by Kristin Holt | Mar 21, 2016 | Articles
After a 12-part series consisting of lengthy blog posts covering many (but far from all) scams reported in Nineteenth Century Mail-Order Bride situations, is it possible to believe anyone found success in such a venture?
It’s true! While happiness might not garner front-page news stories, happy mail-order bride marriages did occur–more often than they ended in disaster. This article contains six historically documented SUCCESS stories!
by Kristin Holt | Feb 2, 2016 | Articles
Mail-order catalogs didn’t show up in America as early as you might think… and couldn’t have impacted the mail-order bride phenomenon as early as today’s popular fiction market makes it seem.
by Kristin Holt | Jan 30, 2016 | Articles
How did 19th century folks go about ordering something from Montgomery Ward or Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalogues? How was payment sent? What about delivery options?
by Kristin Holt | Jan 27, 2016 | Articles
I’ve read books where the intrepid hero has to reuse brown paper the mercantile owner used to wrap a purchase in order to leave the heroine an all-important note. I read another novel where a would-be bride’s employer deducted the cost of paper and envelope from her wages. Was paper that expensive? Did expense translate to scarcity?
by Kristin Holt | Jan 14, 2016 | Articles
Were pencils common in Old West households? How early were pencils invented?
Would you be surprised to learn mechanical pencils were invented and in vogue mid-nineteenth century?