October 15th 1907 Walter joseph newitt to frances Martha mantz

Victoria docks, London to wood green, London

18 miles

the message

"I got more than I deserved this morning. Your dear little letter arrived quite safely. The church was crowded last night. I have not room to tell you all about it here. Mr Stanfast was splendid. I wish you could have been here. Au revoir

Ever your own

Walter"

the sender

For details of Walter Joseph Newitt go to

the recipient

For details of Frances Martha Mantz go to

The places

Victoria Docks, London

Wood Green, London

what the card says to us

The picture is interesting. It is an oil painting called "Snowdrifts" by Professor Van Hier. Van Hier's real name was Gioacchino Hierschel de Minerbi (1834-1905). Born in Trieste, he spent his latter years painting scene for Raphael Tuck and Sons, the postcard manufacturer, and this is one of those. Interesting that artists were producing oil paintings simply to be turned into cards. The image has nothing to do with the message.

The message itself is in mirror writing, as all the cards sent between Walter and Frances seem to have been. Frances and Walter seem to have been church goers and it has previously been seen that they were involved in the Temperance movement. Here, Walter talks about a Mr Stanfast who was presumably a preacher of some sort.

From the addresses, it is clear that Frances is at college and Walter is at home in Victoria Docks.

This is the twelfth at last of the Frances Mantz series of postcards. To see all of them go to