Easter mystery postcard

This badly damaged Easter postcard, with its image of children and chickens worshipping a child-sized pink egg, is quite the mystery. Would be very happy to get some feedback and insight, starting with the language and translation of the text at the top of the card (see closeup below). After some internet searching, my very tentative guess is that this is Kurrent, an old form of Germany handwriting based on medieval cursive, according to Wikipedia. It's also known as Kurrentschrift or deutsche Schrift. It was phased out in schools and eventually became obsolete starting in the 1910s. Am I way off? What do you think?

The back of the postcard adds to the mystery and I have little insight beyond some more guesses. One guess on my part is that the 9 4 13 in the postmark signifies April 9, 1913. That's a good bit after Easter, though, which I believe was March 23 in 1913. Meanwhile, the word ВЕНДЕНЪ appears in the first postmark. Again with some internet help, I'm going to guess this is (1) a place name, (2) pre-revolutionary Russian, written in Cyrillic script. Clearly different from the printed script on the front of the card. And what place is ВЕНДЕНЪ? That may translate to Wenden, of which there were several in Germany. There's also Cēsis, Latvia, for which the German name is Wenden. The second postmark contains the word ЛИГАТЪ, but I can't glean much insight from that. 

Please share your thoughts and clues regarding this fascinating very old postcard! 

Ingredients list found in the parking lot of a Circle K in Florence

This small piece of paper was on the ground of the parking lot at a Circle K in Florence this morning. I am, of course, that guy who would pick it up and take it with me, even though it's been trod upon and could potentially be covered in mysterious bacteria from outer space that turns everything into triffids. But an ephemeraologist must take these risks.

Here's a transcript of what's on the paper:

Ingedients [sic] list

Hot Honey

Unbleached Bread flour, Purified Water, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Active Dry Yeast, Roma Tomatos, Onion, Garlic, Roasted Fresno Chiles, Pasteurized Milk, Vinegar, Citric Acid, enzymes, Pork, Honey, Basil

So, what does all of this make? How does the pork fit in? Why are no quantities listed? And it's Hot Honey — what? Is this a from-scratch pizza? A stromboli? I really need some culinary experts to provide insight in the comments section. 

Also, I hope the person dropped this after the trip to the grocery store.

Related posts

• Grocery list left behind on shelf at the supermarket
• Ephemera seen on Weis parking lot at 8:32 p.m. on 12/11/18
• Painted rock in parking lot of Fry's grocery store in San Tan Valley
• In which my wife comes up with a new category of ephemera

Mystery Christmas RPPC from 1914

Beyond the photo itself, there are really no clues to help us discover more about this real photo postcard that was presented to someone at Christmas 1914. I figure it was either delivered in person or mailed inside an envelope. 

The writing on the front states "December 1914" and the generic message on the back simply states "A very happy Christmas to you all from us all! 1914." 

Cartolina Postale is Italian for postcard. Gevaert is presumably the name of the company (in Europe?) that manufactured the RPPC.

So, who is this and where is this? It would seem we might have a slim chance of identifying the location, if it still exists, given the unique look of the concrete stairs and the concrete wall the young woman is sitting upon. As for her, the resolution isn't very good, but she's wearing a wide-brim hat, a jacket, a skirt and boots. It looks like maybe she's tucked a small branch into her jacket, but I'm eager for second opinions on that. And it looks like she has a ring on one finger.

Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments. Also, if you're interested, this 2021 post has a list of most of the other "mystery RPPC" posts on Papergreat.

A pair of mystery snapshots

Today we have a pair of small old snapshots. Found photos for which the stories and histories are no longer attached and may never be reunited. First up is this snapshot, which is 2¾ inches wide by 4½ inches tall. It shows a woman in what appears to be a bathrobe standing in mostly dirt yard with a child. A dog lays in the background, near a gate. 

The writing on the front states 1924 and "Marie & Caroline."

The names also appear on the back, where the date is now June 1925, one full century ago.

That's it. We don't know where this is, whose scrapbook it came from or what ever happened to Marie & Caroline.

This photo, just 3½ inches by 2½ inches, features a couple reclining in a bed. There's a cursive caption on the back, but it doesn't help us with who they are or when this was taken. It states: "Here is our bed. We were going to be silly but that is what the head of our bed looks like."

If I were forced to make a guess, I'd say this one was taken sometime in the 1940s or 1950s.

Upon closer examination, the photo is a little weird. At first I thought maybe it was taken from outside, through a bedroom window that caused some reflections. But upon closer examination I realized it's a double exposure. If you look closely, you can see the faint image of another woman to the right of the woman in the bed. No, it's not a ghost. Definitely a double exposure. Possibly of the same woman. I miss the days when I might have excitedly claimed it to be a ghost photo, though.

I've had a ton of mystery photos and mystery real photo postcards on Papergreat in the past. Alas, there's no single directory of all of them, but one good place to dive in, if you're interested, is this 2021 post.

From the readers: Long's Park mile marker, skeleton bookplate and more

Time for another round of reader comments. Thank you to everyone who continues to read Papergreat, whether it's the new posts or delving deep into the archives.

"Suzi and the Milestone" — helping to market Stel-Mar postcards: Cory Van Brookhoven, who writes the From Brunnerville to Broad Street blog about the history of Lititz, Pennsylvania, comments: "Yes an authentic Turnpike marker that was once next to Long’s Park in Lancaster, PA. It’s been MIA for decades."

Oh wow! I used to to drive past Long's Park every day on the way to work. And I saw a performance of Twelfth Night there that used No Doubt's "Just a Girl," circa 1996. I wonder what happened to the marker. Is it in someone's basement?

Cathy's Little Free Libraries in Globe, Arizona: The Family and Friends of Cathy Sanchez-Cañez write: "Thank you so much for featuring our Little Free Libraries in your blog. Since Cathy’s passing, six years ago, we have helped circulate over 12,000 books into the region, including Teacher From Heaven. We appreciate the shoutout, and the effort to keep Cathy’s legacy alive."

You're very welcome. It's a truly wonderful set of LFLs.

Ephemera I wish I still had: Christopher (not me) writes: "Somewhere in storage, I have a self-published book by an unhinged HVAC tech from Milwaukee who claimed that Jesus Christ was part of a 'woodworking and carpentry sex cult.' I treasure it."

I couldn't find any online trace of a book that fits Christopher's description. But there is the (slightly) more mainstream 1970 book titled The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross, by John Allegro, which, according to Wikipedia, "argues that Christianity and other religions originated from ancient fertility cults involving psychoactive mushroom rituals, claiming Jesus was a mythological figure created under the influence of psychoactive substances."

That sounds exactly like the kind of book that would have been published in 1970.

RIP Art Bell, of the Kingdom of Nye: Anonymous writes: "He was the best!"

What are the odds Bell discussed The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross at some point? Or might that have been more of a Long John Nebel thing?

Box of Dennison DeLuxe Gummed Reinforcements: Anonymous writes: "I've been using an old box of De Luxe O gummed reinforcements for about 15 years to reinforce my government three-month calendar display. I believe I have enough until I retire. Just got curious and looked them up. Found your article. Thanks!" 

Sorting out the tiny drawers: I had asked, "How often does one truly need a thumb tack or rubber band in the course of a workweek?" And Anonymous replies: "But how much time does one spend looking for one when one really needs one and doesn't have a place to keep them?"

Which is why we have tiny drawers! And why (ahem) some folks still have Dennison DeLuxe Gummed Reinforcements.

1924 advertisement: "Heaney's Great Milk Can Escape": Anonymous writes: "Did Heaney charge for the secret of how to escape after you'd bought the can, perhaps?"

I'm guessing the $30 covered the construction of the milk and the accompanying directions on its use, which would indeed be the closely guarded secret. And once you bought someone else's secret, there was an incredibly strong honor system not to tell others. You don't want to anger magicians.

Old bookplate featuring a beard-grabbing skeleton: Robin Heisley Helfers writes: "Virginia (Mimi) and Ed were my Great Aunt & Uncle on my father's side of the family. My Grandmother was Effie Mason Heisley. Both sisters were accomplished artists! I'm thrilled to find this unusual example of Aunt Mimi's talent!"

I'm glad I could help in a small way to keep the memory of Virginia Mason Gifford (Aunt Mimi) alive! That's what Papergreat is all about.

Cheerful Card Company can help you earn extra money for the holidays: Anonymous writes: "I worked summers with a group of college kids in the White Plains, N.Y., post office in 1958-60 shipping boxes of their Christmas cards all across the US. That's all we did all day long, loading boxes into dusty canvas mail sacks. By Labor Day, we were in great shape to head back to college."

Excommunicated! A family story (maybe) about Communion cups: Unknown writes: "Do records of the First Reformed Church of Easton or Dr. Kieffer still exist? If they do they should have Mr. Otto's address somewhere in them."

Great question, and that's something I should have mentioned. Yes, church records would be the very best starting place in the next stage of investigating this historical incident. And maybe there's even an official document of excommunication and/or papers regarding the Communion cup issue. And there are a lot of news articles and website that discuss Kieffer, given that he was a noteworthy author, but I'm not sure much of it would contain clues regarding this mystery. The more I've thought about this, by the way, the more I think it's most likely that the John B. Otto who was temporarily excommunicated was the 57-year-old single alderman, and not my great-great-grandfather. Which doesn't make the story any less compelling. It just means my family was not involved. 

Excommunicated! A family story (maybe) about Communion cups

Above: Grave for John Bressler Otto (1837-1906), posted by Frederich Otto on Find A Grave.

Genealogy and church history time. This one has been marinating for more than a year. If you are interested in mysteries, the Civil War, public health debates and/or the history of Easton, Pennsylvania, this post has something for you. 

It started innocently, as I was just using Newspapers.com to try to fill in some of the blanks in Dad's genealogy chart. But even when I'm doing something straightforward, I'm prone to falling down rabbit holes. And was this ever a deep one! 

On the paternal side of my family tree, the line of men looks like this:

Ashar: 2000-present

Me: 1970-present

Dad: John Alan Otto, 1947-present

Dad's father (my Pappy): John Alexander Otto (1911-1991)

Dad's grandfather: John Algernon Otto (1869-1963)

Dad's great-grandfather: John Bressler Otto (1837-1906)

It's John Bressler Otto we're going to discuss today. He's my great-great-grandfather and Ashar's great-great-great-grandfather. He's pictured at right in a photo that was posted on Find A Grave by Jim Neely. He was married to Margaret Alice English Otto (1839-1925), and, based on what I pieced together from multiple sources, they had at least seven children, though I'm not fully confident in the accuracy of this list: Charles Percy Otto; John Algernon Otto (1869-1963); Amy E. Otto (1874-1946); Florence Emily Otto (1864-1934); Alice May Otto (1877-1902, died of consumption); Horace Otto; and William Warren Otto (1879-1922). 

We know that John Bressler Otto was a plasterer by trade, according to his death certificate. And we know that he was a private in the volunteer 173rd Pennsylvania Regiment, Company F, during the Civil War. The regiment participated in the pursuit of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, from July 12-24, following the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

Many decades later, John Bressler Otto was excommunicated from his church.

Maybe! 

This is where it becomes a mystery.

When I started this tangled thread of research more than a year ago, I discovered this short article about "John B. Otto" on Page 8 of the February 16, 1903, edition of the Allentown (Pennsylvania) Daily Leader.

My great-great-grandfather — a deacon — excommunicated! 

Again, maybe.

There's one big hurdle I haven't been able to overcome, and it's that were two men named John B. Otto in the Easton, Pennsylvania, area at this time.

There was John Bressler Otto. 

And there was John B. Otto who lived from 1845 to 1910 and was an alderman. He's always listed as John B. Otto in the news articles I found (a clue, but not a definitive one), and I can't make out his middle name from the death certificate shown here. He was single and had no children.

So, who was more likely to be a deacon at First Reformed Church of Easton in 1903?

— John Bressler Otto, a 65-year-old plasterer who was married with children, or

— John B. Otto, a 57-year-old alderman who was single with no children?

I just don't know. 

Either way, there was a fascinating uproar involving a John B. Otto. 

And it deserves to be retold, whether or not it involves my family tree.

After reading that initial short news article, I didn't learn the full story until I came across a lengthy article on the front page of the March 2, 1903, edition of the Allentown Daily Leader. It turns out that John B. Otto was excommunicated because he was ... advocating for commonsense public hygiene measures in the midst of a typhoid epidemic.

Crazy! 

I've retyped the whole story of the "Fighting Parson" here for your reading enjoyment.

 

A FIGHTING PARSON

Dr. Kieffer Was the Drummer Boy of the Bucktails

RANCOROUS EASTON CHURCH WAR

Pastor Says Majority Is With Him. Opponents, Less in Number, Contribute 75 Per cent. of the Money -- Say He Is Arrogant

Rev. Dr. Henry M. Kieffer, renowned in Civil War annals as the "Fighting Drummer Boy" of the famous Bucktail Regiment, and for 18 years the pastor of one of the best-known churches in Pennsylvania -- the First Reformed of Easton -- is now the central figure in one of the most remarkable church dissensions on record.

He is bringing the "fighting blood" of nearly eight centuries of warlike ancestors to bear against the assaults of his opponents, and not only the thriving city of Easton, but the surrounding country, is intensely interested in the progress of the battle of the pastor and his supporters against those who are determined that he shall surrender and retire -- a condition which the fighting preacher says is impossible.

Rev. Dr. Kieffer is probably best known to the world of literature through his widely-read book, published two decades ago, called "The Recollections of a Drummer Boy," which was a stirring account of the war experiences of the famous Bucktails during the war.

He added to his fame when he became in 1885 the pastor of the First Reformed Church of Easton, that was built in the first year of American Independence -- in fact, was started about the same time that the echo of the Declaration of Independence went thundering across the world.

It is a church that numbers among its congregation families whose ancestors -- immediate and remote -- have been identified with the struggles of the nation on its various battlefields, and it very well known that while the present pastor and the bone of contention between the opposing factions is directly descended from a long line of warlike progenitors, that he has not a stronger claim to the fighting spirit than many members of his flock.

START OF THE FIGHT

What was it that first started the congregational dissensions that have threatened to split the venerable institution in twain?

To locate positively the beginning of the strife is not an easy matter, but it seems to be pretty well agree that an agitation over the use of individual communion cups fanned the flame of dissension until it is now a blaze which nothing but the complete routing of one of the contesting elements will settle.

The yearly meeting held not long ago was the stormiest one ever known in the history of the First Reformed Church, and as an indirect result Rev. Mr. Kieffer and his supporters have scored against their opponents.

There were -- according to Dr. Kieffer -- votes that represented 315 members of his congregation that demanded he stay in the church and votes representing 119 that demanded he sever his connection with the congregation.

"I come from a line of fighters," said Dr. Kieffer, "and if I had not I would have run off and left this church in the possession of the turbulent spirits who have made this trouble. But I will not surrender the church to them as long as the great majority want me to remain.

"Strife if no new condition in this church, and I do not intend to let the fomenters of such a condition drive me away because I think it is my duty to remain."

The direct results of the last congregational meeting were made evident when the Spiritual Council of the church, through the pastor, publicly censured, deposed from office and excommunicated John B. Otto, one of the deacons and suspended for two years, from all church fellowship, Jeremiah Angelmayer and Allan T. Groman, two of the prominent members.

This action created a sensation in Easton, as all of the parties affected are well known, and it alleged that they had been former close personal friends of Dr. Kieffer.

It is said that the legality of the action will be questioned by the opponents of Dr. Kieffer -- and especially by those directly affected -- and that a criminal law suit would probably be the outcome of the action.

"The legality of the action of the Spiritual Council," said a prominent member of the church "is questioned by the opponents of Dr. Kieffer, because they claim, as the council exists to-day, it is not legally constituted, for the elders composing it are all friendly to Dr. Kieffer and dominated by him.

"There are 134 petitioners against the action, and they are said to represent an element of the church that contributes 75 per cent. of the sum required for its support to the treasury.

WOMEN SIDE WITH PASTOR.

"Those who are backing the petitioners are principally older members of the church and their families, while the supporters of Dr. Kieffer are principally women, and the younger element whom he has confirmed in the past 10 years."

There was a meeting of the East Pennsylvania Classis (?) of the Reformed Church held in Easton, at which Dr. Kieffer and his supporters and the opposition exchanged some very strong views on the question of "charges" against the pastor.

One of the main points of interest in the controversy is that it seems imminent that the famous old church after a life of over 150 years will be disrupted by the strife.

While the differences of opinion that existed between the pastor and certain members of his flock over the individual communion cup question furnished certain "grounds for the condition" that exists now they are held by both sides to have been only contributing circumstances to the main cause.

This, one side avers, is the arrogance and severity of the pastor, and the other side says that is the determination of a set of turbulent spirits to drive from his field of usefulness a sincere and loving spiritual adviser.

INDIVIDUAL CUPS.

The subject of individual communion cups has always been a tender one in the First Reformed Church.

It first appeared on the surface of its affairs about a year ago when certain prominent communicants advocated their use on religious and sanitary grounds.

They were promptly opposed by the pastor and it was not long 'ere the congregation was divided into two camps over the subject.

Dr. Kieffer's main reason for unalterable opposition to the innovation was that it was sacrilegious and contrary to the commands of Scripture.

He made the basis of his defense of the congregational communion cup the thought contained in the 26th chapter of St. Matthew: "And He took the cup and gave thanks; and gave it to them, saying: 'Drink ye all of it.'"

In alluding publicly to the subject that threw the church into "painful commotion," Dr. Kieffer said that it was contrary to the Divine will to countenance such an innovation, and that the spirit of the sacarament would be wrongfully observed if they were adopted.

The matter was finally put to a vote and the majority of the congregation stood by the ancient method of receiving communion.

THE EXCOMMUNICATION.

But this controversy seemed to open the way for other differences between the pastor and certain of his congregation that culminated in the dramatic excommunication of Deacon Otto on February 15 before a full congregation.

The exact language used by the pastor in severing the ties of Christian fellowship between Mr. Otto and his brethren of the First Reformed was as follows:--

"Acting under the direction of the Spiritual Council I very regretfully announce: First, that John B. Otto be, and hereby is, censured; second, that he be deposed of his office as deacon, and, thirdly, that he be hereby excommunicated from the Christian Church."

It was said that such a penalty had never been inflicted upon any member of the church in its history of 150 years and the reading of the sentence of excommunication created a sensation.

The terms of the punished meted out to Messrs. Angelmayer and Groman was communicated to them through the mails and not announced from the pulpit.

PASTOR GIVES NUMBERS.

The pastor claims that he has the support of 315 members out of a total of over 500 in his battle against those he terms are the "turbulent spirits" while 119 demand that he shall sever his relations with the pastorate. 

"It is," he said, "practically a battle for the control of the church and I will not turn the people who are in the majority over to the mercies of the turbulent element.

"There are about 80 members who will not take sides in the affair and who refuse to sign any paper and of the 199 who demand my resignation from 30 to 40 per cent. are not entitled to a vote and are simply dead wood in the church. A certain percentage of this 119 has been procured under duress and some of the signatures against me have been procured through business relation and by compulsion.

"I will quote you one instance: The head of one family who signed the petition asking my withdrawal said to me: 'We didn't want to sign this paper we had to or lose our work.'

"They are employed by one of the members who is determined I shall go."

SAY HE IS ARROGANT.

The representatives of the opposition emphatically disclaim such responsibility.

"Dr. Kieffer cannot name one man who signed the petition against him under duress," said one of his opponents.

"We represent three-fourths of the financial support give to the church and we can prove this statement.

"Dr. Kieffer says there are over 500 members, does he?

"Well, his is mistaken, for at no time in the history of the church has the membership exceeded 400.

"He has been high-handed and arrogant in his methods."

"He won't allow us access to the church books and he has done many things that have culminated in the dissatisfaction that exists among his congregation to-day."

"It is idle to say that the disturbance was caused by the communion cup agitation. It was only an incident in the series of misunderstandings that have arisen, and which we fear may disrupt a congregation that has endured for over a century and a half."

DR. KIEFFER'S ANCESTRY.

Rev. Dr. Kieffer is well named the "fighting preacher." He traces his maternal ancestry back to the 12th century, when one of his direct line was a Crusader.

This soldier was George Spengler, born about 1150 A.D., who accompanied the German emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, in the third Crusade against the Moslems in 1189, perished in battle and was buried in the Church of St. Peter, Antioch, in 1190 A.D.

Lazarus Spengler, another maternal ancestor, was coadjutor of Martin Luther and present with him at the Diet of Worms.

His great grandfather, Abraham Kieffer, as a captain in the Revolution and a colleague of George Beaver, the great grandfather of ex-Governor Beaver. At the close of the Revolution they each married the other's sister.

Dr. Kieffer himself fought in the Civil War for three years. He enlisted as a drummer boy at the age of 16, in the Bucktails and served until the end. He was present in all the battles fought by the Army of the Potomac from Chancellorsville to the close of the Rebellion, and was a participant in the first day's battle at Gettysburg, when his battalion, out of a total of 397 men, lost 264. He afterward served as chaplain of the Sixth Pennsylvania National Guard for five years and is known to almost every soldier in Pennsylvania.

* * *

And how did it all turn out?

It seems that, within a few weeks, Dr. Rev. Kieffer lost his power struggle.

And John B. Otto's excommunication was overturned.

I found this via an article in the March 21, 1903, issue of The Lancaster Examiner.

RUIN IN COMMUNION CUP.

Classis Drops Dr. Kieffer, and He Says "Good-By."

East Pennsylvania Classis, sitting as a committee of the whole, at Easton, on Wednesday, continued its investigation of the First Reformed Church troubles which origination in a row over individual communion cups. The pastor, Rev. Dr. H.M. Kieffer, took the floor, and commenced where he left off Tuesday night. He denounced Elder Jacob Rader as a troublesome spirit, and handled ex-Deacon John B. Otto, whom the spiritual council of the church had ex-communicated, without gloves. Dr. Kieffer talked four hours, after which his opponents made reply.

Then Rev. Jacob Rupp, of Northampton, offered a compromise resolution, assuming that the Kieffer faction was able to take care of the church, and that even though the petitioners should leave, their going would not be a serious loss to the congregation. This resolution permitted Dr. Kieffer to remain as pastor of the flock, provided that Messers. Anglemyer and Groman, suspended from office by the spiritual council, should be reinstated; granted a re-hearing to John B. Otto, who was excommunicated, and provided that no charge be made against any members of the congregation for what may have occurred prior to this date. This resolution was defeated by a vote of 13 ayes to 15 nays.

The debate then turned on Rev. Mr. DeLong's resolution, providing for a severance of the pastoral relations, to take effect on September 1. After considerable sparring a vote was taken and resulted in 17 ayes, 7 nays and 3 non-voters.

The committee of the whole then rose and reported its action to the Classis. Classis approved the finding by a vote of 19 yeas, 6 nays and 2 not voting. Counsel for Dr. Kieffer noted an appeal to Synod.

Dr. Kieffer said: "Well, brothers, I see that after September 1 I stop preaching here. You have taken a great responsibility off my shoulders. After that you will have to look after my people. I bid you good-by."

At the night session of Classis the complaint of the suspended deacons, Jeremiah Anglemeyer and A.T. Groman, and excommunicated Deacon John B. Otto, sustained, and they were reinstated to office. 

* * *

And that's the story! Does it involve my family? I don't know. Either way, it's a fascinating look at the struggles 122 years around power, money, religion and, most notably in my eyes, public health. I'll leave it readers to draw whatever insights and parallels they wish to other moments in history, recent or otherwise.

Please share your thoughts in the comments, especially if you have further information regarding John B. Otto and the First Reformed Church of Easton Communion cup controversy.

City of Wilmington, Delaware, scrip from 1862

Here's an interesting piece of U.S. currency history that was tucked away with some of my family's ephemera. It's a note measuring 5¾ inches by 2⅜ inches, with a value of 5 cents. 

It's dated September 1, 1862, and the text states: "Twelve Months after date the City of Wilmington Will pay FIVE CENTS to bearer in current funds when presented in sums of One Dollar. No. 2962."

There are two signatures at the bottom and two sketches of mystery women.

This is scrip, which is any substitute for legal tender. It was issued five months after the start of the Civil War, which went from April 1861 to April 1865. Coins were in severely short supply during the war. Many were hoarded because the metal used to make them had intrinsic value, and people had greater trust in coins than in paper currency. However, there was still a need for small change to keep the economy functioning, so these paper notes were created to take the place of pennies, dimes and nickels.

This one was never cashed in. So I reckon the City of Wilmington, Delaware, made a nickel off my family. Written at the top in pencil is Helen Simmons. Our family tree has a Helen Simmons Carey (1894-1957) and a Helen Gregg Simmons Chandler (1857-1913), the latter being my great-great-grandmother. I suspect this was hers, perhaps passed to her by her parents: Bauduy Simmons (1805-1882) and Ann Gregg Simmons (1811-1886).

Postcard: Addison, Pennsylvania, a chicken, a mystery and french pickles

Here's a postcard of modest West Main Street in Addison, Pennsylvania, that's postmarked September 1913. I first wrote about Addison in 2020, and I think I have at least one more old postcard of the tiny borough somewhere. Maybe I'll get to that one in 2030, but (way) sooner would be nice! I do love old Pennsylvania postcards. Especially those that were mailed.

Zooming in a bit on West Main Street, it appears that the traffic consists of a man and a chicken. 

This postcard was mailed to Miss Mary J. Augustine of Stauffer, Pennsylvania. Or is it Stouffer? This one is a mystery, because I'm not seeing Stauffer/Stouffer on any list of historical Pennsylvania place names or unincorporated communities. The closest I could initially guess is that it's Stoufferstown, in Franklin County, which is named after Abraham Stouffer. But that didn't seem like a great fit. So I did a little more sleuthing.

Mary J. Augustine appears to have lived in Addison at some point, before moving away to the mystery location. This postcard was sent to Mary in care of William Bliss. I found the following in the digitized text of the November 10, 1904, edition of the Mount Pleasant Journal: "A broken front axle compelled William Bliss, of near Stauffer, to leave his buggy on South Church street Saturday evening." The Mount Pleasant Journal was a publication in Westmoreland County. So Stauffer's somewhere in that county, though it's no longer a place anyone refers to by that name, it seems.

The cursive message on the card states:

Read your card was glad to hear you was better [Can't deciper] still alright I canned more tomatoes today have 27 qt now have beans nearly all picked & french pickles made have not hear from Dr. today [Can't decipher]

According to Wikipedia, "Cornichons, or baby pickles, are tart French pickles made from gherkins pickled in vinegar and tarragon." So that's a thing I learned today.

Saturday's postcard of a long-ago motel in North Miami

Motel Rotunda — or is it Rotunda Motel, as printed on the back? — looks like it would have been a swell stopping spot for weary travelers. Perhaps for a family that had just spent a long day driving south, south and further south down the length of Florida, toward the tip. Or an exhausted door-to-door Bible salesman.

As this postcard, snapped by photographer Dick Deutsch and published by Pan American Publishing Corp., details, the motel was centrally located to area attractions, had color TV and featured a "delightful" recreation room. 

I can't find much about the motel's history, though. And it's long gone, like so many other roadside motels that once dotted America. Postcards are about all we have to document its history, and that it even once existed. Without these images, the structure might fade entirely from memory and history, like David Hemmings at the end of Blow-Up.

The caption on a different postcard indicates that the motel was completed in December 1950 and that other amenities touted included tile showers and bath, and free ice cubes in the sitting lounge. The owner at that point was an M. Lanzalotti. And a Florida archives postcard has Jesse N. Koehler as owner and manager.

Today, a peek at Google Maps finds that the former location of Motel Rotunda is an intersection with six or seven lanes of traffic in all directions. Businesses there include Walgreens, Five Below, Denny's, Jivana Nails & Spa, a BP gas station, Vitamin Shoppe and LA Fitness. They will all be ephemeral, too.

Is Motel Rotunda too long gone for anyone to have memories of working there or staying there overnight? It would be great to know more and record it for posterity.

Three more of Lada Draskovic's Sweetniks dolls

Since 2011, I've felt an obligation for Papergreat to serve as a repository for all that we know about Lada Draskovic and her Sweetniks dolls. It's not much, but I hope that gathering it all here will prove useful to some future researcher or internet sleuth who can take the story across the finish line.

These are the Papergreat posts, from oldest to newest:

• Doll fads of 1960
• From the Notepad: Cool links, Lada Draskovic, Twitter and more
• Reader comments: Lincoln life mask, Sweetniks and more
• The Incomplete Lada Draskovic
• An addendum to "The Incomplete Lada Draskovic"
• Extremely rare Sweetnik doll by Lada Draskovic hits eBay
• Another Sweetniks doll by Lada Draskovic surfaces

And now there are three more Sweetniks dolls on eBay that I was previously unaware of. It's really amazing how no two of these dolls by Draskovic seem to be alike. And that so many of them have survived for more than a half-century. The eBay lots and their photos won't be around forever, so I want to post the images here for posterity.

1. This one is listed on eBay as "Vintage 1960’s Sweetnik Doll By Lada Draskovic blonde gold necklace"

2. This one is listed (and misspelled) on eBay as "VTG 1960's "Sweentnik" Beatnik Doll Saks Fifth Avenue Lada Draskovic Rome Italy"

3. And this one is listed on eBay (for more than $3,200!) as "Vintage Original Sweetnik Doll Handmade in Rome Italy In The 1960's by Lada Dras." The description states that it's 13.25 inches tall and adds: "The jewelry is really very cool. There are 3 different long dangle necklaces/chains that adorn her dress. Each one has a slightly different tone and texture. On her left arm there are 4 gold tone bangle bracelets. Her head is ceramic with glued yarn hair and hand painted face. Her face is just stunning in perfect condition. Beautiful long yarn hair is a pale pink color with really cute bangs. Her body is made of a stick, arms are made of pipe cleaners. Her dress is cardboard with navy blue ribbed cloth covering. Adorable navy turtle neck with long sleeves. She sports a pair of light blue cigarette pants that are made of corduroy. Her toenails are painted red on her wooden feet that are very cool sandals. The base of her feet is black velvet with a distinctive heel. This doll is just perfect. She is probably one of a kind."

The Sunbonnet Women of America and their 1925 Halloween seance

Witches! A seance! And a dance!

Oh my. It's a History Mystery. I want to know everything that can be known about the Sunbonnet Women of America. There are only a handful of clippings, all from 1925, about this group on Newspapers.com, and there's zilch on Google.

It's the above clipping that first caught my eye. Headlined "Wicked Witches Listed At Pre-Halloween Seance," it's from the October 18, 1925, edition of The Sunday Star of Washington, D.C. — exactly 99 years ago today. The Sunday Star was the Sunday edition of the Washington Evening Star.

The first paragraph states: "The Sunbonnet Women of America wish to solve the problems of their business brothers and sisters, so they invite them to come and help invoke the wiles of the 'wickedest witches' in a pre-Halloween seance and dance Thursday evening, October 29, at the Central Armory, Eleventh and Clifton streets northwestern."

The invitation itself is in verse:

So the ancient near-witch, Sunbonnet Sue,

Extends a summons to all of you

Who'd dance and laugh and brew and plot

To try the luck of the witches pot.

Disguise yourselves in Halloween hues,

If you'd be favored in the pot that brews,

And present your card at the door of Fate

For the fun begins at half-past eight.

There are favors that may be got,

So be on time to brew in the pot;

You may not know, but it sure is true,

Sunbonnet girls are among the few

Descended from the Salem witches

And work their wiles for Halloween wishers.

"Now, come you all, so eager to learn

If Fate for you her wheel will turn.

The business men do recognize

The worth of Sunbonnets wary and wise,

So they have placed in the witches's pot

Some lovely things which they will plot

That may be won by only those

Who please the witches by their clothes.

Now, brothers and sisters, eager and true,

Dress up quite well, it may be you."

Yes, the 1920s were certainly roaring. This was not an event to be missed. Keep in mind, though, that it was held in the midst of the Prohibition. Given the very public nature of the event, it's unlikely that there would have been any alcohol openly served. But perhaps some was smuggled in or, ahem, conjured. Maybe some historians who are most astute than I am about the skirting of Prohibition laws see some hints within the witches' invitation regarding what would be available at the dance.

The last paragraph lists some of the newest members of the Sunbonnet Women of America, "all prominent in Government, professional and business circles." I'm going to list them here, because maybe this post will help someone track down something new about one of their ancestors:

Mrs. Susie Moore

Miss Helen E. Burnett

Miss Helen C. Clark

Miss Nita S. Hinman

Mrs. Amelia E. Byrne

Mrs. Elsie C. Gulli

Miss Elizabeth M. Wall

Mrs. Mabel Driver

Miss Elizabeth K. Prender

Miss Mabel J. Carter

Miss Bertha V. Zeller

Miss Alice M. Blandforth

Miss Margaret R. Shedd

Miss Annie Louis Carroll

Miss Edith L. Tate

Miss Madeline Diers

And just imagine, all of them descended from the Salem witches (wink).

Sifting through some of the other Newspaper.com clippings from 1925 sheds little light on the Sunbonnet Women of America. They are first mentioned in early May and seem to be associated with the National Club of the Younger Business Women. That month, they were organizing "the first annual organdy dance of the Sunbonnet Women of America."

An October 9 article specifically mentions the "Washington branch of the Sunbonnet Women of America" and its meeting to discuss the upcoming Halloween dance. 

And that's pretty much it. How long did the organization last? Did it actually have branches in multiple cities? Were they really witches? Did they all vanish after the October 29 seance and summoning? 

Maybe we should do a new seance and try to contact "Sunbonnet Sue" for an eyewitness recap. Stuff like that always ends well in movies. 

A postcard of Earle W. Cook's house, for some reason

OK, here's a bit of a head-scratching mystery.

Why did Dexter Press produce this postcard of the house of Mr. and Mrs. Earle W. Cook, on its triangular plot of land in Kingman, Arizona?

According to Diane Allmen's Dating Dexter Press Postcards webpage, this card (55990-B) was produced in 1962. Other than the Cooks' names and "Kingman, Arizona," the only things listed on the back are the address — 215 Caminodelascolinas, which should be more properly stated as 215 Camino de las Colinas — and the publisher, Fritz Studio of Kingman.

Based on the address, I'm not sure this house still exists.

Earle Wayne Cook Sr. (1902-1966) died just a few years after this postcard was published, of a heart attack on the Fourth of July 1966. The main item of note I can find about him is that he was a Democratic Arizona state senator representing Mohave County. His businesses included bottling, ranching and mining.

And here's a plot twist the postcard publishers certainly couldn't anticipate: In 1967, Cook's son, Earle Theodore Cook Jr., attempted to murder his wife, Jeanne, by blowing up the airplane she was traveling on.

You read that correctly.

It's 2024, and these miscellaneous old postcards can still take you down some serious rabbit holes, folks.

The first article I came across was in the November 19, 1967, edition of The Arizona Republic. The headline states "Bomb Suspect Son of Mohave Senator." The subhead reads "Earle T. Cook Recalled in Kingman as Bright Young Man."

The first paragraph states: "Earle T. Cook, 37, held in Chicago under $100,000 bond for an alleged attempt to bomb a jetliner, was a native of Kingman and the son of a veteran Mohave County senator who died last year."

The federal trial was incredibly swift. Just a few months later, on February 6, 1968, Earle Jr. was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The details are summarized in a modern-day Chicago Tribune article by Colleen Connolly. Earle Jr. had apparently been trying for a while to kill his wife of 15 years and the mother of his two sons. He contacted a hit man and considering drowning and shooting as other murder methods.

Finally, Earle Jr. took things into his own hands and built a bomb at home.

I'll let the Tribune take it from here:

"What happened next is unthinkable in today’s world of air travel. Cook took his wife to O’Hare and checked her bags while she waited in a lounge, according to a Tribune report. An FBI agent said Cook then removed the contents of one of the bags, placed the homemade bomb inside and handed the bags to an airport porter who checked them. There was no search of the bags whatsoever. Ironically, the same porter who took the luggage without checking it handled it roughly, causing parts of the bomb to dislodge and malfunction, the FBI surmised.

"When the bomb went off in the luggage compartment, it made a loud noise that caught the attention of the pilot and passengers, but nobody realized it was a bomb. The pilot thought the plane struck a downdraft, so he kept flying. It was only when they arrived at their destination in San Diego that the crew found the bomb parts and wreckage in the luggage hold."

Earle Jr. was busted. His likely affairs with other women, conversations with the hit man and multiple insurance policies on his wife didn't help matters during the trial.

According to the Tribune, before being sent off to prison, Earle Jr. said: “I feel that I have been given a trial under a system I believe in. I believe in our form of government. The only thing I am sorry about is that I am innocent. The evidence presented didn’t quite portray my innocence.”

Earle Jr. remarried in 1977 and died in 1981 at age 50. I couldn't find an obituary. All I have is this unused postcard of his parents' house in the Arizona desert.

Another Sweetniks doll by Lada Draskovic surfaces

Whoa! On the heels of November's post about one of Lada Draskovic's 1960s Sweetniks dolls showing up on eBay, a reader has gotten in touch and shared the story of her Sweetniks doll. It's incredible how many of these are still around and in great condition.

Kita from Texas wrote to share her information and the above photos of her Sweetniks doll, which she has kindly given me permission to share here:

"I was searching to see what I could find out about my beatnik doll. I ran across your blog about these dolls. ... I thought you would like to hear of another 'sighting' of the Beatnik/Sweetnik Doll! ... I wish I could remember where in San Antonio, Texas, my mother bought the doll. I will need to research if there was a Saks there. I thought most likely it was a famous store named Joske’s in downtown San Antonio. I was with her and I remember telling her I really wanted it. Too bad, too, that I don’t know what she paid for it. ...

"I have had her since the early 1960s and bought it new. She was enclosed in a plastic top, but I discarded that when I put it in my china cabinet, years ago. I am the original owner and for some reason I kept her all these years. She is in excellent shape, as you can see from the pictures. I always kept very good care of all my dolls and didn’t actually play with them. I was an outdoorsy kid, which was good luck for my beatnik! ...

"I am considering selling her. But, I would like to get her into the right hands, being that she is so rare. Not a strand of hair is out of place after all these years and lots of moving. ... A museum would suit her fine!"

Kita added later that she contacted Sotheby's for a possible auction consignment, but was told that they had no information on Draskovic's Sweetniks and couldn't help her further. These unique dolls truly remain a mystery! Meanwhile, another reader posetd this intriguing comment: "I have what I’m pretty sure is a Sweetnik doll from the early 60s — Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra." I asked for more details, but haven't heard anything further.

Extremely rare Sweetnik doll by Lada Draskovic hits eBay

It was more than 12½ years ago that I first learned of Lada Draskovic's "beatnik dolls," officially called Sweetniks, thanks to a small photograph in the 1961 Compton Yearbook.

Over time, I compiled everything I discovered about Draskovic in 2013's The Incomplete Lada Draskovic and 2018's An Addendum to "The Incomplete Lada Draskovic." It's a history tale for which I still have far more questions than answers. And the dolls themselves are rarer still; there can't be many still in existence. 

But another doll has cropped up. I have an eBay email alert for "Sweetniks," just in case it might provide a lead to learning more about Draskovic or her dolls. This newly listed doll is different than the other two I've seen color pictures of (one purple-haired, with a matching cat, and the other blonde). This one has brown hair (with maybe a hint of magenta) and is wearing an outfit that I think definitely qualifies as beatnik. It's amazing how unique each doll is.

It's listed on eBay for $1,300 by a seller in Illinois. That sounds about right, because we know that one Sweetnik was initially listed on eBay for $1,200 in 2018, and that the buyer later accepted the best offer (which was undisclosed). It, of course, only takes one collector who knows about the Sweetniks, is aware of their extreme rarity, and has the available funds in order to make a sale. So it will be interesting to see if someone snatches this one up. It's certainly a beauty.

The eBay listing doesn't tell us much that's new, stating "Vintage 'Sweetnik' doll from early 1960’s. Made in Italy by artist Lada Draskovic. These are very rare. Original made for Saks. Very few made it into the United States. Excellent condition. Hand painted. Doll is almost 15” tall."

But the photos are excellent — some of the best I've seen of these elusive dolls. I'm going to share them here for posterity; this post should be around much longer than an eBay listing, and I feel a deep obligation at this point to document everything that's known about Draskovic's Sweetniks.

Great links: "A Wrinkle in Time" mystery is solved

In May, Sarah Elizabeth asked a simple question on the Unquiet Things blog: "Why is it that in this current year of 2023, no one seems to know who the cover artist is for this iconic Dell Laurel-Leaf A Wrinkle in Time cover art?? In a time when we have so much information available to us at our literal fingertips, how could it possibly be that the above marvelously and terrifyingly iconic imagery is perpetually credited to 'unknown artist'?"

Solving this mystery was not straightforward, but it was solved.

I was one of the members of Generation X for whom this was, indeed, an iconic paperback (first printed in 1976). We were assigned to read it at C.E. McCall Middle School in Montoursville in fifth or sixth grade, circa 1981 to 1983, and I recall many worn copies of this exact paperback lining a shelf below the classroom window. The cover was an attention-grabber, even if the story itself wasn't the easiest entry point into science-fiction for this middle school student. But I'm so glad my teacher introduced us to thought-provoking, challenging books. That matters.

Elizabeth's post spurred a lot of speculation and work by book sleuths. And the mystery was finally solved: The illustrator was Richard Bober (1943-2022). It took nearly a half-century for him to get public credit.

Taking the handoff from Elizabeth and finding the answer was Amory Sivertson of the podcast WBUR podcast Endless Thread, which focuses on questions and stories related to Reddit posts (Elizabeth had set Reddit to the task of solving the mystery.)

You can listen to the 44-minute podcast or read the full transcript here. It's hugely entertaining, especially for book sleuths. (And, as an aside that I can agree with wholeheartedly, someone says, "15% of everything is destroyed by cats." Also, the mystery comes to a conclusion in a Pennsylvania basement.

As Elizabeth wrote triumphantly, "I am a bit overwhelmed, and I don’t know what more there is to say about it anymore, but the case is cracked, and the mystery is solved!"

The story even caught the attention of The New York Times, where staff writer Amanda Holpuch described Bober's cover artwork thusly: "The mystery cover art shows a strapping centaur with delicate wings flying above a menacing green face with bright red eyes. Craggy mountains and fluffy dark clouds surround the haunting figures. The website Book Riot called the art 'nightmare fuel.'"

Menacing green face? Yes.

Haunting figures? Yes.

Nightmare fuel? Yup.

But mystery cover art? No longer. That was Richard Bober who fueled our 1970s and 1980s imaginations with his cover artwork to accompany Madeleine L'Engle's award-winning novel.