Postcards from the Past

If you're reading this blog, it's because you've got an interest in Mennonite history - and that likely means that you also have Mennonite roots, and likely papers, diaries, record books, letters, and cards from the past.

Me too.  In my personal collection I have a small set of postcards from my paternal grandparents.  One or two are from the times when my grandfather took the train between Winnipeg and BC; others are from family members who emigrated from Russia to Germany.  All are precious and tell the tale of what was considered suitable or attractive at the time.

The travel ones are of the Rocky Mountains and the Banff train station.  The European ones are for holidays like Easter or Christmas and so include German icons of the time:  easter eggs, rabbits, angels, red candles with yellow haloes and fir bows.

Apart from those, even more precious are the New Year's cards that were from my paternal grandmother to her mother.  They're dated about 1899-1902 and are printed on shiny, embossed paper with a liner.  And, the liner has handwritten poetry or "wishes" from my grandmother.

All of course deserve to be properly preserved; some are already in archives and the others are on the way.  In exchange for the donating of them to the MHSA, I'll get high quality coloured scans of each of the items -- perfect for duplicating and sharing with the rest of the family.

What about you - do you have some interesting ones to preserve.  Do you have some with interesting stories/pictures?

In kinship,
Judii