G.033.01 - A Change is in the Air... (for Gerda, 1906)

 

"BELFAST"
Raphael Tuck & Sons' "Oilette" [Regd.] Postcard 7416
Art publishers to their majesties the King and Queen.

Cave Hill, four miles from Belfast, is about 1,200 feet in height. The summit of the hill is crowned by MacArt Fort, which was the stronghold of MacArt (O'Neill) during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. A magnificent bird's eye view of Belfast and its surroundings is obtained from the top of the hill.

To: Gustaf Ekman, Galeton, Pa
From: Gerda 
Sent: June 12, 1906 - from Clark Str. PO. Ch / Ill 
Arrived: Galeton, Pa, June 13, 1906

Baksidan: Käre broder! Tack för brefvet. Roligt höra att du mår bra, du kan väl undra huru det är fatt medan du ej fått svar, men som vanligt har jag haft trefligt. För övrigt mår jag bra, hoppas du gör det också. 
Framsidan, uppochner: Jag skall lämna min plats här om 2 veckor. Jag undrar om du kommer hit då, annars kanhända jag kommer till dig / Jag skall snart skrifva till dig och tala om min nya adr. Du kanske kan vara snäll skrifva ett bref kort när du får detta, för jag ... [oläsligt] /Gerda 

På detta (svårtydda!) vykort skriver Gerda till sin bror Gustaf i mitten av juni 1906, att hon ska lämna sin dåvarande plats "om 2 veckor" (dvs sista juni). 

Från kort adresserde till Gerda (i hennes vykortsalbum med jul/påsk-hälsningar) framgår att hon i början av november 1906 hade flyttat till 3328, Michigan Ave i Chicago -  där hon fortfarande var skriven vid folkräkningen 1910, som anställd i hushållet hos Dr. Otto L. Schmidt med familj. 

1903, på det allra första vykortet i Gerdas album adresserat till henne i Chicago (januari 1903), är adressen: 6019 Morgan st, Chicago. På nästa kort (april 1903): care of Mrs Deutsche, 35 Elaines Pl[ace]. På ett julkort med oläslig poststämpel: 1240, Addison Ave. Detta bör ha varit julen 1903 eller 1904, för... 

... i januari 1905, och fortfarande i januari 1906, bodde Gerda på 1831 Barry Ave. Mellan Barry Ave. och Michigan Ave. tycks hon också tillfälligt ha haft adressen 1619 N. Campbell Ave. (Enligt ett julkort från dec 1906 adresserat till henne där, men som eftersänts till 3328 Michigan Ave.)

Slutsats: Det bör ha varit Barry Ave. som Gerda lämnade vid halvårsskiftet juni/juli 1906. Dock oklart om hon gick direkt till anställning på Michigan Ave., eller om hon hade annat tillfälligt arbete någon eller några månader däremellan. 

[To Gustaf; from Gerda in Chicago; June 12, 1906]

On the back of the card: Dear brother, thanks for your letter. I'm glad to hear you are well. You might wonder how I am since I have not answered, but as usual I've been having a good time. I am well, and I hope you are, too. 
On the front, upside-down: I am leaving my place here in 2 weeks. I'm wondering if you will be coming here then, otherwise perhaps I'll come to you. I will write to you soon and give you my new address. Perhaps you could write me a letter-card when your receive this, because I ... [?] / Gerda

The text on this card was a real challenge to decipher (and the view from Belfast, Ireland, has nothing to do with the message). But the important piece of news is that Gerda is about to leave her present employment in 2 weeks.

From cards written to Gerda (in her Christmas/Easter postcards album), by the beginning of November 1906, she had moved to 3328, Michigan Ave. in Chicago - the same address where she was still registred in the US Population Census 1910, as servant in the household of Dr Otto L Schmidt and family.

In January 1906 (and also a year before), her address was 1831, Barry Ave. In between Barry Ave. and Michigan Ave., she also seems to have lived temporarily at 1619 N. Campbell Ave. (There is one Christmas card 1906 addressed to her at that address, which was forwarded to Michigan Ave.)

---

Raphael Tuck & Sons was a business started by Raphael Tuck and his wife in London in October 1866, selling pictures and greeting cards, and eventually postcards, which was their most successful line. Their business was one of the best known in the "postcard boom" of the late 1800s and early 1900s. [Wikipedia]

For anyone interested in seeing more Tuck's Postcards, there is a free database: TuckDB Postcards (https://tuckdbpostcards.org/)