Bess Dorothy Green (1891-1978) owned this beautiful Friendship Handkerchief. The date on it is July 1909, and it contains the signatures of many friends and family members, all hand embroidered. The different colors, but especially the styles of the stitching, suggest that more than one person did the embroidery- maybe each person stitched their own name after signing the handkerchief, or just a few persons did the stitching as a gift for Bessie.
Bessie was just 19 when she married Phillip E. Broida on 08 Mar 1910, so this may possibly have been a gift for an engagement party, wedding shower, etc. if they had a long engagement. Sweetly, his initials, “P B” were inserted just above her name and under the month.
Below are images of sections of the handkerchief and a list of the names embroidered.
Bessie’s Friendship Handkerchief- 1 (pictured above post)
1909 July – Bess Dorothy Green, Stella Palfrey, Eloise Toomlis, Mrs. J. N. Massey, Mrs. M. Cohn, Margarett Unswer, Mrs. Morris Rosenbloom, Leonie Dolan, Pho Arii – Beatrice Crow?, Bessie Keller, Hazel P. Jones, Laura Keller, Helena Crow?
Bessie’s Friendship Handkerchief- 2
Ethel N. Leake, Rose Razawe?, Emma Grindhaven?, Stella Palfrey, Mrs. M. Cohn Margarett Uaawer? Mrs. J. N. Massey
Bessie’s Friendship Handkerchief- 3
Mary Schall, Becky Caplin, Charlene B. McClure, Anna Green Stampfer, Charlene B. McClure, Mary Schall, Nancy Yather
Bessie’s Friendship Handkerchief- 4
Stellla Palfrey, Eloise Toomlis, Charlene B. McClure, Becky Caplin, Eloise Toomlis, Margarett Us, Helena Crow, Grinhaven, N. Lenke, Ragawe
Bessie’s Friendship Handkerchief- 5
Edna A. Stelle, Willie C. McClure, Nellie M. Quinn, G. Newmark, Sara Ellen White, Esther G. Golomb, Adele Brown, Lena Goldberg, Tameranos
Bessie’s Friendship Handkerchief- 6
Mary White, Pauline B. Stamerson, Marion G. Newmark, Bessie Keller, Ellen White, Edna A. Stelle, Elma L. St Clair
Bessie’s Friendship Handkerchief- 7
Marion G. Newmark, B. Stamersen, Sara Ellen White
Bessie’s Friendship Handkerchief- 8
Estelle Green Ledwidge, Clara Lee Yatter, Bessie Keller
Bessie’s Friendship Handkerchief- 9
Etta J Newmark, Mary Yatter, Etta J. Newmark, Willie C. McClure, Adele Brown, Lena Goldberg
Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images.
Copyright 2013 by Heritage Ramblings Blog, pmm & jrw.
