Kappa Delta Sorority and an Update

I came across a folder titled "Kappa Delta".  Inside were a few photos and letters from Madeline's college pals at the University of New Hampshire.  Kappa Delta was the sorority she belonged to and they kept in touch for many years after graduation.  Here's how they looked in college:

Madeline is second from the right in the front row.

And here is a photo taken on October 4, 2006:

She's the lovely lady in red in the back row.

Friends and keeping in touch were very important to Madeline.  She received so many Christmas cards and letters each year!  In the later years when her eyesight was failing I would read the letters to her when we came for our Christmas visit.  I've always wondered who the last Kappa Delta member standing from her class was. 

I have been busy working on the postcard collection.  I found another book filled with postcards from the same era.  I have just completed the task of sorting and filing the first book, putting each card in a protective sleeve.  Now I must start on the second book.  I also pulled a few boxes from the garage and went through them, combining like items and discarding the absolute "junk".  The story continues!

Vintage Postcards

I discovered this very old postcard album today.  It belonged to Madeline's mother-in-law, Mary Cullen.

It is very thick and as I opened it I realized that the pages are not holding up well.  Also, many of the postcards had fallen out and some pages held a big stack of cards like the photo above.  I briefly looked through and pulled out some to show.  There are so many postcards that I will have several postings about them.  There are many themes--patriotic, religious, holidays, scenic, and industrial. 

The timeframe for most of these is early 1900's.  Enjoy!

Since summer is about to start I'll start out with a beach scene. 

This next series is still inspiring today.  Madeline loved anything with a flag on it.

The above card was written by Mary's sister Elizabeth, telling her that a long letter was coming.

Postage for these cards was one cent.

This next series of cards was very amusing to me.  I call it "Hammock Love"!  I love how the cards tell a story.

And here is another series of similar cards.  I wasn't sure of the order for these, so I hope I got it right.  I call this "Love in the Meadow".

The last group are miscellaneous cards. 

I can't tell from the postcard what city this is, but maybe the great San Francisco fire?

Snow sounds pretty good right about now.  It's 90 outside.

Interesting picture.  Again, no info on back.  What is the significance of the "x"?

More to come . . .

Back at It!

This is a project of love, but it is a huge undertaking.  There are many boxes in our garage that need to be taken inside and sorted.  The problem with that is I always find something right away that I am fascinated by and sit down to look through.  Then an hour later there are dogs to walk, or laundry to be done, or meals to make.  And it may be a month before I get back to the box.  I don't ever want to feel that this is a chore and I know Madeline would never want me to feel that way, either.  So from time to time when I feel I need to take a break from this project I will not be updating the blog.  I hope those who enjoy these memories will understand that this is an ongoing project and I so appreciate your visits.  I am a strong believer in preserving our past as a way of improving our present and future. 

I'm ready to roll again and hope you will enjoy the amazing treasure I discovered today.  Thanks for your interest and support.

Vintage Homemade Paper Dolls

I found an old hatbox among Madeline's memories.  I was even happier when I looked inside and discovered very old, handmade paper dolls.  There were clues in the box that indicated that her Grandmother Annie was the creator of these items.  Annie liked to keep scrapbooks and her attention to detail is evident in the little dresses.  I'm happy to share with you!

One of the tiny paper dolls, wearing one of Annie's outfits.

A selection of outfits.  Notice the hand pleating on some of the skirts.  (Click on pic to enlarge.)

Another paper doll, along with a teeny tiny box.

A Victorian lady and gentleman paper dolls.

Outfits for the lady doll.

Two more fancy dresses.

A gown, complete with fancy hat.

There were many more paper dresses in the box, but these were the ones in the best condition.  I am not sure at all about the age of these paper dolls.  They may have been Annie's when she was a child, or she may have made them for Madeline.  Whatever their age, they were a delightful find.

A League of Their Own & Life Magazine Ads

I've been flipping through several copies of Life magazine from the 40's.  Here's an article on an all female baseball team like the one from the movie "A League of Their Own":

Here's the trailer from the movie.

I also scanned some of the ads from the magazine.  Enjoy!