FORGET-ME-NOT

Miss Hilda Brunken
ColumbPlatte Center
Nebr.
Hello Hilda
Well how are you?  I am fine and dandy.
When are you coming over to visit me.  How is Alvin and your ma.
From your
Aunt Louise B.

Who's Who

"Hilda" is Hilda Ida Brunken.
"Alvin" is Alvin William Brunken.
"Ma" is Clara Marie "Mary" (Petersen) Brunken.
"Aunt Louise B." is Louise Wilhemmia Brunken.

Story

Hilda's aunt, Louise Brunken, sent a greeting to Hilda.  Louise is expressing a desire for Hilda to come visit.  Louise was likely 14 years old at this time and Hilda was likely 4 years old.  So, it would have been necessary for their parents to facilitate the visit.

Date

Probably fall of 1910 - Given that this postcard was initially addressed to Columbus, I think this postcard was likely sent shortly before the William and Mary Brunken family moved to Oklahoma.

Location

Near Platte Center, Nebraska

Notes: Recovery Difficulties

This postcard illustrates the difficulty of recovering the greeting postcard messages from Grandmother Brunken's Post Card Album. Unlike the picture postcards in the previous sections of the album, the album paper has not deteriorated to the the point that the paper was almost a loose fiber.  In this third section of the album, the album paper still has integrity. Also, unlike the picture postcards which were a tough photographic film, the greeting postcards are a soft cardboard. The net result is that I cannot use the same technique to separate the glued on postcards and pictures. I had previously carefully sliced between the cards with a thin sharp knife. With these greeting cards instead of the album paper splitting, it is the greeting postcard cardboard which separates. This is illustrated as is shown on the back of the postcard which was behind the FORGET-ME-NOT postcard above.

Large chunks of the greeting card were torn from the back of the FORGET-ME-NOT postcard thus destroying parts of the message. A mirror image allows reading the parts of the message that has been torn from the back of the FORGET-ME-NOT postcard.

Furthermore, the remaining black paper will have to be removed by some method other than what I used with the picture postcards. I was able to wet and scrape off the black paper fibers because the photographic film of the picture postcards could be could be made wet on the back of the postcard. (This was because the photographic film was designed to go through a wet bath when the picture on the card was originally developed). I am afraid the soft cardboard of the greeting cards will disintegrate if made wet.

I am currently seeking a technique that will allow full recovery of the messages as well as maintain the integrity of the greeting postcards.