A Letter from 1947

Today I thought I'd share another treasure from the boxes of things I got from my Dad. I wish there was an envelope accompanying this letter so I could be sure, but I'm assuming that this was addressed to his mother or perhaps his grandmother. I would also love to have the first part of the correspondence. We can only speculate about that. The letter is hand-written, of course, but I will try to reproduce it as closely as possible for you.


Conewango Valley, N.Y.
Oct. 9, 1947

Dear friend:

I received your card last week but have been having silo fillers and since them my little boy has been rather sick and required so much attention I couldn't possibly write a letter.

I'll tell you the articles I make and the prices I charge:

pillowcases 42" plain tatted edge $3.00
hens & chickens edge 3.50

doilies oblong $2.00
round $.50 $1.00

handkerchiefs cotton with tatted corner $.49
linen " " " $.69
linen with corner & plain edge $.89
linen with hens & chickens edge $1. 29

baby bonnets $3.00
baby dress - plain tatted trim $1.00
baby slip " " " $1.00

tatted corner for handkerchief $.25

I always have orders ahead. I'm swamped with orders now just before Christmas. Lately I've been getting colored linen handkerchiefs and put white corners and a white edge on for $.89.

I do have patterns for collars. Do you have any tatting books? I guess I have all the books they've sold for the past 14 years.

There are two collars in tatting book no. 159. There are four collars in tatting book no. 183. There are three in tatting book no. 141. These three books are by "The Spool Cotton Company" (O.N.T. & J. P. Coates). There is also one in book no. 111 by the same company. These books are $.10 each and I'm sure the address of this company is New York City.

There are three collars in The Star book no 30. The address of this company is "The American Thread Company. Design Studio, 260 West Broadway, New York, 13, N.Y.

I hope you'll gain some benefit from what I've told you.

Very sincerely,

(the letter is signed, but I don't want to publish names without permission, even though I don't know the person)