Photos, Post Cards, Etcetera

 

I was mainly motivated to buy this real photo postcard by the "POST CARD" box on the lower right side of the image. However, there is a wealth of other details in the image to enjoy and speculate about. Most likely, this young lady was intending to show off her living quarters and possessions to friends or relatives who did not live nearby. She appears to be both a postcard collector and a doll lover.

Starting at the top, there is a Fremont pennant. Several states have towns named Fremont, but South Dakota does not. The closest is Fremont, Nebraska. The pennant looks like an old college pennant to me, and there was a Fremont College & Business Institute in Fremont, Nebraska until 1919 (source: http://www2.westminster-mo.edu/wc_users/homepages/staff/brownr/NebraskaCC.htm )

I couldn't find anything resembling the two parasols hanging upside down from the curtain rod. They look too small to be functional, so most likely are just decorative. They could be souvenirs or something intended for home decor. The clock on the table reads 9:40. This would have to be morning, because the lighting is pretty good. The dress and shoes suggest that the weather is warm.

In the detail below, there is a better view of the things the lady is holding and the desk behind her. She is holding a couple of photos in her right hand and a long narrow "mystery" item in the left. I can see folds in the item, but can't tell whether it is paper or fabric. The desk holds an assortment of books and papers (and possibly more photos). Behind the desk is a panoramic photo.

Here is a closeup of the photos in the lady's hand. There are two figures in the top photo, but it is not clear where they are or what they are doing. I am guessing they could be farmers standing on top of a hay wagon.

Here is a closeup of the panorama. I started speculating a couple of days after my original post that the panorama could be a threshing harvest scene. The image isn't clear enough to tell, but I am showing some known threshing scenes that I found online for comparison.

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THRESHING SCENES

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2012646379/

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVciU5Rqkrhm9jJEeS78USiSeToQVDf8MNqAFpMQaXUN5wad7CbXrq1Alt_Wu-ziw7QxV16mvhdgMN8-c3DdH4EzOZ1qW9jxU_DmwMpalPt_7-mpc9W6sbhw7qIJh6sPDiakOM-kt8A_4/s1600/panoramaThreshing.jpg

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The back of the card indicates that it is from Cora in South Dakota, 1918. I can't decipher the middle word, nor can I tell whether it is part of her name or a location. Above that, there is some pencil writing that has been erased. It  appears to say: To Mary Ella and her mother. Perhaps Cora decided not to send this card.

The words at the top of the card have been added for the benefit of postcard collectors. "DELTIOLOGY" is the study and collection of postcards. "Trimmed" indicates that the card has been trimmed--not a good thing to do to postcards!

Addendum: Soon after I published this post, I received a comment with the following information:

The woman is Cora Mable Wince born 04 Feb 1890 in Iowa City, Wright, Iowa, USA. Her father was Valentine Sherman Wince b. 1865-d.1956 and her mother was Ruth Elizabeth James b. 1870-d. 1956. in 1905 the family resided in Farragut, Fremont, Iowa. In 1910 the family resided in Fisher, Fremont, Iowa and in 1910 they resided in Jackson, Harrison, Iowa. Cora was the second of 11 children. She had 5 Sisters and 5 Brothers. Cora was a school teacher and taught at the Whittier School in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha, South Dakota in the 1920's. She was married to Moses Manon Wallace in Vermillion, Clay, South Dakota on 12 Mar 1921. Moses was born 05 August 1888 in Mondamin, Harrison, Iowa and died 04 Jul 1965 in Rogers, Benton, Arkansas. By 1930, they moved to Walnut, Benton, Arkansas, USA and lived out their remaining years in the Benton County, Arkansas area. Cora died ?? June 1980 in Bentonville, Benton, Arkansas.

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