Transcribers Log #006 Doodles, Patterns and Fabric oh my!

Welcome to... My Darling Emma 1857

If you are NEW HERE be sure to read the beginning of the journey I am on transcribing my family's 19th century letter collection!

Once in a while... correspondences come with little surprises, a poem, a drawing, a flower from one's garden, a photo, newspaper clippings or maybe even small fabric pieces. My 19th century family letters have all of the above. All are pretty neat in their own way.  

This drawing was done for Emma by her (older by 3 years) niece Nellie Keeler. 

This stamp drawing was by Nellie Keeler.

    The flowers are over 150 years old and still intact… dry, brown, brittle and unidentifiable, but surprisingly still intact. There was also a lot of newspaper clippings, obituaries mostly, a few religious articles and cartoons. All were in great condition.

an unidentified dried flower that was in a letter

A Sunday School Convention ribbon from M. E. Church in Winchester, Va. dated 1912. Found among the letters.

The fabric pieces are in super great condition as well!  Not faded and still brightly colored. Some letters mentioned they were sending the bits of the fabric so the letter recipient could see what their dresses looked like that they had made. Other fabric pieces were mailed by Quaker women (and non) to be used used in their quilting. Only a few mentioned why they were sending the pieces and most did not. I have to wonder why some of the fabric pieces were never used and kept with the letters…

Unused fabric pieces that were sent to Emma and still with the letter. These were from Laura Rutherford sent around 1875.

In among the letters was a nice handkerchief with the letter “C” embroidered on it. Not sure how it stayed so nice in among the ruins of the cardboard box - I think it was stored down towards the bottom and in a more safer spot. The handkerchief was sent to Emma from her nephew Herbert Childs (1868-1932) from West Liberty, Iowa in 1906. He wrote “I enclose a piece of the dress in which our dear mother was buried and I am also sending you a handkerchief which both of which I know you will prize for the association.” 

The handkerchief.

AND you MUST be wondering what nephew Herbert Childs buried his mother in...

Here is a photo of the "piece of the dress" that is still with the letter and cover.

A rather unique item I found in a letter was well, I’m not really sure what it is exactly. I tried looking it up and the best I can figure out is a linen tag of some sort. I'm not sure what letter it came out of. But it was wrapped in yellow tissue paper. If anyone knows how this was used, let me know.

its a bird, its a plane, its a linen tag?

The drawings and doodles. Gotta say I’m partial to the bird drawings myself and I wish there were more, but only a few letters have drawings. Oh! and there is a hand drawn sewing pattern in a letter addressed to Emma in 1875 that is super cool! It was sent (and drawn) by Laura Rutherford who said:

“I have no yoke pattern, but have a new stamped yoke which I think will be very pretty after it is washed. I drew it off and will send it hope you will like it. You need not return it. I send half of the sleeve, and half of the front, the back has a point just on the front. You have all that is needed, it is not drawn very well, but I had hurried so, and gotten to do other things. Now dont think it was any trouble, for it was not.”

Isn't that just beautiful!?! 

Till the next one folks!

Sincerely,

CT