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Postcards / Letter, 1901-1903

 File — Box: 1, Folder: 1

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The correspondence is comprised of 14 postcards sent by Victor Weisskopf to his wife while traveling in the South and one letter from the Missouri Commission of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The correspondence is dated from 1901 to 1903, with the bulk of the collection dating from August to October 1902. It is arranged chronologically. The first 13 postcards are illustrated with images of African Americans and were distributed by three publishers located in New York and Detroit. In May 1901, Weisskopf sent the first postcard from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and shared his visit to Lookout Mountain. The subsequent 12 postcards dated from August to October 1902 are from published sets that depict such scenes as the cake walk and children at play. Weisskopf wrote from Alabama, New Orleans, and Georgia, sending Carrie a “token from each city” on his trip (August 26, 1902). He often commented upon the illustrations and explained on August 29th from Montgomery, Alabama, that the illustrations were much different than the reality of poverty, filth, and degradation. On October 26, 1902, Victor sent the last postcard with a photograph of the Library of Congress from Washington, D.C., where he spent an afternoon and declared it “The most beautiful library in the world.” The only letter in the collection is a form letter sent by the Missouri Commission of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company to encourage companies to develop fair exhibits for their Missouri factories. Weisskopf received this letter on behalf of his employer, the Kalamazoo Corset Company.

Dates

  • 1901-1903

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Extent

From the Collection: 0.01 Cubic Feet ( (1 folder))

Language of Materials

English

Creator

Repository Details

Part of the Missouri Historical Society Library and Research Center Repository

Contact:
225 S. Skinker Blvd.
St. Louis MO 63105 United States
314-746-4510