This is a collection of ramblings and remembrances about my collection of postcards, which was originally started by my great-grandfather over a hundred years ago.
“‘The Spirit of ‘76,’ also known as ‘Yankee Doodle,’ described as the most inspiring patriotic picture in America, hangs in the Town Fathers’ meeting room in Abbot Hall (in Marblehead, Massachusetts). Painted by A.M. Willard, it was presented to the Town in 1880 by General John Devereux, whose son was the model for the drummer boy.” This is a “Lusterchrome” card by Tichnor Bros., Boston 15, Mass.
The card notes that reproduction is prohibited without the express permission of the Board of Selectmen in Marblehead. So assiduously had they guarded this image over the years that the August 12, 1935 issue of Time magazine made special mention of a rare occasion on which they allowed the image to be reproduced.
For Postcard Friendship Friday — and the Friday before we celebrate our Independence Day — I would like to present these reminders that American men have not been the only guardians of our freedom. The United States Postal Service apparently felt that the theme of women who protect and defend us is worth repeating as well.
The postcard pictured is a Postal Service-issued postcard that reproduces the “Women in Military Service” 32-cent stamp, issued on 18 October 1997, which was also the date of the dedication of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at the gates of Arlington National Cemetery. A 3-cent stamp with a very similar theme (but which unfortunately omitted the Coast Guard) was issued on 11 September 1952. The Department of Defense used the latter stamp to impress upon women the option of a military career.
Although the Postal Service has issued other stamps honoring individual women who served or contributed — pioneers in aviation, medicine, and other fields — I think that these stamps say it best.
My favorite woman in uniform (excluding those with whom I served) is without a doubt Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (1906-1992), a pioneer in computing. Among other achievements, she brought forth the idea that we could program computers using words and syntax that resembled human languages, instead of having to use the ones and zeroes of the machine. (She’s also credited with the saying that “It’s easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission” which, in my opinion, is how most progress is made.)
…at least, I’m pretty sure it’s a kantele, which falls into the category of zithers, or lap-harps. It’s related (according to Wikipedia) to the Russian gusli, the Latvian kokle and the Lithuanian kanklės; these instruments, along with the kantele, fall into the more narrow category of zithers known as psalteries. I play (poorly) a much less sophisticated cousin of these instruments, called the mountain dulcimer or Appalachian dulcimer. But there are varieties of kantele which have as few as five strings that might be within my ken.
The Finnish epic poem Kalevala holds that the mage Väinämöinen crafted the first kantele from the jawbone of a giant pike onto which his boat had run “aground”, as it were; he used hairs from a stallion’s mane for the strings. The first kantele was lost in the sea after further misadventures, but Väinämöinen carved a new one from birchwood.
The Kalevala is a fascinating read, though I don’t anticipate tackling it in the original Finnish anytime soon. Another fun read is The Wall of Serpents, part of the Compleat Enchanter comical fantasy series by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt. In Serpents, a small party from our universe (along with Belphoebe, the huntress from Spenser’s The Faerie Queen) travel into the universe of the Kalevala and interact with all the major characters. I recommend it highly.
My thanks, of course, to Kirsi for sending me this terrific postcard. The kantele is renowned for its bell-like tones; please enjoy this sample.
Given the amount of effort that the artist put into the the building and the trees, you’d think that the clouds would be a little more detailed. This is a leather postcard, one of four that I picked up in a shop while vacationing in New England. All were sent to Miss Grace Hoare of Lowell, MA. While the postmark on this card shows no year, it was probably manufactured and mailed in 1907 — an opinion I base on the other cards like this.
I love these rare occasions when folks not only send me a postcard, but also write my blog entry for me. But this card also marks a couple of firsts: not only is it my first card from Norway, but it’s also the first time anyone has sent me a postcard containing a message of nearly 300 words. Anne was very descriptive with regards to her town and to the views on this postcard. I’m guessing she was inspired by the stamp, which contains the first 30-40 words of Ja, vi elsker dette landet (”Yes, we love this country”), which is Norway’s national anthem.
Verbosity from Verdal
Even wearing my glasses, I found it much easier to scan this card into the computer, rather than try to read it at arm’s length. Anne writes, in part: “Here is a card for you from central Norway. The municipality of Verdal is about 95 kilometers northeast of Trondheim. We have a lot of rivers, lakes, woods and mountain areas. The name Verdal is very old. It means the valley with the tranquil river.
“Verdal has 14,000 citizens. About half of them live in the small city centre of Verdalsøra. But Verdal is much bigger, 1,543 km2, stretching from the Trondheimsfjord to the border of Sweden. Verdal is most known for the historic site of Stiklestad. The battle at Stiklestad (on) July 29th, 1030 is one of the most important events in Norwegian history.
“The pictures are: Top left: Molana at Stiklestad Museum is built in the traditional building style of my area of Norway. Top middle: Verdal’s railway station. Top right: Part of old Verdal centre. Bottom: Part of Verdal, picture taken to the southeast. The dominant mountain in the background is Hermanssnasa, Verdal’s second tallest mountain (1,035 meters).
“Verdal is divided in two by the main river. Verdal has trade, agriculture, small and medium size businesses, off-shore industry and we export limestone. Both the E6 highway and the railroad connecting northern and southern Norway pass through Verdal. In addition, we have the road across the border to Sweden.
“…Now it is summer, and the days are long. We have 20½ hour(s) of sunshine at this time, and no real night at all.” That’s it! She’s not sleeping and had time to write all this! Seriously, though, I appreciate Anne’s time and effort even more than I appreciate the postcard itself.
