How We Do Things at Baudette

This is how they grow corn in Baudette, Minnesota. Don't believe me? Go there and see for yourself. These exaggeration are always in jest, but in this case, 1912 was a year of record crops in the region.

Here's the back of the card, sent to Mr. John Larson in Twin Valley, Minnesota in 1912.

The message reads:

Dear John,

This is the way the people of Baudette raise corn. How would you like to be here.

from Jacob.

Never mind the giant corn though. Did you know that Baudette is considered the Walleye capital of the world? It is also the home of Willie the Walleye, a giant fish statue on display in  Mill Park. Willie could eat that giant corn in one bite. You can visit Baudette in June and celebrate Willie's Birthday at the official Willie Walleye Day. I love Walleye!

May Day at Bryn Mawr College

May Day is no small event at Bryn Mawr College. It has been a well-loved and much-anticipated annual tradition at the private Pennsylvania women's college since 1900.  The tradition is not limited to maypole dancing either, but includes all manner of events, including strawberries and cream with champagne, singing in the morning, processions, Morris dancing, and a variety of plays.

Here's an old photo and a postcard of the first May Day event at Bryn Mawr in 1900.

Courtesy of Bryn Mawr College Library

Here's Katherine Hepburn dressed up for Bryn Mawr's May Day in 1928.

Courtesy of Bryn Mawr College Library

 And Cornelia Otis Skinner dressed for a May Day play in the early 1920s.

Courtesy of Bryn Mawr College Library

Somewhere, there's a photo of me dancing around the maypole at Bryn Mawr (at a much later date, thank you), but I couldn't find it in time for this post.

I did find an old program of events though, which is too small to read. Suffice it to say that the events extended from 5:45 am until 9 pm.

Here are a few photos from May Day 1982, including President Mary Patterson McPherson on horseback.

If you head on over to Bryn Mawr this weekend, you can partake in the festivities and try to redeem this free dinner card. If you are unable to travel the distance, you can always celebrate May Day at home via Sepia Saturday.

Bird's Eye View from the Penitentiary

I tried to imagine some enterprising prisoner producing postcards from pictures photographed from his cell window, but I don't suppose that was the case.  Maybe it was the prisoner's mother, who took the photo and had postcards printed to make bail for her wayward son. Probably not that either. In any case, the view from the penitentiary isn't one that would inspire me to try to escape if I were a prisoner.