These Many Cards
Early in the morning on Wednesday, the 22nd of August 1906,
Donald affixed a 1 cent stamp on a card that
contained a fine German print of the Annisquam Light.
By 1 o’ clock the same day, the card, having passed
through the Gloucester Post Office, was received
in West Medford and was soon delivered to Miss Mary McLeod.
A year after that, Annie sent Sydney Davison, then
residing at 10 Duke Street in Liverpool, England
two cards, each with color scenes of Annisquam;
one of the Yacht Club and the other of the bridge
across Lobster Cove. In one she laments her failure
to write more often and, in the other, she promises to “be over” soon.
Margaret, too, writes to Sidney assuring him that she
hasn’t “quite forgotten” him. She thinks the fellow
sitting alone on the rock in the picture of a yacht
race in the Squam River looks lonesome.
On August 31, 1909, Rosie, of Gloucester, drops a card
featuring the surf at Long Beach to Mary Davison of
Annisquam letting her know that Marj came down on
Sunday and was sorry she couldn’t get over to see her.
These many cards, these timeless scenes, these stories
partly told; these flashes from life of decades ago, this collage
of people now gone and places still here;
these many cards posted in Annisquam more than 100 years ago
and delivered this day to you in Gloucester;
these many cards, this gift to me – and now,
my gift to you.
Marty Luster
Good Morning Gloucester 
poignant — now where do these thoughtful Souls reside? and their friends. . . ?
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Thank you for connecting the dots…..my late friend, Bob, would be happy you treasured the gift and shared in your very special way! His wife (a Davison) is buried in Annisquam and I remember him decrying the dismal state of the cemetery there….off Leonard St somewhere. Please keep up your “Ansel/Robert” work and share it all with us! I’m certain you are where you were meant to be……. terry
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What a gift! Let us surmise what transpired. Nuff Said!
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I’m certain you are where you were meant to be……. Wow Anonymous…that is beautifully concise and no doubt true. Those of us that marvel with every post Marty shares with us feel the same way. A special talent brought to a special place.
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Thank you.
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Thanks, Marty, that’s a treat — we have many of those cards in a shoebox in the attic, from when I was a kid and collected postcards. This is the first time I’ve seen them in years.
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Absolutely wonderful. What a treat indeed. Definitely got teary-eyed. Thank you.
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