Tuesday 12 August 2014

Sepia Saturday 241 : 16 August 2014

SOLDIERS WRITING HOME 1918 : SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION FLICKR COMMONS STREAM
"And don't forget to write" was a phrase lobbed at the back of many a departing relative in years gone by. Whether it was husbands marching off to war, kids skipping off to college, or Auntie Mary returning to her cottage in the next town, writing letters home was once as common as a quick text message to say "home safe and sound". But unlike texts, letters home were once  far richer sources of history, packed as they were with thoughts, impressions, memories and gossip. Our theme this week revolves around letters home and you can interpret it as widely as you want. It might be letters, it might be cards, it might be writing, it might be people far away from home. All you need to do is to feature an old photograph and tell us a little about it. Post your posts on or around Saturday 16 August 2014 and then link your post to the list below. And then celebrate the theme by keeping in touch with all your fellow Sepians by a quick visit and a few well chosen words home. 

Before you put digital pen to paper, take a look at what is coming over the next few weeks.

242 : Fans, faces, national costumes, hidden meanings

243 : Running away, escaping the crowds, beaches, steam train, aquarium (domed)

Back to this week - it is time to say what should be said. Clean sheet of paper. Address at the top. Dear Sepians, .......


21 comments:

ScotSue said...

Poignant tales of letters home from the front.

Helen Killeen Bauch McHargue said...

Dear Alan. My family either didn't write much or didn't save much because I found little in the archives. I'm leaving for a month or so but will do my writing home 2014 style via Facebook. Yours in Sepia, Helen

La Nightingail said...

Couldn't resist a little fun, but included something a tad more serious as well.

Caminante said...

My experience of writing home was in less trying circumstances that these soldiers experienced, but from even further away!

Barbara Rogers said...

Found some old photos of high school teens in 34, wearing uniforms.

Little Nell said...

An old postcard evokes teenage memories.

Unknown said...

My great-great uncle Lute, from Shanghai in 1879...what a lovely, lost art!

Wendy said...

Letter from a child

Anonymous said...

A father's letter to his daughter in 1934

Kristin said...

2 letters to my grandparents from their nephew in Germany in 1945.

Postcardy said...

About the YMCA in WWI and letters for the folks at home.

Mike Brubaker said...

A photo and postcard from 1918 with a soldier's message to home.

DougVernX said...

I want a job as a letter writer. Any takers?

Anonymous said...

Following a lead - sham fight - in an 1889 letter.

Anonymous said...

A really fun prompt!

Colleen G. Brown Pasquale said...

I don't have pictures of soldiers to share today but I do have a letter written by a World War I soldier to my grandmother.

Alex Daw said...

Late I'm late..I'm terribly late...will get around to looking and commenting on others this evening I hope.

Kristin said...

I linked to an older post but forgot I had closed comments for posts older than 30 days. I've taken that off for now so comments are open. I'm finding spam quite poetic so maybe I'll find use for the possible upsurge in spam.

21 Wits said...

All sorts of letters! I just made it for Saturday too. With a couple hours to spare!

Sharon said...

What started as a simple repetition of a letter, led to a lot of research.

Sherri said...

Soldiers' Mail from the front during WW I.