17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Friday, December 20, 1912: Ruth came home this afternoon. Wonder if she has a fine and dandy present for me.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Ruth had been in Sunbury since the 16th. I think that she was attending a teachers’ training institute over winter break. What Christmas present did she buy for Grandma? Maybe Ruth bought Grandma some slippers. They would have been a fine and dandy present.
Source: An advertisement by the Daniel Green Felt Shoe Company in the December, 1912 issue of Ladies Home Journal
Which slipper would you want? Would you go for the fancy Deluxe model :-).
hmm. . . Since it’s only $2, I think I’d go with the Deluxe slipper–maybe in wine.
I like the little research you do…
Slippers for Christmas! Time has change.
That’s what I meant by great blog, simple but profound.
We can read between the lines.
I wish I had the diary of Henriette Alexandre my great-grandmother.
If you have been reading my blog, you know who she is.
http://steanne.wordpress.com/2010/08/20/never-talked-much-about-henriette-alexandre/
Sorry… Typo…
Time has changed
Thanks for sharing the links to your blog. I enjoyed reading about Henriette and the others.
A little fun…
http://steanne.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/do-you-believe-in-numerology/
BTW… My 3rd cousin had the info about Henriette.
He had it all along. He thought I had it.
http://steanne.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/18-september-1907/
Last comment for today…
An Obituary in the 19 September 1907 issue of the Bristol Press reads:
“MRS. HENRIETTA A. LAGASS”
Mrs. Henrietta A., wife of Dennis Lagasse, died at her home on Lake Avenue about four o’clock yesterday afternoon, after an illness of a few weeks. She was 62 years of age and is survived by her husband and several sons and daughters, among whom is Supernumerary Policeman Adlore Lagasse. The arrangements for the funeral had not been completed this morning.”
Well not the last one.
You are bringing back your grandmother back to life again with your blog.
That’s what I have been doing with mine. Of course I got carried away and brought to life all her descendants also.
Just wanted to let you know…
Happy Holidays.
“Men’s: Same is women. But without ribbon.”
I found it funny. 🙂
Why make two styles when one will do? 🙂
I got my daughter slippers this year. I also made most of the gifts. I made Christmas ornaments! I hope they like them!
Awesome! I made a few food gifts (pickles, chutney, cookies, candy), but wish that I’d found time to make more gifts. They are the best.
Slippers are still a fine and dandy present! Your grandma’s excitement over Christmas is catchy. Imagine that! 100 years later.
It is amazing how someone’s enthusiasm is catching a hundred years later. I think she’d be pleased.
I am curious to see if she writes down any of her gifts received in her diary on the 25th.
You’ll have to wait until the 25th to find out. 🙂
I would buy those ones on top in a heart beat, in Lavender I should think. Mind you at only $2.00 maybe I’d get the Blue ones too…Cute
I think I’d choose wine. . . or maybe lavender. (I like purple.)
I want you to have both, I’ll spot you $2 bucks…Merry Christmas….giggle.
Oh my! My grandfather used to use the expression “fine and dandy” all the time! Cuddly slippers sound like a great gift to me. 🙂
It’s interesting how the phrases and words that people use change over time.
Your blog always makes me smile. Thanks. I needed that! 🙂
I’m glad you enjoy it. Thanks for taking a moment to write the nice note.
I think I would like…oh, those are for children…so I guess I would take the peerless 🙂 I hope she tells us what she got too but I doubt it.
You’ll have to wait and see. 🙂
If I went back to 1912…I would be so rich. *teehee*
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If only we could get into a time machine. . . 🙂
Very cute slippers! The comfys are adorable!
I want a pair of each style. 🙂
I think you should have…and I would like that too! I hope your Christmas was blessed! Wishes for a Happy New Year…and lots of neat slippers!
Is it me or are those slippers SUPER expensive for that day and age? I love the Dutch kids on some of the slippers. I wonder if Dutch kids had slippers with American children on them. 🙂
You’re right! There’s been a lot of inflation over the past 100 years.
Well slippers are pretty affordable today — but it looks like fancy slippers were as high as shoes then. Or is that me?
You might be right. I’m going to have to look for some old shoe advertisements to get a sense of what shoes cost back then.
I’m probably wrong…I just thought everything was so much cheaper back then.
You’re right, everything was much cheaper. It’s kind of difficult to figure out exactly what the inflation rate has been over the last 100 years–but multiplying things by 20 or 25 gives a good estimate. So the $2 slippers probably would cost $40 or $50 today which would be a lot.