1922 Europe Journal, Part 5: Paris in the Spring

Disclaimer/Reminder: Please read and enjoy this blog and my grandma’s story. All images posted are very low resolution and watermarked. If you so desire a copy of an image you see, please contact me. I’ve found this a fascinating look back at history and events in both New York and Europe right after WWI. I continue to spend hours and weeks researching the places, events, and details, that she wrote about. My dream is to visit even a couple of these places and recreate some of the images and tours. 

Saturday, June 24

“We found our beds so comfortable that we didn’t get up until eleven. Had a grand rest.”

“After lunch we started out for downtown.  Tried the subway and got down o.k.” 

“As we strolled about, we would stop occasionally at a little shop.  Some of the girls bought some things, but I didn’t.  We went to the Tuileries.  Sat down in the garden and found that we had to pay for the privilege.  Looked at many of the statues and studied the arch at the lower end.  Erected to commemorate the victories of Napoleon, each side represents a different triumph.  At first we thought it was the Arch of Triumph, but after studying our map and using our heads a bit, we discovered the latter some distance up the other way.”

“Saw the monument erected by the schoolboys of France to Gambetta.  A short distance from it is one erected to Lafayette by the schoolboys of the United States.  Found the Louvre.  Also, the statue commemorating the last war, or rather one of them.  Each of the statues in the royal palace represented a different town or province of France.”

Le Monument de Gambetta

This photograph looks almost exactly like a pencil drawing postcard I found online. Her photo caption was "Looking towards the Louvre from the Tuileries."

“Next we decided to walk up to the Arch of Triumph, so off we started.  It was several miles, but was well worth the effort.  The Arch itself is a tremendous structure - erected in 1806 by Napoleon and finished by Louis Phillippe in 1836 in honor of the French Republic.  It is under this arch that the body of an unknown soldier, who gave his life in the last war, has been buried.  There were many floral offerings there today.”

“After our visit to the Arch, we took our first ride on the surface cars of Paris.  Happened to come across a man who understood English and heard us debating about the way to do it.  He explained it to us.  Had supper on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant.  At 8:45 we started on a trip about the city. Saw some of the things we had seen in the afternoon, but had them more fully explained.  Got back to the hotel about eleven and went to bed at once.”

1922 Europe Journal, Part 4: Arriving in France

Ruth and her girlfriends have now spent a week crossing the Atlantic from New York to Europe. They sailed on the Majestic (in the White Star Line, sister ship of the Titanic) as second class passengers.

Let’s continue the story on Friday, June 23, 1922, “... we arose at 6:40.”

“It was all very interesting watching different things come into view on the shore.  Land looked rather good to us.  The Majestic can’t come to the dock at Cherbourg, so we have to be brought in by tugs.  It was tiresome waiting for everything to be attended to.”

Arriving at Cherbourg, France

“By the time we got to Cherbourg, it was 1:20 [p.m.]  We got by the customs all o.k.  He didn’t even make us unlock our suitcases.”

“Left Cherbourg at 5:00 and reached Paris at 9:40.  Saw lots of ‘interesting’ things. The buildings are all stone, brick or plaster and such odd things.  The fields are small and cultivated in a very haphazard sort of way.  Saw lots of red poppies, they are about as common as our dandelions.  When we reached Paris, we had a ride in a Ford to our hotel, the Victoria Palace.  Got two rooms with two beds each.  25 francs per day for each room.  The beds are very comfortable.  The chambermaid comes in every evening and turns down the beds for us.  Our first meal in France was eaten on the diner (in the train).  It was strange in many ways - we had pea soup, egg omelet, meat and potato, peas, ice cream, cookies, cherries and green almonds.  Everything is served separately.”

Note: The Victoria Palace hotel does still exist and it looks beautiful. I’m pretty sure the rates have gone up a little in the last 91 years.

1922 Europe Journal, Part 3: Still On Board the Majestic

Here is a short quick one for today... prepare for landing!

“Thursday, June 22, Slept until 11:00 [a.m.] again. Tomorrow we land at Cherbourg. We have our railroad tickets for Paris. Cost $4.75.”

Throughout the summer, each of the women seem to meet different men in various places. It is interesting how my grandma writes about these meetings and adventures. On this day, one of her girlfriends meets up with a man she played bridge with. “Told her she had beautiful eyes and some beautiful silk bloomers.  Ditched a date with another girl for one with her this evening.” 

Another one of Ruth’s girlfriends met a young man with a little baby girl. The mother had died and the father was taking his daughter back to England.

Ruth’s sister was getting married in Wisconsin on this date. She writes, “We also celebrated by eating some wedding cake.  Don’t know as we hit the correct time with it, but guess we came near enough.”

“I finished the day by having a date with one of the West Point cadets - JNK... “ (here she lists his name, we’ll use initials, as they see him throughout Europe). 

“We went up on the top deck and watched the stars.”

“Treated the cadets to the last of the wedding cake.”

1922 Europe Journal, Part 1: New York

Ruth's Passport Photo

Please excuse my little absence from the blogging world! I’ve been focusing on my photography for a little while.

Recently, I found myself working on my Grandma’s trip to Europe in 1922. Again. I’ve transcribed, scanned, researched and designed off and on for... over ten years. (I KNOW! Just finish it already!) But here’s the thing... the joy comes from the journey - and I’m living it as I research. This was not a short little trip. We’re talking three months, four women, and several ships, trains, cars, and busses. Oh, and a biplane. And icebergs! (We’ll get to that.)

On June 13, 1922, my grandma, Ruth, and three of her “besties” left a small town in Wisconsin (where they were all teachers), on a train to New York via Chicago. This is where her journal starts. Her handwritten journal turned out to be about 27 pages typed single-spaced. These ladies go on trips like they’ve met my husband - the tours and history is amazing and non-stop. 

So here’s what I’m going to do...

I’m going to post updates every few days to parallel the action 91 years ago. Today I’ll set up the scene and get them to New York, ready to depart for France.

June 13 - 17, 1922, Wisconsin to New York

Arriving in New York around 5:30 p.m. on June 14, they checked into the Hotel Savoy and went to the theater to see Captain Applejack. On June 15, they saw Eddie Cantor in Make it Snappy at the Winter Garden and Baileff Chauve-Sauris [I translated as “The Bat”] at the Century Roof Theater. “It was mighty unique and interesting.” There was some more touring and walking on June 16: Wall Street [where they saw evidence of the 1920 bombings], Trinity Church, and St. Paul’s Chapel. They went to see Blossom Time at the Ambassador that evening. “The music was lovely - more inspiration.” [Blossom Time is based on the life of Franz Schubert.]

Get a good nights sleep... tomorrow they board the Majestic and head for France.