House and Garden 1931

This is a one page newspaper piece that is in remarkably good shape. There are a couple small tears, but considering it's 82 years old, pretty sweet. The top says House and Garden and the entire page seems to be devoted to when to plant your flowers and fruit plants.

The back side of the paper is entirely ads, mostly for travel. If newspapers today advertised travel as much as those I find in my books, who could resist hopping on a train or boat and seeing the world? It would tempt me to no end. Like the times the paper will put multiple pages of pets that need to be adopted. I can't look at them! It's an addiction, pets. I currently have more cats than any sane person I know. I am literally becoming the cat/book lady! To me, it's a dirty secret. I tell no one how many cats I have. But my kids! Oh, it's bragging right. How many times have I laughed it off, shrugged my shoulders, and tried to run away, when my kids have started to tell other kids and their parents how many cats we have. They ALL give me a wide eyed, are you kidding me, kind of look. I used to try to explain, but it really just makes the situation worse. So there you have it. A confession of sorts.

Letters in a Book

I recently received a new shipment of books, 6500 in all, and I am starting the unpacking process which is better than Christmas! I found a small book today with several letters pasted and attached to the inside covers. The front cover had this little envelope and the paper that was inside of it just opposite of it.

 The back cover has this letter attached that had been in a sealed envelope. Not your standard lick the nasty paste on the envelope type of seal, but a wax seal! So my first thought is that it came with the book somehow, a fun little added something. But then I notice something.

Behind the broken seal was a newspaper clipping. How would that get there? I had to see what it was!

I carefully peeled away the letter and managed to get some of the clipping off of the back of the book.

It didn't fair well, as you can see. But, the interesting thing is, it's a small clipping showing travel places, times, and prices!

Ok, I realize it could be a souvenir or something, but in my crazy world, it's a secret plan to escape together. Two lovers, perhaps? Someone escaping a bad situation? The possibilities are endless. And of course they made it, wherever they were going, because they kept all of this as a reminder.

If you are Danish and can read this letter, which I will probably try to translate at some point, could you please just play along that it's something amazing?!  Life is so much more fun that way.

Bendix Christensen

 It's a birthday party for Bendix Christensen! 60 years old on May 16, 1973. This is a curious invite. It's about 8 inches long, 2 inches wide, and is silky. I believe it was white back in the 70's.

I had to look it up, Bendix, really?  Turns out it's short for Benedictus or Benedict. I love it! Much better than Benedict. Danish names I run across are so cool. I had another post with an Axel Bang in it. Awesome, right?

I'm sure it was a splendid affair, the wine list alone pretty much spells major party. Perhaps Bendix was an avid reader and thought a fancy bookmark would be the perfect invite. And if you enjoyed that wine list, it would help remind you what it was you had for dinner the night before. I hope you had many more birthdays, Bendix.

Mister Moustache

I have to assume this picture fell out of a book, but I couldn't find which book it might belong to. Oddly, many old books have pictures taped or glued in just on one edge. I cannot imagine the assembly line required for a large printing order of a book. Craziness.

This picture immediately had me thinking of Madeline, who lives in a house in Paris that is all covered in vines. There's one story about a next door neighbor boy they call "the bad hat". He causes all sorts of trouble, of course by the end of the book, they are all great friends. This man reminds me of his father.

It's a beautiful print, about 8 x 11 inches in size. The shading and coloring reminds me a bit of Toulouse-Lautrec's style. But what do I know.

Party All Night

Cute little cartoon, only about 2" by 2" in size. The direct Google translate is:

The sad thing about getting older is that you have it in the morning sometimes as if it had hosted out and party all night, even if you have not been anywhere..

Hmm, not a great translation, but I get the gist. Sadly, I understand it because I know what they mean from personal experience! I'm not old, per say, but a good night sleep is now a need, not a hey, it would be cool if kind of situation. It's gotta happen, and it has to be good. None of this cricks in the neck, have to get up and use the restroom at 3am, tossing and turning garbage. A strict lights out and crash completely until 8 or 9 hours have passed. Oh no, I do sound old!  Eh, who cares, bring on the comfy bed and pillow. 

Synagogue of El Transito

 This postcard is from 1935 and shows the interior of the Synagogue of El Transito in Toledo, Spain. It was founded by Samuel ha-Levi Abulafia, Treasurer to Peter of Castile in 1356, and it was thought that King Peter probably gave his assent to the building of the synagogue to compensate the Jews of Toledo for destruction that had occurred in 1348, during anti-Jewish riots that accompanied the arrival of the Black Death in Toledo. The founder eventually fell on bad terms with the king and was executed in 1360. The synagogue was converted to a church after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. The building, which is in a good state of conservation for its age, is currently a museum.

So there's your history lesson. It looks amazing. It was also used as military headquarters during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1877 the building became a national monument.

Love learning new things about history!  I have searched and searched for any information about this stamp, but I have come up empty. I have a friend from Sweden who told me that Spain is the go to warm place to visit in the summer. Since this was sent in July, I will assume our travelers were seeking some sun for their summer foray.

Stamps, stamps, and more stamps!

All of these lovely stamps fell out of one book! Thank you stamp collectors of the world, for saving such beautiful stamps in a book for me to find many years later. They may not be that old, one stamp seems to be advocating breastfeeding. I am an RN in my alternate life, so I very happy to see this. Breast is Best!