Thursday, July 19, 2018

@%*X% Screwy Whistles and "Tieing Knots"

It's become a summer ritual for me to look for antique postcards, especially those that were actually written and mailed. Last year was a treasure trove, and this year I found one that reinforces the "power of place."
The place: 
304 E. 24th St., Wilmington, DE.
I found this postcard in Rehoboth Beach, DE in July 2018.
"Well now, Helen!  This is better than tieing (sic.) knots, & waiting for that @%*X% screwy whistle!"
Mailed July 22, 1941 from Montreal to Wilmington, DE
Front: Canadian War Memorial, Ottawa


2 cent Canadian stamp
What we might be able to infer is that Kay and Helen worked together at a factory tying ("tieing") knots, and their shift must have ended or been marked by a whistle. 

What factories were in Wilmington at that time?
Wilmington was an ideal location for shipbuilding because the strip of land that was used for factories was sandwiched between the railroad and access to the ocean.

This article also explains that Wilmington was a magnet for women who wanted to work, and housing was very tight.  People subdivided even small apartments. So it's feasible they worked together in a factory.
This is what the house where Helen was living in 1941 looks like today:

We can't know exactly what their story was, but it turns out that the postcards I found last summer also connect to Helen and Kay and 304 E.24th St.,Wilmington, DE.

The chain started in 1908. Fred wrote to Harry Fox in Newark, DE from NYC.

In 1927, the address for Harry Fox became the same one where Helen will be living when Kay  eventually sends her the "tieing knots" postcard from Montreal. In 1927, Nell (Mrs. Harry Fox) received this from Dora, mailed in Atlantic City.
In 1928, "Mrs. Fox" received this from Kessler, also mailed from Atlantic City.
Two years later, Mr. Fox received this card from Mr. Kessler.
In 1933, Vilma and Leon wrote to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Fox from Newport News, VA.
In June 1941, Mr. Harry Fox received this postcard from Walter E. in Richmond, on his way to Pittsburgh.
Then we have our convergence: 
July 22, 1941 
We have another card from Kay to a different person at Helen's address. (Kay obviously wrote more than one postcard in that session.) Her tone with Florence Fox, though, is more formal than when she wrote to Helen (Mrs. Vernon Wenhold).
July 30, 1941, "Mother & Dad" wrote to Helen (and Vernon), mailed from North Carolina, and they'd been sick.
July 31, 1941 
Mother & Dad (different people? different handwriting) wrote to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Fox, mailed from North Carolina.
September 26, 1941 Harry and Jack wrote to Mr. and Mrs. Fox from Luray Caverns.

It's a fascinating glimpse into a family and group of friends, but it also feels like we are given access to their lives without their permission.

Perhaps I should send a postcard their way.
Proof that the story never really ends:



FLORENCE FOX 

Florence A. Fox (Fowler) Age 87, of Bear, DE passed away on September 8, 2009. She was a homemaker. 

Her husband, Francis W. Fox, Sr. died in 1988. 

Florence is also preceded in death by her children, Donald Fox, Barbara Saxe, and Deborah Fox, granddaughter, Kimberly Saxe, and brothers, Kenneth and Larry. 

Florence is survived by her children, William Fox (Ellen) of Newark, Jane Lyons (Bob) of Ocean View, DE, Linda Manuel (Larry) of Bear, and Francis W. Fox, Jr. (Shirl) of Smyrna, 16 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren, 2 great great grandchildren, daughter-in-law, Nancy Fox, and son-in-law, Wilford Saxe. 



FOX, Francis W. Sr.

Death: 15-Aug-1988



Their son: 
Francis Fox, Jr.

Age 58, passed away suddenly on June 7, 2015 in Bayhealth, Dover, DE.

He was born the son of the late Florence and Francis W. Fox, Sr. Francis was preceded in death by his brother, Donald Fox and his sister, Barbara Saxe. He was a chemical operator at General Chemical Company prior to retiring.

Francis was a veteran of the U.S. Army and Delaware National Guard. 

He is survived by his wife, Shirlene Hess Fox; a son, Francis E. Fox; a daughter, Nina E. Barlow (Clifford); his grandchildren, Hailey, Juanita, Alexis, and Nathaniel; his brother, William Fox; two sisters, Jane Lyons (Robert) and Linda Manuel (Larry).



And so it continues...








Monday, July 17, 2017

Swell Antique Postcards and Polish Ladies

Treasure hunting on vacation.

Day 1: I found some antique postcards at Buddhas and Beads and of course bought twelve of them.

Went back to house and enthusiastically shared with my family [Insert indifference from some and curiosity from others.] 

Discovered that 4 of the cards had notes on them from the same family. The Fox family. [Insert excitement on my part!]

Day 2: Returned to see if I could mine more postcard gold. Found five more notes from that family, and a few other gems.

(My personal fave had no writing on it - 3 Polish ladies, circa  1910.  What's not to love here?!)

Back to the Fox family:
It was fascinating to find a series of postcards from one family.  The dates started in 1908 and went through 1941.

My challenge to you [if you choose to accept it] is to write their story using the cards I found.

1908 to Mr. Harry Fox. The message just says "From, Fred." The picture is the Bowery in NYC and the postmark is Madison Square Station NY, 1908. 

1927 Postmarked Atlantic City:

(How about that picture!)

1928 (Mystery word? Name? Kessler?)


1930


1933

June 22, 1941



July 22, 1941


July 31, 1941


Sept 26, 1941




There's so much to think about here - locations, years, what had not yet happened (Pearl Harbor), what happened in the midst of these cards (WWI), who was who, international travel, those stamps!, what was said and not said...

Run with it - write their story!
(or some other project - it's CLMOOC!)

My reflections will be in a separate post - I did not want to clutter their story with mine.











  


Sunday, July 24, 2016

Throwing Light on Circuits

In 2014, +Maker Jawn helped to host a Make Cycle in CLMOOC. Ever since then, I have been dying to use paper circuits and LED lights in my classroom.

Chibitronics recently came out with some new sticker lights that made paper circuits even easier. My coteacher and I brainstormed, and ended up using them in three ways in our ELA classes this school year:

1. Treasure Maps

Our first unit teaches narrative writing. We had students create a fantasy treasure map and add in a paper circuit to light up where the treasure was. The treasure ended up being everything from cupcakes to gold in Africa. Then they based their first big narrative on their maps. Our thinking was that the circuitry aspect would help to increase engagement, and it definitely did. (Plus it was fun.)

2. Random Acts of Kindness
Our students have been placed at our school because they are unable to function in their homeschools. As a result, we place a big emphasis on Social-Emotional Learning. We had our kids make a card thanking a staff member for their help and support. They could attach a paper circuit or a throwie. The throwies led to a lot of experimentation about how many lights we could light up with one battery, how long they would stay lit, etc. Our classroom glowed when the lights were turned off! Students presented their cards in person and were thus able to both show appreciation and feel the impact of their positive behavior. Staff still have the cards hanging in their offices (although we need to give them new batteries).


3. World Peace Game
In our last unit, we did a version of John Hunter's World Peace game. The poorest country in the game, Snowenia, did not even have electricity. That team spent three weeks researching how a country would "get" electricity. Once they finally had an understanding, they added actual "electricity" to the World Peace Game map in our classroom.

I am a big believer in multidisciplinary teaching and using hands-on projects to increase engagement. Our students learned about topics from all disciplines via these circuitry activities. It was not a science classroom, but it often looked like one!

How can you use paper circuits in your classes?




Sunday, July 17, 2016

Escargot Mail (Without the Garlic)

Focusing on our Make Cycle 2 and #CLMOOC theme of gratitude and reciprocation...

In the typically phenomenal fashion of #CLMOOC, Sarah Honeychurch helped to inspire Karen Fasimpaur who inspired lots of others-to embrace the beauty of snail mail

Karen's Postcard Project took wings and kept its legs (mixing metaphors) throughout the year, often giving those who were participating in it an emotional lift when they most needed it. 

I love this project.  All winter long, I added cards to my kitchen walls and cabinets. Just seeing the connections made real - with concrete, hands-on objects - helped me through the gray, cold winter. In the spring, I finally installed a stainless steel postcard display in my house. The postcards are here to stay!




At the beginning of summer, inspired by the thought-provoking cards I had gotten from others, I decided to try some interactive postcards.  I got one set on which a person can doodle and another set which gives creative ways to interact via the postcards. The last set is aptly called "Everything is Connected."

I love to draw, so I sent out some with doodles already on them.
#postcard #doodle animated GIF



I also sent out some with "missions" on them, like this one I sent to Kevin Hodgson:


and this one I sent to Scott Glass:



I got some non-CLMOOC-ers involved, too, because I knew they would love the interconnectedness of it all.



There's something uplifting about interacting on such a concrete yet heartfelt level. Someone took the time to make something, buy a stamp, and mail it out. Online interactions are great, and rewarding, but the feeling of Escargot Mail is just different for me. 

I am grateful to those of you who took the time to send me postcards and those who were willing to receive or play with my interactive postcards. (And sometimes the Postcard Project was more like a gifting project...)


















This project wants and needs you! It has no beginning or end, and you are just on time. Want to join us?

You don't have to be an artist, just willing to connect via escargot mail!
Image result for snail
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snail_on_railing.jpg
Yours in connectedness,
Susan
@eatcherveggies



via GIPHY

See also:
http://chrisguillebeau.com/postcards-in-the-mail/ and this http://leftysmudges.com/)