Friday, January 16, 2015

Miss Lillian's Postcards: Vintage Tweets - Time to Get Out of St Louis for Keeps!

Postcard 028

Sender:  C. M. De Rinza French Lady
Addressee: Miss Lillian Maguire, 1902 G Terry Ave, Seattle, Wash.
Postmark: St. Louis, MO
Date: June 4, 1908
Image: Wabash Bridge, Forest Park, St Louis, MO


I suspect that this bridge no longer exists, but in this postcard it looks relatively new and very picturesque. Forest Park is still in St Louis. This very large park is a major center for the city, with civic buildings, a zoo, and a golf course. If I ever visit St Louis, I'll have to be sure to visit Forest Park!

Message: 
Dear Lillian,
I am so glad
you are so well
pleased with your
new home & sincerely
hope it will bring
back your health
which after all is 
the greatest blessing
of all. I trust I may
be as fortunate
as you & get out next 
spring for keeps no 
returning for me.
Thanks for your postal.
Linda left us last Saturday
& Florence Abel leaves this [sic]
Things are changing rapidly.
With love from C. M. De Rinza
French Lady



The message on this postcard is very warm and confiding. It emphasizes the gift of health, and informs us that health in that time period was not a secure thing. It also seems to indicate that young women of Lillian's circle were all anxious to leave St. Louis. In addition to Lillian, Linda and Florence have left (married? simply moved? where did they go?) and this writer, the "French Lady", intends to leave too, "for keeps". This is such an interesting and intriguing peek into young women's life at that time!

Afternoon Dress 1907


4 comments:

  1. I used to live in STL until 5 years ago and I'm pretty sure that bridge was there then. Forest Park is a lovely place to visit! Huge and the Zoo is there too. If that particular bridge isn't there there are others like it still up! STL is a great place to visit. Lots of pretty old buildings!

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    1. Thank you, Haley! If you say the bridge was there 5 years ago, I bet it is still there! I will have to hunt some more to a current picture of it. From what I have seen on the Internet, Forest Park does indeed look like a great place to visit. :)

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  2. Forest Park is very nice! Most of the things to do there (Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, etc.) are free, and there are still a couple buildings left from the 1904 World's Fair, the World's Fair Pavilion and the Art Museum. (However, I hate the new modern addition onto the Art Museum. It'd look fine on its own, but attached to a 1900's building? Yuck.)
    I don't think I've seen that bridge, but I know I've heard of it. I mainly stick to the museums and zoo when I go to Forest Park, I don't get much of a chance to explore.

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    1. So nice to hear from you, TheSameYellowToy! It sounds like I must visit St. Louis AND especially Forest Park. :)

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