Saturday, January 25, 2025

Saturday's postcard: Tuning out the world in November 1962

This postcard was sent from Chicago to York, Pennsylvania, and postmarked on November 9, 1962. The Plastichrome card highlights the George Williams College Camp in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, with the caption stating "Toboganning is one of the most popular of the winter sports at George Williams College Camp on beautiful Lake Geneva."

The cursive note on the back of the card states:
"This is a beautiful and peaceful spot. I haven't read a newspaper nor heard a radio nor seen TV since Monday. See you Sunday."
Getting away from the world, especially in stressful times, is a privilege that not everyone has. But it's not hard to see why someone might have wanted a break at this particular moment. For context, this was just days after the conclusion of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when fears of imminent global nuclear war were at their absolute peak.

Other news in early November 1962 included space race and nuclear testing machinations between the United States and Soviet Union, unrest in the Middle East, the imprisonment of Nelson Mandela, and the death of Eleanor Roosevelt. 

But, mostly, you can understand why someone might have wanted a vacation from the news in early November 1962, following the unfathomable tension of those 13 days in October.

Here's hoping we don't have a similar showdown with ... checks notes ... Denmark or Panama later this year.
Related posts

No comments:

Post a Comment