1930's Montana Pen Pal Scrapbook. Helena High School. Helena, Montana: 1931-6.
8 x 11” book, faux brown leather flexible boards, with gilt lettering and blind stamped windmill design. The interior consists of 20 thick brown paper leaves. This scrapbook contains 21 letters and one postcard, written from a Robert “Bob” Campbell of Helena, Montana to a Dorothy Lovell, of New Haven, Connecticut. The letters span from 1931 to 1936, becoming less frequent over time. Based on the contents of the letters, the two appear to have connected through a pen pal service over their mutual interest in student journalism. The letters describe Bob’s time at Helena High School, his trips around the West, work on a survey crew, and the history and politics of Montana, including the Butte Strike. Later letters go into his time at Montana State College and Northwestern Medical School. All but one letter are handwritten, and all have their envelopes, although some are tipped in while the majority are glued in. Later letters are on monogrammed paper. Another large portion of the scrapbook is newspaper clippings, mostly of wildfires in Montana and Helena High School activities, and various shorter humorous clippings. Many of these appear to have come from The Nugget, the Helena High School student paper, circa 1931. A spread of senior portraits for the class of 1931 and a photo of student theater production both include Ulva Pippy, an actor better known by his stage name Ian Macdonald. One photograph is included, an undated (but likely 1931) photograph of a young man in a cowboy hat, presumably Bob Campbell. The photo measures 3.5 x 5” and is in black and white.
Price: $200.00