Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Reader comments: Spelling, castles and the plague

The mailbag is again full with your great comments...

Excerpts from a 1937 travel brochure for Poland: Robert Forsythe, a transportation consultant and collector of railway ephemera in the United Kingdom, writes: "Always find this sort of thing very fascinating, especially if added railway interest as there is here. I have some spare communist-era travel leaflets for Poland available. If anyone wishes to contact me I will email a link."

Old business card for Hayes Flying Service: JT Anthony of A Pretty Book writes: "I also find the use of the word 'thru' interesting. I've used it for years, informally, but have seldom seen others using it. Grammar Girl suggests that spelling through as 'thru' could be part of Teddy Roosevelt's simplified spelling campaign. Perhaps the pilot was a fan. I also love the fact that the phone exchange in the phone number is OX, a real word."

I love JT's comment, because I had never known about the Simplified Spelling Board, which operated from 1906 to 1920. According to Wikipedia, "Roosevelt tried to force the federal government to adopt the system, sending an order to the Public Printer to use the system in all public federal documents. The order was obeyed; among the many documents printed using the system was the President's special message regarding the Panama Canal."

Indeed, through to thru is one of the changes indicated in the "Handbook of Simplified Spelling."

Saturday's postcards: Peaceful scenes from around the world: Justin Mann of Justin's Brew Review writes: "Regarding the removal of the apostrophe from 'Peggy's': I love the idea that this was a cost-saving measure. However, one must consider that the bridge may never actually have belonged to Peggy. Also, there may have been more than one Peggy involved. The world may never know."

For Sarah, ephemera about a castle: Blake Stough of Preserving York -- who is helping with the question about the The Bon-Ton Rental Library (more on that in the coming days) -- writes: "It's funny that you posted this, because my daughter and I were looking online at castles in Wales last week. We took it a step further and I showed her the castles from Google Maps, including Conway. We also used Street View to get an up-close look at them, just like if we were there, which was very cool. Give it a shot. You won't be disappointed."

Thanks, Blake. And I am, indeed, a Google Maps fanatic. And Google Earth might be the greatest invention of the 21st century.

Also regarding this entry, Justin Mann added: "If I had a dollar for every time I've used Legos in a teachable moment...well, I wouldn't even have a dollar, but that's beside the point. I am glad you seized that opportunity, not only for Sarah, but for us all because I sure got a good chuckle out of it!"

Bettina's Thanksgiving in the country (and more): Mel Kolstad of Ephemeraology writes: "Chris, what a veritable FEAST for Ephemeraologists! Thanks so much for posting this, and have a very Happy Thanksgiving! P.S. I LOVE hard sauce. It's a heart attack waiting to happen, but that's a small price to pay."

Fun facts & figures from Year 1 of Papergreat: Thank you for the many well-wishes on this anniversary post!
  • My wonderful wife writes: "I, for one, am very excited for Year Two and beyond! Papergreat rocks, and so do you."
  • JT Anthony writes: "Congratulations, a year of consistent and highly interesting blogging is indeed an accomplishment! I can't believe scaly leg made the top ten."
  • Justin Mann writes: "Congratulations, Chris! Here's to many more successful years of blogging! Keep up the great work."

An invitation to the 1946 Florence-Pope wedding: My wonderful mother writes, quite correctly, "This is an announcement, not an invitation. 'Please send a gift???' Maybe that's why it was tucked away!"

Mom also added this fun footnote to Zita Spangler: From St. John's Reformed to Rolling Green Park, in which I mention that the old carousel from Rolling Green Park was moved to Gillian's Wonderland Pier in Ocean City, New Jersey: "You and I have ridden on the carousel at Gillian's Wonderland in Ocean City, when you were very small."

Awesome!! Little did I know, when I was that tender age, that I would one day be writing an ephemera blog entry about the very carousel I was sitting on.

Old booklet for Harrisburg's Capital Roller Rink: Bernard Spring writes: "Wonderful blog! A 'place' showing material dear to my heart! -- Bernie, a dealer in ephemera for 25+ and a collector for twice as long, www.antiquarius.com"

Worst Christmas present ever? Co-worker Amy Gulli of the York Daily Record/Sunday News, who blogs about motherhood for Smart, writes: "Oh, that says 'plague' all right! I've vote Bubonic, personally."

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