November 5, 2024
Author: Ray Hahn
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Where Was It Made?
Part III
Hershey’s Chocolate Kiss1 Comment
Milton S. Hershey founded his company 1894. The process for creating his world-famous chocolate was developed in 1899 and his first chocolates were sold in 1900. That product, the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar, has been manufactured continually for 121 years. Hershey’s Chocolate was so popular that on March 2, 1903, he began construction on what…
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Tuffi und die Schwebebahn
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The suspension monorail was invented in England in the 1820s. The distinction is small but the first suspended railway was opened on June 25, 1825, using a patent recorded by Henry Palmer. It was built to carry bricks, but as an opening stunt it carried passengers. Through the next 75 years several iterations of the…
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Wait. Why? Well Because . . .
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One mystery in life is how we often recognize what was once a desperate situation may turn into something pleasant and memorable. Such was the author’s trip to his mailbox. Read about how it often pays to wait for a good thing.
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Where Was It Made?
Part IV
Evaporated Milk1 Comment
Is there anyone over a certain age whose mother didn’t serve Libby’s Corned Beef for dinner at least once or twice a month? It was a staple in many American homes, and if memory is reliable the flavorful meat along with some boiled cabbage and mashed potatoes made a fine and healthy dinner. Surely you…
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National Postcard Week 2020
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National Postcard Week is a celebration of postcard collecting which occurs every first full week of May. Join the fun, but first read about the history of NPCW.
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Where Was It Made?
– Part V –
WallpaperNo Comments
An aunt of mine changed the wallpaper in her kitchen twice a year. It usually happened just before Christmas and around the Fourth of July. My uncle supervised; I assisted. My job was to put the paste on the paper and accordion fold it for easier handling. The fold – wet-side to wet-side – made…
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Samplers vs Completists
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In a continuing debate – ongoing for nearly twenty years – one of my dearest postcard friends and I have wondered, “When collecting sets of postcards, which is better, being a “sampler” or being a “completist.” For the sake of debate, we define a sampler as someone who collects any piece of a set without…
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The Treaty of Bern
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An international treaty signed at Bern, Switzerland, in 1874 was the culmination of decades of work done by postal authorities in nearly two dozen countries. To greater appreciate the Treaty of Bern, the postcard collector needs to draw from personal experience. If you have examined an early foreign postcard you have likely found some with…
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Where Was It Made?
– Part VII –
Curtain Rods1 Comment
Edgar A. Newell was born in 1851 at New Sharon, Maine. At various times in his life he lived in Maine, New Hampshire and in Ogdensburg, New York. Newell was an adventurous, strongminded businessman always eager to try something new. When he was made aware that a small brass rod manufacturer had failed to pay…
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Where Was It Made
– Part VIII –
Paper Bags1 Comment
Do you read “Where Was It Made” each week? If so, you remember that in one article you learned that two American manufacturing concerns had the same name. That situation has again come into the discussion. This time the clarification will be easy. This discussion concerns the item seen below on the left.The item on…
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Where Was It Made
– Part IX –
Lucky Strike Cigarettes2 Comments
The last time it happened was about ten years ago, but I remember when I would sit down behind the steering wheel, insert the key in the ignition switch, turn the key and while the engine ran long enough to get the oil hot, I would reach into my shirt pocket for my cigarettes. I…
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The World Through the Lens of Lewis W. Hine
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Lewis Wickes Hine was never a household name. He had few acquaintances but millions were familiar with his work. The photographic images he created between 1906 and 1940 have been seen in thousands of American history books. When you examine Hine’s photos, you are awed by the grace of his art and you are dumbstruck…
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The Three Little Pigs
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One day in 1853, really, it was 1853 when it happened. A sow decided it was time to send her sons off into the world to make their fortunes. She wasn’t very clever with names so, let’s call them Pig One, Pig Two and Pig Three. The first decision the three pigs made was to…
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Where Was It Made
– Part X –
ThreadNo Comments
Have you ever thought about thread? It may be that few people have. Consequently, we are going to learn about thread together. But first, it is only cotton thread that we are learning about. We will leave silk, silk thread and all things-silk to the Asians for another time. Did you know, in primeval times…
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The White Cliffs of Dover
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Composed by Walter Kent, 1941Lyrics by Nat BurtonFirst recording by vocalist Vera Lynn IN MEMORIUMVera Lynn1917-2020The Voice of England’s Unofficial HymnThe White Cliff of Dover There’ll be bluebirds overThe white cliffs of Dover, Tomorrow, just you wait and see.There’ll be love and laughterAnd peace ever after.Tomorrow, when the world is free.The shepherd will tend his…
