Lost & Found: A 1960s Child's Scrapbook

I recently salvaged this cute little scrapbook from the bins at GoodWill, and even though its contents are more "schoolwork" than "scrapbook," I couldn't help but love it. As I do all scrapbooks. Because I am odd that way.

D'aw.

This was once owned by a Mike M. 

Who was he? We may never know.

Why did you donate us to GoodWill, Mike M.? Why?

The scrapbook's 29-cent price tag was a clue that this thing was probably vintage, but exactly how old WAS it?

Why thank you, mimeographed turkey calendar from November, 1966! How helpful!

Thought #1: I'm sad mimeograph machines are a thing of the past, because I do love me some purple.

Thought #2a: I only know about mimeographs thanks to Judy Blume books. 

Thought #2b: Judy Blume Books: Endless fountains of information.

Purple pages aside, we now get to the heart of this scrapbook...

I really don't know what to make of Mike M.'s poetry. Some of it's not half bad. And the accompanying drawings are... interesting...

I know, I know... this was a kid. Probably. I'm not going to make fun of his work.

But I am going to critique it as a teacher would, because that is simply how I roll.

Okay, so here's the first one...

I like the woods

In autumn

When dry leaves

When the trees are bear

And the wind sweeps by

With a lomesome rushing sound

I can rustle the

In autumn

I can make a bed

In the thick dry leaves

That fallen

From the bark trees

Overhead

Teacher Molly says: 

Where to begin? First of all, it's bare, not bear.

And Lonesome, not lomesome.

"I can rustle the" what? WHAT?

Bark trees? Really?

Child, you're better than this.

--------

NONO November

No hot days to make us sweat!

No swimming pools to get us wet!

No dlids duilding nest in the trees!

No kites flying in the bries!

No long weeks of i dont care!

noovem gluesus none of these!

But there is thanksgiving if you please!

Teacher Molly says: 

Ugh. First off, what did November ever do to you? Second, were you going through times of extreme crisis while writing lines 3 and 6? Lastly, in the future, please capitalize the holiday Thanksgiving, as it is a proper noun.

--------

FIRST Thanksgiving

Forty pilgrims brave and strong.

Ninety indian joined the throng.

Heaping tables prayers long.

Bilgring voices raised in song.

This then was our frist thanksgiving.

In this lang where now we live.

Teacher Molly says: 

Your picture suggests that you may be slightly confused about Thanksgiving. Please see me after class.

--------

I Love Christmas

"I love Christmas," said Susie small. I love the tree, the gifts and all. I wonder what I am going to get. This could be my best day day yet. Not just the gifts, maybe twenty. Old Santa better bring me plenty. I love Christmas, said thoughtful. Bill I going to help the stocking to fill. I wonder what to get my mother. What toy will please my little brother? Helping santa's so much fun. Choosing gift's for ever one."

Teacher Molly Says:

How did Bill get the job helping Santa? Is he an elf? Do tell me more.

--------

Wishing

The weatherman must surely know.

I wish for heaps of snow.

I'll coast swiftly down the hill.

Into snowbanks, taking spills.

So on the star I see tonight

I'll wish tomorrow will be white

Teacher Molly Says:

Not bad. I'm seeing improvement, here. Keep it up.

--------

In January

In January, when the snow lies on the ground so deep and white

I love to build a sturdy fort

Our start a friendly snowball fight

I love the crunch of rubber boots

The swish of runners on a sled

My mother says my eyes are bright

My cheeks a marry, rosy red.

Teacher Molly Says:

This poem is surprisingly good.

Too good.

Please see me after class.

--------

Feed The Birds

Listen to the birds say

"Cheep. Cheep. Cheep.

Putting out a few crumbs

Will keep keep keep

Many of us birds

Alive in the snow;

Alive in the winter

When the winters winds blow."

Teacher Molly Says:

--------

Lion Or Lamb

March came in like a roaring lion

With rain and ice and snow.

Will it go out like a gentle lamb?

That's what I'd like to know.

Teacher Molly Says:

Derivative. Lazy. Cute... but lazy. 

--------

Look For The Pussy Willow

Look for the pussy willow

The earliest sign of spring

Look for the pussy willow

Before the robins sing

Look for the pussy willow

With fur so soft and gray

If you find a pussy willow

Then spring is on the way

Teacher Molly Says:

You copied this off that mimeographed worksheet up there, you sneaky child!

--------

Cheer Up

Today I saw a robin

He winked his eye at me

He said, "Cheer up -- spring's coming

Just you wait and see."

I said, "We'll have more winter

But I'll tell you what I'll do

Come singing at my window

And I'll throw crumbs to you."

Teacher Molly Says:

KEEP your crumbs, you foolish boy. SPRING IS COMING!

--------

Two Robins

One robin does not make a spring

But I saw two today

Teacher Molly Says:

Oh my, an unfinished poem! I mean, I assume it's unfinished, because there's only two lines. That's either sheer genius or total laziness.

BUT WAIT!

Purple-inked worksheet to the rescue!

(I assume a teacher wrote this for the kids to copy.)

Two Robins

One robin does not make a spring

But I saw two today

And now I'll look for other signs

That spring is on its way,

Violets and daffodils

And tulips flaming red,

And in the country, farmers work

Putting seeds to bed.

--------

Annnd that's it. Like many of the scrapbooks I run across, this one's only filled halfway. We'll never know if Spring eventually did arrive in 1967, not to mention summer. I mean, I'm assuming it did, but if this kid didn't write a poem about it, did it really happen?

Lost & Found: A 1940s Autograph Album

In 2017, I posted the contents of two autograph albums -- one from the 1890s, belonging to a girl named Millie; the other, from the 1880s, the former possession of my great-great-grandfather, Frank.

Recently, I came across another...

This album belonged to a girl named Carol Taylor. She may have attended Gaenslen School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1945, she was admitted to a hospital -- it's a bit unclear which one... some signatures refer to it as St. Mary's Hospital in Green Bay, others St. Mary's in Milwaukee, still others reference Milwaukee Children's Hospital. Maybe she was at more than one?! At any rate, she seems to have been hospitalized for at least a week, and had a teacher/tutor during that time. There are nurses' signatures in her book that are dated April and May of 1945.

After leaving the hospital, Carol seems to have forgotten about her autograph book for 2 years, as the next set of dated signatures are from June, 1947.

Over all the pages, Carol was called "cute," "Butterball," a "dope", "cracked," and a "drip."

She had pals named Joan, Shirley, Donna, Kathleen, "Sudzie," Florence and Marlene.

Some signers wrote in rhyme. Some used phonetic acronyms (ie Sudzie's "AINVUUQT.") Some made dumb jokes. Others left their contact information.

Below are pictures of most of the entries from this autograph album. The ones that were faded and hard to read, I've typed out.

* * *

Dear Carol - 

Have a grand vacation.

Sincerely, Ann Geise

* * *

^^  April 25, 45 ^^

Remember the girl in the city

Remember the girl in the town

Remember the girl who spoiled your book,

By writing upside down.

Remember me till table legs roll their stockings.

Miss Seibenaler

St. Mary's Hospital

Milwaukie

* * *

Dear Carol,

I shall always remember the nice little girl in 307 with the blond pigtails. I hope that you will have fun when you go home, and when you go fishing think of me.

Yours, 
Miss Ruth Landshron

* * *

* * *

When you get married and your husband gets cross 
Take the rolling pin and say I'm boss.

Your Pal Kathleen

* * *

* * *

May 3, 1945

Dear Carol,

Don't forget all the many giggles we had -- Hope you'll always remember the days you spent at Children's Hospital. We'll all miss you.

Miss Mary Walsh

* * *

* * *

Dear Carol,

My very best wishes for your future success! I'll see you on the "10" streetcar some Saturday.

Mrs. Eileen Wiegert

* * *

* * *

Carol Taylor --
Cutest little niece
I ever saw!
Best of luck
Barbara Jacobs

* * *

And so it ends. I've tried Googling Carol Taylor of Wisconsin, and I've found a few possible matches, but none seem to be the one. Granted, I'm taking on a lot on assumptions. For instance, I don't know how old Carol was in 1945... she's referred to as a "little girl" with pigtails, which makes me think she was younger than 14. Her friends and peers write in cursive, and while they're not terribly eloquent, I'm guessing they're at least 8, but probably more in the 10-11 range.

I did find a Carol Taylor Thwaites, whose 2016 obituary seemed to have all the key details... born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1936... spent her later years in Tillamook, Oregon (explaining how her autograph album came to be in an Oregon antique shop), and it even mentions that she had a hospital stay at age 12! Buuuut age 12, for her, would have been in 1948. So either they got the year wrong, or this isn't the right person.

Carol Taylor, wherever you are, I hope the past 70-odd years have been good to you. Thanks for not throwing away your album!