Hey everybody, welcome to Retell Seller, an ephemera podcast where I uncover forgotten stories and the ephemera people leave behind. I’m Angie, a reseller of 10 years, and I’ll share one of those snippets with you. Let’s see what today’s find has to say
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This is another short one today, but it isn’t a postcard. I know I had said a few episodes ago I may stick with more postcards since I have so many, but I have to face it, I have so many different pieces of ephemera, so I just rifle through things and pick what jumps out to me.
This one, however, is a recent find. A couple of weekends ago, I went to an estate sale on the last day, on a Sunday. And it’s hit or miss, of course, whether I’ll find something at the end of a sale. I first walked into the garage, and I see an older woman sliding her arm across an old card table, pushing all of the handheld tools on it into a tote. The whole table was completely full, and you could tell it was deal-making day.
I picked up a couple of things for home, and as I was walking up to pay, I stop at a wooden office desk in the entryway. Another thing I’m kind of obsessed with is office supplies, so I had to rummage through the pile of notebooks and papers.
As I’m digging, I see a larger textured blue-gray colored card which says, “A Photo Reflex Portrait.” I opened it, and a 5×7 photo was still inside. It’s of a young woman. The coloring on the inside of the card has yellowed. The right side has the frame you flip up to slide the photo underneath. The photo had not been secured down, so it’s fully loose.
There’s an overall brown tone to the photo, and the darker spots like her hair and any shadows in certain lighting give off a shimmery look. It’s on a thicker stock paper. I’m only guessing that her portrait was taken in the mid-1940s or so.
She’s seated with her back angled toward the camera. She’s looking back over her right shoulder, looking up slightly. She’s wearing a pearl necklace. Her hair is carefully styled in soft, rolled up waves with a small bobby pin near her temple.
And what really caught my attention when I opened the card was actually on the left side.
It had a message written on it, and here’s how it goes:
“Dear Norma
Hi baby: Well, this is our very last year of school but only the beginning of our lasting future friendship.
We’ve had such grand times together – Really to many to count or number, Specially in Room 204. –
Even if you are a crazy nut- you are the sweetest crazy nut I know. There could never be another Norma – nor could there ever be another girl I could love as much as you. I hope you have everything in your future years that you desire because you deserve it so much. May your fondest dreams come true.
Remember me always
Love Nita.”
Thank you for joining me as I shared a snippet of the past. I’d love to know if it connected with you in some way. Did it spark a memory or make you see something differently? If so, consider sharing it. Be sure to check out the show notes for additional info, links, and ways to connect. It’s not nostalgia, it’s human. Until next time, may you find something worth holding onto
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