Living near History
Posted on | January 31, 2012 | 12 Comments
I’ve mentioned that my aunt is a brilliant and dedicated archivist of any and all family memories. This includes paperwork, keepsakes, photos, even recipes. She scans everything and sends it to us on discs. For someone who has a love affair with all things vintagey and papery this is like hitting the lottery. One thing that has always stood out to me is this telegram. Dorothy was my grandmother (though we called her Dottie) and “baby girl” is the aunt I mentioned. I geek out over the old type designs and the creases and the aging that comes with the territory. There’s something nice about having an actual piece of paper to mark these big life occasions. Now it would just be a text or worse, a facebook update. (I just threw up).
One thing of note: the telegram was sent to 128 West 13th Street. Well, that’s right in my neighborhood. A five minute stroll over and I was right in front. Kind of perfect.
Comments
12 Responses to “Living near History”
Leave a Reply
January 31st, 2012 @ 2:47 pm
Super cool!
January 31st, 2012 @ 3:01 pm
This is perfect! I love that she saves everything. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the things that I have saved over the years..including wester union telegrams that my aunts would send me from argentina and even cuba where my mom’s family is from. And it’s not like I’m old…but we didn’t have email when I was a growing (or at least not everyyone did!). I especially love that you were in front of the building and photos of the building where it was sent today. I love to imagine all the people who lived in these older buildings in NY. What were their lives like? Imagine how many people have lived there since?
January 31st, 2012 @ 7:32 pm
i love this!! i, too, am the family’s memory keeper and i get excited when i hear about/see others doing the same!
i am with you all the way…paper trumps anything electronic forever!! hehe!
for two previous years, i blogged an old photo each day, but this year, i am switching gears and posting ephemera. i love having it available electronically because it can so easily be shared! and it makes it all the more easier to part with it!
http://insidethephotobox.blogspot.com/
January 31st, 2012 @ 8:02 pm
oh i love that.
January 31st, 2012 @ 9:10 pm
Wow- that is so cool of your aunt and you. You guys are obviously of the same blood. My dad loves these types of things too, but I think he was too much of a wanderer in his young age to think that far in advance. I should try to think that far in advance for my own life.. and his.. I’ll start saving some special cards from my folks, and maybe the envelopes with stamps too. He usually sends me packages though, I wonder if I can get the stamps off someway to save them. xo
January 31st, 2012 @ 11:51 pm
How fantastic the address was right near you! I think it’s great your aunt is collecting history like this — you’ll have so many fun stories for the future.
February 1st, 2012 @ 12:32 am
Oh my, I love this! You are so lucky to have such a good archivist in your family. And how fun that you could go check out the address. My grandmother died many years ago but every once in a while, my mom will give me something of hers for my birthday — like a recipe in her handwriting or a school project. I love it all! People always think you just need photos but these everyday objects are so special. I try to collect them for our life now hoping they will be special to someone many years from now.
February 1st, 2012 @ 1:38 am
So cool. It made me sad to realize that yeah, facebook statuses are where we mark big occasions nowadays. Pffffft.
February 1st, 2012 @ 3:42 am
holy sweet Hannah that is beyond amazing! I freaking love old stuff like that. And to have the address 5min down the street? Too cool!
February 1st, 2012 @ 2:47 pm
So cool! What a cool memento to have on hand. I love “real” mail – I try to send out at least one hand-written letter a week!
PS – I think the coolest part is the “stamp.” There was a tremendous war going on and the whole nation rallied behind their troops, regardless of their feelings on the war. I’d like to think of myself as a pacifist, but that camaraderie among the masses for a “noble cause” is so nostalgic is makes my heart break a little. It’s kind of nuts to think, too, that while this war ravaged half of the world, babies were still being born, just as always
February 1st, 2012 @ 5:52 pm
This is so sweet. I want to send someone a telegram right now.
February 1st, 2012 @ 9:30 pm
This made me smile.