Details

Title

Charlottetown's Beautiful Harbour, Prince Edward Island postcard.

Author

Montgomery, L. M. (Lucy Maud), 1874-1942.

Collection

L.M. Montgomery Institute. Ryrie-Campbell Collection.

Donor

Donated by Donna Jane Campbell.

Call Number(s)

934 SI PC LMM 1906

Abstract

A postcard, bearing a handwritten message in L.M. Montgomery's handwriting to "Miss Edith Russell" of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Edith May Russell (1877-1957) was hired to work in the newsroom of the Halifax, Nova Scotia newspaper 'The Daily Echo' in 1902, during the time L.M. Montgomery was employed there; notes in Montgomery's journals -- and surviving correspondence, including this postcard -- suggest the two kept in intermittent contact for some years thereafter; indeed, Montgomery would note, on the occasion of her 25th wedding anniversary in 1936, that she had received a congratulatory card from Russell. This particular note to Russell is very short, however, simply acknowledging receipt of Russell's letter and promising to write soon. There is also a line, "hope this card will fill the bill": another collector of Mongomeriana, the late Christy Woster, acquired a postcard from Montgomery to Russell, dated October, 1906, with a note suggesting that Montgomery and Russell were helping each other collect local postcards. Other noteworthy features of this postcard are its legible postmark -- Cavendish, June 8, 1906 -- as well as text clearly identifying the card's publisher: "Carter & Co., Limited, Souvenirs, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island." The quality of printed image -- a coloured lithograph of two small boats under sail -- is also better than many postcards of the era.