Tuesday, May 31, 2022

The Vogels of Artesia, New Mexico 2


   

Another hand franked postcard from "Pvt. Roy R. Vogel, 346th Air Base Sgdn., Municipal Air Port , Memphis, Tenn, Barrack 411 S."  Well, now we know Roy's middle initial and his barracks assignment.  Once again it's mailed to "Miss Dorothy Vogel, Artesia, New Mex, Box #632."  Spelled out a bit differently, but the same recipient. And the message, "Dear Dot, I received a letter from you and one from Jane a week or so ago so will send this on to both of you as I have so much waiting to do.  The pictures are just like the animals in the zoo.  It is the second largest in the world.  I am feeling all all right.  I will be closing for today.  Your cousin Roy."  Well, not too detailed, and I have my doubts that the Memphis Zoo was the second largest in the world, but how much can you get on a postcard, and how much honesty can you expect from a young private who was probably away from home for the first time in his life.

  The postmark is "MEMPHIS TENN, DEC 3, 8 PM DE SOTO STA. 1" The caption, "Scenes from the Memphis Zoo, one of the finest in the world."  Click on The Vogel Collection in labels to bring up the rest. 


Monday, May 23, 2022

Our Chickens


 

A very faded real photo postcard.  A nice farm family posing next to their chicken coop.  

Sunday, May 22, 2022

Uncle H.M.



Written on the back, "Uncle H.M. Boardman Cousins Arthur Lee & Nancy Boardman."  Is that Arthur Lee or Arthur Lee Boardman? 

Friday, May 20, 2022

The Vogels of Artesia, New Mexico 1


 

Time for another three-part collection, though I don't think I'm going to put them up in a row, so click on The Vogel Collection in labels to bring all three up.

So, all three of these postcards were mailed during World War 2 and all three were hand-franked.  Basically, during the war, U.S. military members could use the mail for free.  All they had to do was write free where the stamp should be and off it went.  This card was mailed by "Pvt. Roy Vogel, 346th Air Base Sgdn., Municipal Air Port, Memphis, Tenn."  It was mailed to "Miss Dorothy Vogel, Artesia, New Mexico, Box 632."   And the message, "Dear Dorothy, I received your letter this morn.  Was glad to hear from you. I had some pictures made the other day.  I will send one in a few days. I feel well at present.  Hope I can continue feeling that way.  Your cousin, Roy." 

So, presumably, Roy Vogel was in the Army Air Corp. (There was no separate Air Force during World War 2)  As a private, he wasn't training as a pilot, co-pilot, or navigator.  Perhaps he was training as a mechanic or as a gunner.  

There is a readable postmark, "MEMPHIS, TENN. NOV 3 4 PM 1942, DE SOTO STA."  The card's caption, "The Memphis Municipal Airport is one of the finest in America.  Made by Curteich, Chicago. 

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Cinematic Central America


   

It's definitely a very cinematic pose, and it sure looks like south of the border to me.   

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Comfort


  

 It looks like this poor guy is all set for a lazy day on the back porch, but his wife, purse in hand, is ready to go.  Dated, "OCT 1958" 

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Those Spring Chicks



  

It's time to return to my longest ongoing, incomplete collection that dates back to 2013.  Anyway, I bought an envelope of postcards that the seller told me were flirtation cards.  At the time I thought that was just his name for them but as it turned out that's how postcards like these were actually marketed, so click on Flirtation in labels to see what's already up.  Too, I have another blog, Fair Use where I post non-photographic bits of ephemera I've picked up over the years as well as interesting images I've gleaned from the net.  There are a few cards that were clearly based on drawings that were posted there.  If I think something is based on a photograph, but if I'm not 100% sure, I lean towards photos, so they end up on The New Found Photography. 

So, as a rule, I don't publish the backs of postcards.  If there is anything written or relevant captions, I just type them up.  However, I'm beginning to think there might be some time travel involved here.  Since I entered the computer age and started typing everything my handwriting has gone from fairly good to barely legible, and A.A.'s penmanship is worse than mine and that's saying a lot.  So, after scanning the back, blowing it up, and after some scrutiny, I came up with this very unlikely interpretation, "Friend Harry.  I got the card & it was slick just the one I was looking for."  Okay, so far so good.  But after that, "I havent got time off an lobster with yes had some. Jane was pretty classy to How did the classes come out.  Yours truely, A.A."  I just don't get the whole stuff about the lobster.  

Anyway, a lot of these cards use the word friend and I've always had the suspicion that they were circulated among Maine Quakers.  Enough of the postmark is gone that I can't be sure where it was mailed from, but it was mailed in December 1912.