Postcard image of the Emperor's Bowl at Wheatland. Said to be the largest known porcelain in the world, was given to Buchanan by the Mikado when the first Japanese Delegation was entertained at the White House in 1860.
Dear - Just a note [?] to [?] for a sup on the patio. Rusty doesn't have enough to do?! I guess it is to bring a bit of new life into the family doldrums. (The gr-father is slipping away [?]) H goes to Kan. City on Wed. - Sun. I stay put. [?] Shall we empty the cellar and sell it all to help HW with his costs? He will write to you about what he wants to sell (I hope.) Be honest. Thank you all for lovely memories.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-134) and index.
Summary
Rural Delivery revisits life in small-town America through examining photographs that were made into postcards in the early twentieth century. The book features more than two hundred photo postcards that re-create a time when Union County Pennsylvania, was prosperous, progressive, and growing, like many other small towns of the era. With so-called corresponding photographs at the height of their popularity, neighboring towns competed with one another to have their best "souvenir views" available. The images, made by professional and amateur photographers alike, include impressive bird's-eye views of towns and close-ups of their bustling streets. Area residents are shown on the move--in trains, buggies, and cars, as well as at play--at Bucknell (then College) class rushes, picnics in the Narrows, or ballooning expeditions in Allenwood. Catastrophic events and patriotic celebrations are also shown in these rare visual documents, which rivaled newspapers for their timeliness. Views of scenic spots, artfully composed or dramatically lighted, advertise the photographer's skill and the region's pastoral beauty. Art historian Jody Blake relates the photographic correspondence to technical, social, and artistic developments in the history of photography, while material cultural historian Jeannette Lasansky places the images on the postcards in the local historical context of Union County.
