Sinclair Lewis and Dorothy Thompson

 This is an article about a book that was coming out that described the relationship between Sinclair Lewis and Dorothy Thompson, his second wife.

The title says, "Frank book about a famous marriage."
  
Sinclair Lewis and Dorothy Thompson's
relationships depicted with perspectives to common problems, artistic and marital.

The picture to the left was taken in 1927 when Sinclair was 42, and  Dorothy was 33. 

Sinclair Lewis was interesting! He ran away when he was 13 wanting to become a drummer in the Spanish-American War. He and his first wife had one son together.  They named him Wells Lewis, after H. G. Wells.

Arrowsmith, published in 1925, about a young doctor's attempt to maintain his integrity in a world of commercialism, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. His next novel, Elmer Gantry, published in 1927, was the story of a revivalist minister. Dodsworth, published in 1929, was an account of a retired automobile manufacturer travelling in Europe. Both books were well-received and in 1930 Lewis became the first American novelist to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. When he received the prize he warned that writers were "still afraid of any literature which is not a glorification of everything American, a glorification of our faults as well as our virtues."

Sadly, Sinclair was an alcoholic. It eventually killed him.  He died in Rome, January 10, 1951.

Oh, How Sweet He Is, Lord

I found this paper in a French book, Imitation de Jesus Christ. The year on this is 1901, and it's beautiful. It's about 4.5 inches long, by 3.5 inches.  The gold on it is shimmery and looks like it was stamped on.

It's speaking of Easter, and interestingly enough, the parish it's listing is in Rome, close to the Trevi Fountain. I wish objects could speak. I want to know how a card from Rome, written in Latin, ends up in a French book in Denmark.

Country Laundry

I swear that's what LANDVASKERI translates to, Country Laundry.  Must be a brand name. Here is the Motto:

AXbo is no factory business, but laundry, with each Customer's clothes are treated met largest omih?

See that last word?  Somebody scracked with the card and for the life of me I can't get it to translate using every letter feasible.  Told you to get used to my made up vocabulary. Scracked it now a word, as in the fabulous word, scrack. So let it be written, so let it be done.  


The date is August 31, 1940. Germany had invaded Denmark in the spring of that year, so this is full occupation time. I love the WWII time period. So many leaps in technology. The world became a smaller place in WWII. Borders were crossed, the world became a literal melting pot.

 

Bright Flowers

I love finding bookmarks!  And I say that every time I find one, and will continue to do so. It's frustrating because the bold colours aren't fully able to be appreciated in this picture. The black portion is silky smooth, and the flowers are really bright and bold. It's about 6 inches long when you include the thready bottom portion. Yeah, thready. Making up my own words, embrace it people, it's not going away.

Computer Card

Honestly, I have no idea what this card is. It's all full of holes, numbers, and some typed stuff at the top. It totally reminded me of That Touch of Mink. If you don't know what I mean, shame on you! Cary Grant and Doris Day in what has always been one of my favorite Cary Grant movies. Netflix it, search on your Tivo, just find it! I fell in love with Cary Grant a million years ago watching this movie. Mr. Shayne, sigh. Aw, Mr. Grant, you still make me all jello.

Doris Day plays a gal who seems to have trouble finding a job and, through a series of events, Cary Grant gets her hired working at a company on computers. She didn't realize that he had gotten her the job, and when she finds out she is crazy angry and takes it out on the computers. She hits a bunch of buttons on the computers and cards go flying everywhere. They looked like this card to me.

Well, it's just a card, but anything that brings Cary Grant to mind is alright by me.

Leather and Stitched

I never use actual bookmarks any more. I used to get them as gifts and think how cute they are and then I use them and they disappear. Some other soul has likely found them in a library book I returned, or a book I lent out, or a book I have given away. So now I keep my cute bookmarks and use a random piece of paper or something as a bookmark. Thank goodness other people have done that too or I wouldn't have much to post on this blog.

These are pretty big. The leather one is about 7 inches long. Not losing this bookmark, it leaves a big bulge in your book. The other one has been hand stitched and is fraying a bit.

Book and Card 1937

I sometimes, rarely, find books in English while I am unpacking my new shipment. I found this one yesterday. It's Kenilworth by Sir Walter Scott. I can't find a print date on the inside, but the inscription from Harry says 1937. There was this little card with the boy and girl on it, which I assume came with flowers or something, and this Christmas and Happy New Year card. It seems to be vellum which is pretty rare these days. As I flip through the book, there is also a little pressed leaf. I can only guess what kind of memories Harry and Karen made together to prompt this gift. My imagination goes to a love story, but Harry's "with best wishes" on the card kind of squashes that theory. Unless they were seeing each other on the sly. Oh, I like that. Why else keep all this stuff and the pressed leaf if it didn't mean something special?

Through the Park, Bitterman

Alright, this reminds me of Arthur, the movie. The 80's version with Dudley Moore. Bitterman was his chauffeur and there was a scene when Arthur tells him to drive through the park. I really loved Hobson, the butler/babysitter. And Dudley Moore was a wonderful drunk. I didn't hate the new Arthur with Russell Brand, he's fantastically strange. I can't take my eyes off of him. And Helen Mirren was a wonderful "Hobson"

This is a cut out that is embossed and very detailed. Not a clue where it came from. A child's game? From the 20's perhaps. Love these old cars. With or without the drunk guy in the back.

Note from 1930

A cool little note from, I'm guessing, April 12, 1930. We, in the US, write the date differently. My first thought was December. Nice, embossed CW in the corner. It actually opens up to reveal blank pages. Like they wrote on the outside of a card. I'm assuming the CW goes with that signature at the end. I can make out a CW in it, although I have no idea what it says. I like finding notes. I send so many texts every day, I bet some of them would be worth keeping, but with a flick of the wrist they disappear forever. Unless someone gets a court order to see all of your texts. That could be scary. I think it's possible we all say things a little more animated knowing that it will be erased shortly. Be warned. Someone could read them someday.

H. C. Andersen's Emperor

I have been busy unpacking my 6,000 0r so new books, and in one box was a pile of pictures all portraying a story of H.C. Andersen's. I have to assume they fell out of a book, but I found no such book in the box they were in. Curious. They are all lovely and will be posted at some point. I've always loved this story. It somehow appealed to me when I was younger that an adult, who should clearly know better, could be fooled into walking around in his skivvies. And, of course, anything to do with underwear is funny. I also thought the Emperor obviously had terrible friends. I would hope, if I were waltzing around in my unmentionables, my friends would be kind enough to see that I'm not in the right state of mind and throw me a bone. Or a shirt. And pants. Unless you look like a Calvin Klein underwear model, cover it up baby!

Darwin's Own Struggle for Existence

This is a several page article about Darwin from 1958. The headline reads, "Darwin's own struggle for existence." Pretty intriguing title, too bad this article has been through the wringer. It's wrinkled and ripped right down the middle. I hope it's from being read so many times.

I scanned a few pictures, they were pretty fun and can be understood in any language. The next line under the title says, "100 anniversary of the doctrine of all beings originate and struggle, an envelope by Nature's table." I hate that Google translate isn't perfect. Maybe I need to learn Danish.

There's a picture of Charles in his younger years, and one with the Mrs. when he is quite a bit older. This is the picture of Darwin I always picture. Old bald guy with a long, white beard. My favorite picture is of what they are calling his workroom. Love, love, love all the books. Bookcases full and spread out in a mess on his desk. Comfy looking leather chairs and a fireplace, reading heaven!

Stamps!

Stamps are one of my favorite things to find. These aren't very old, but they are beautiful. It says on the top, "Evangelists' symbols are inspired by Johannes' Abenbaring."
"Third Sunday of Advent: Gospel preached to the poor and blessed it, somebody is not offended at me." That's got to be a bad translation, but I get the idea. A nice small, but full sheet of stamps, placed in a book and long forgotten. I hope. I hate to think someone in Denmark is frantically searching through all of their books for the stamps they purchased!

Danish Postal Museum

A souvenir from the Postal Museum from 1928. I wonder if they got it "postmarked" there because there's no address or anything on it? I don't automatically look at the year 1928 and think it was that long ago until I start thinking about all that has happened since then. Putting all the history between 1928 until now really ages this postcard for me. I always wonder about the stamps on all the things I find, maybe one of them is actually worth something? Money, I mean. They are already worth something to me.

Sunday Greetings

It's the Easter service Sunday, March 20, 1921. Pastor H. P. Mollerup is conducting the service on this date and he was quite an interesting fellow. His full name was Hans Peter Martin Mollerup, born in 1866 and passed away in August of 1929. He co-founded the Blue Cross in 1895, and along with Kirsten Prip, founded the Church Army in 1912. A kind of home for homeless, drug addicts, etc.

Mollerup graduated from Odense Latin School in 1885 and became master of theology from the University of Copenhagen in 1892. He served as a chaplain in England for four years. It was here he became acquainted with the English version of the Church Army. Back in Denmark he became the pastor at Freeport Church in Copenhagen, where this pamphlet is from. He spent his life helping the homeless, helping to fight poverty, and those with alcoholism.

The church I go to also hands out a program every Sunday. Ours is missing the advertising portion, however. You are seeing the first and last page of the pamphlet. First we have our spiritual thought, followed by the folks who made printing this spiritual thought possible.