.
"Happy Easter to all from Aunt Alice"
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Comments: 23
I hope that you have annotated the correspondance where information is missing.
We are probably the last letter-writing generation, and these products will last far longer than we will.
No need to create more mysteries to confound future historians or collectors.
It was the nicest event in a very stressful week.
I hope you can find the "Aunt Alice" of Michigan, Kate.
Thanks, Ron. Aunt Alice sends her love, too.
But I still have a few old letters.
Don't hate me!
My kids got three Easter cards in the mail this year. I wonder if anyone will be looking at those cards in 90 years?
Stephanie, many members of my well-educated and literate family have the same principles about not saving the ephemera of our shared lives.
My siblings view me as odd for filing all my correspondance.
Andrea, I am thrilled that anyone is still sending and recieving Easter cards.
The old post cards are amazingly durable.
The 100-year old cards in my collection are good for another century and more.
How frustrating to have your treasures locked away.
I look forward to seeng some of the images.
It never occured to me until now to do that, Peter. Good idea.
Little Hazel is only 12 when she recieves this card from Aunt Alice.
I am glad that you add to your cards a few lines in your own hand, Elizabeth.
Dannielle notes that she fills the entire card with messages.
Martin, I have no idea how my careful files of correspondance will be handled after my demise.
It is a sobering thought; this network of things connected to me all set adrift.
I am going to post another card or two before Easter morning.
Thanks for stopping by, Mary Louise.
We haven't seen you recently.
Interesting to compare the printing of this card to the German card you posted a few days ago. This is not nearly so rich and "touchable" as the earlier card.
I also noticed in both cards that the artists illustrated all the chicks in side view... I've discovered in my own work how difficult it is to paint a bird "head-on".
I enjoyed your post and the comments.
I believe other readers may have also noted the poverty of design and color on the later American-made card.
just for you, I am posting one more card tomorrow morning.
It has a chick in "front view", looking down to peck."
Only the comments from folks who enjoy vintage images and the mystery of forgotten correspondents attract readers to my skimpy articles.
It it is nice to know the relationship of the sender to the recipient - if it was signed "Alice Egghunt" we might be trying to unravel the connection of the parties.
Too bad that Aunt Alice did not use a more formal construction like, "Your Loving Aunt, Alice Egghunt"