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Post by jamesw on Jan 23, 2016 21:21:47 GMT
Just back from Unipex with a bunch of treasures. Here's the first I'm going to bore you with. A pair of Admiral covers from 1927, days apart, both to the same recipient. What caught my attention was the cancel from Sanitarium Ontario. Never heard of it!  The return addresses on the back, from two different people, are both Gage Building, Gravenhurst, Muskoka. The only thing I could think of was the Muskoka Hospital for Consumptives, from which we've seen many charity labels on this forum. I asked one of the dealers, and sure enough, looking it up in a little book he found that yes, starting in 1910 the hospital had its own post office cancel. Isn't that CRAZY??? A quick followup. Here's a review of a book about a young teacher named Lilly Samson, who arrived at the Muskoka Hospital in 1924, I think as a patient. I found her name by googling the address and last name and came up with a 1921 school list which included Lilly. I wonder if Mrs. A Samson is Lilly's mother, and the other patients started writing to her? The names on the back of these envelopes are Linea Johanson and P. Booth. www.muskokabooks.ca/reviews/...onsumed.html |
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Post by jamesw on Jan 30, 2016 21:32:47 GMT
A follow up to this post.
A member from SCF found some Soo (Sault Ste. Marie) directories from the 1920s posted on the Soo Museum website.
The 1927 listing for 60 Cathcart St in the Soo does list an Albin Samson and his wife Ida (Mrs. A Samson) and three children, Arthur, C. Herbert and Astrid. But no Lilly.
Back tracking to the 1923 directory, the year before Lilly Samson entered the Muskoka Hosptial, sure enough she is listed as a resident.
But no Astrid, who was probably a minor in 1923, so not listed. All household members listed had vocations, so were probably of age.
In another twist, the author of the book reference above was once a coworker of my wife's at the newspaper in London Ontario. Mrs A Samson would have been her great aunt (Lilly was her aunt, and her book was based on Lilly's diary and letters of her time at Muskoka)
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rod222
Member 
Posts: 9,878 
What I collect: Worldwide Stamps, Ephemera and Catalogues
Member is Online
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Post by rod222 on Jan 30, 2016 23:03:52 GMT
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Post by jamesw on Feb 1, 2016 3:25:03 GMT
So here's yet another interesting twist to these cover. I emailed the author of book linked above, that it turned out my wife had worked with years ago. She sent quite an interesting message back telling me that the recipient, Ida was in fact her grandmother, and the letters were from two of Lilly's dearest friends at the hospital. Judging by the dates sent, she figures they were letters of condolence, which I think tells us that poor Lilly didn't make it home from Muskoka. Got more family history as well, but nothing to bore you with.
She is sending the scans of the covers to her older brother and cousin, who actually lived at the Soo address when they were children. The house stayed in there family until 1992.
So there you go. You never know where these things are going to lead you.
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Post by jamesw on Feb 12, 2016 1:16:44 GMT
I'd like you all to meet someone. This is Lilly.  Lilly is the young woman whose mother received the two envelopes posted above. As mentioned they contained letters of condolence to Ida after Lilly's death at Muskoka Hospital on June 2 1927. Diane Sims, the author of the above mentioned book, A Life Consumed, very kindly and generously sent me a copy of her book, which I look forward to reading. Ms. Sims told me in an earlier email that the letters, along with all of Lilly's letters and diarys (which were the basis for the book) were found in the attic of the house on 60 Cathcart in the Soo, after her Aunt Helen's death in 1992. While Diane retained Lilly's material, the two letters were kept by a cousin (who still has them) and the covers were given to a stamp collecting friend. The gods know how they eventually came to the dealer who sold them to me. A quick look in the book shows me that the contents of at least one of those letters, from P. (Pansy) Booth, is reproduced in the book. Goes to show you, folks. You NEVER know where your research will take you. Here's to you, Lilly! |
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zipper
Member
Posts: 2,649
What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Feb 12, 2016 4:34:42 GMT
VERY interesting find, James. Thanks for posting this.
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Post by jamesw on Dec 14, 2016 4:32:25 GMT
Remember Lilly? I hadn't forgotten her, but have been trying to figure out what to do with these, and how to present them on album pages. Pretty simple solutions, but I hope it does her justice. 
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