Children

Unused card marked "Valentine's Series (Britain) and additionally marked "Published by W. H. Griffith, Sherbrooke, Que." Another version of the same card that I have (which is coloured) was postmarked in 1906. The reason I have the card is that this is the street that my grandfather lived on as a boy, right around this time (he would have been 15 in 1906). It was a long post road that began in central Sherbrooke and made its way to Melbourne, a town to the north where my grandfather's parents had, incidentally, been married in 1886. There is no Melbourne Street anymore since it was broken up into a number of smaller streets to better fit the city's grid pattern as Sherbrooke grew. Interestingly, my grandfather's house (then known as 28 Melbourne) is one of the row houses shown just at right. The face of the kid looking at the camera reminds me of him ... but that would be too much to ask for. Here is a great view of the exact same scene today from Google Earth. Other than the paved street and the loss of the house in the right foreground (as well as some of the street straightening mentioned above), it is virtually an identical scene over a century later: View Larger Map

Posted September 6, 1911 at Winnipeg: "Arrived O.K. Didn't miss my train. Am enjoying every minute. Saw Ricahrds yesterday + was speaking to Mr. Black over the phone. Muriel M. Bliss" Addressed to P. Q. M. S. Carmen, Militia Dept., Ottawa, Ont. P.O.O.'s office. The image seems to show the houses and other buildings along Osborne Street North, behind the U of M building (in what is now Memorial Park). Valentine & Sons card no. 105,781. This event took place on October 7, 1909. The schools involved were: Aberdeen, Alexander, Argyle, Carlton, Dufferin, Gladstone, Isbister, Somerset, John M. King, King Edward, Lord Selkirk, Luxton, Machray, Mulvey, Norquay, Pinkham, Strathcona, Victoria and Wellington.

Mailed at Haileybury, Ont., May 9, 1909 to Miss Edna Hemphill, 651 South 3rd East St, Salt Lake City, Utah. Valentine & Sons no. 102,464 with additional mention of The Canada Railway News Co., Toronto.

Unused Russell Lang & Co. card no. 155 (presumably a reissue of an identical Warwick Bros. & Rutter card).

Grand Trunk Railway System card published by Johnston's Art Stores, Niagara Falls, N.Y. and posted in South Brooksville, Maine on Sept. 1, 1906 to Mrs. L. A. Hopkins of North Sullivan, Maine. Undivided back.

"I expect Ethel is coming to spend the winter with us. We seem a small family now Will is gone. What do you think of these pictures. Lots of love from us all, Jess." Not postally used. Looks as though the date on the pennants might be August 1911. Old Boys' Reunions were common in the summer months in southern Ontario communities.

Posted, with a cancel in blue ink, at Amherst on May 8, 1913 to Mr. A. M. Peart, Guysboro, Nova Scotia: "School Children passing in review before Sir Charles Tupper. This is below the Post Office -- he is abreast of P.O. in an auto. This is Marshall's grade - the middle portion of it. He was one of the leaders. M. -- 2000 children paraded."

Split-ring cancel from Hawarden, Sask, Apr. 23, 1911. Addressed to Mrs M. T. Tisdale, Tillsonburg, Ont.: "Hawarden April 23/11 Dear Margaret: - Was glad to hear from you + hope you + Arch. are fine. Your mother will be busy getting her garden ready I suppose + your father will be busy like Chas. is I expect. The children are both real well but I miss my sister so much. I don't like to go near the place. All well here + hope everybody your way are. With love, Kate."

This one is a little muddier looking in real life but Photoshop brightened it up very nicely. Posted Aug. 12, 1907 to Mrs. Wm. Mills, 28 Kennelworth Cres., Beech, Toronto: "My dear Hannah, All well here - I am none to[o] strong but gaining. Sorry Ella goes tomorrow evening. Picture of children on way to lake. Love to all. Affect., sister Sarah."