Friday, March 7, 2014

QSL card: The motorcycling Doughtys of Bucksport, Maine


I'm finally making my way through the last small batch of QSL cards from a shoebox full of them that I bought in early 2012. Most of them have been resold or — in one case — returned to the original family.1

This QSL for KMZ-2552 is titled "Motorcycle Mama & Motocycle Papa." They are the Doughtys of Bucksport, Maine.2 I'm not sure what the symbolism is with regard to Bob and Rosalie crashing a motorcycle into a brick wall upon which Humpty Dumpty/Laurie is tottering, but I'm sure there's a great story behind it. And I do love QSLs with original illustrations.

The card was sent to XM-632-3396, and, on the back, the Doughtys added this note, which is dated November 15, 1977: "We QSL 100% so extras are always appreciated. 3's & 8's your way. Rosalie & Bob."

I'm also curious what these two little symbols on the left-hand side of the card refer to. Anyone have any ideas?


Footnotes
1. A family from Texas contacted me recently when they saw one of the QSLs posted on Papergreat. They wrote: "This was my dad's card from back in the early 60s. Where did you find it? This hit me like a ton of bricks. If you have the card is it possible I can retrieve it from you as it is really a part of our family history." And, after I mailed them card, they responded: "I have passed it onto my sister, the family historian. This has really brought us a lot of great memories and laughs as we can all remember Dad sitting at the Browning Eagle. That was our communication system for long distance between the house and the farm property." I was happy to get the card back into their hands, and I wish I could do it more often with some of the things posted here on the blog.
2. This is the second time Bucksport has been mentioned on Papergreat. The town and its spooky history were mentioned in the December 2012 post titled "1915 post-Christmas postcard: 'Many thanks for the stationery.'"

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