Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family
Title
Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family
Creator
Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958
Identifier
WWP23160
Date
1927 December 22
Description
Letter from Jon Bouman to his family.
Source
Gift of William C. and Evelina Suhler
Subject
Germany--History--1918-1933
Correspondence
Berlin, Germany
Contributor
Rachel Dark
Denise Montgomery
Language
English
Provenance
Evelina Suhler is the granddaughter of Jon Anthony Bouman and inherited the family collection of his letters from the years of World War I. She and her husband gave the letters to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum in 2013.
Text
Dec. 22, 1927
Dearest—
This is to wish you all a very happy Xmas. I shall be thinking of you in the solitude of the office, as I may as well give the family people here the same chance as I used to have in London. Saturday evening there is to be a great Fest in the other Pension which is larger, and all the guests are to celebrate Weihnachten together. Here the street scenes are similar to London; shop windows brilliantly arranged, also small street booths with flaming lights selling all sorts of cheap toys and gingerbread hearts with Aus Liebe on it in icing sugar. And sausages, ha! It is funny to see crowds with their tongues hanging out staring at the fat hams and sausages and pigs’ heads. It has been the coldest spell here I seem to remember (people wore earflaps to prevent their lugs from freezing) but thaw set in today. I see you have had it in London too. But give me the German houses for genial warmth, right from the front door throughout the house.
The other day, I went to a big entertainment of the English colony, first a music hall entertainment, then supper and dancing. Also a charity lottery; I bought 5 tickets @ 1s/_ each, and drew three prizes: one ¼ lb Liptons tea; one 2 oz. ditto and a small cake of Pears soap. These I gave to Frau Hauns, the manageress of the Pension, much to her joy. Other prizes were a Remington typewriter, a sewing machine, a gramophone, Horrockses bedsheets and pillows, dress lengths, pots of jam and bottles of wines and whiskies & cigars & cigarettes. One man bought 20 tickets and only got two tiny cakes of soap. The German newspapers had articles about the Fest which they said was very jolly, but still with an "aroma of reserve,” meaning presumably that there was no shouting or rowdy revelry and that everybody behaved properly!
I hope none of you came to grief owing to the slippery state of the streets; I see there were many casualties in London. I shall be with you in spirit when the turkey comes on the table; here it is generally goose, and I am wondering whether you will have anybody to dinner. Give the carving knife an extra sharpening, don’t forget!
My love to you all, and keep up supplies during the festal days!
Thine,
J.
Dearest—
This is to wish you all a very happy Xmas. I shall be thinking of you in the solitude of the office, as I may as well give the family people here the same chance as I used to have in London. Saturday evening there is to be a great Fest in the other Pension which is larger, and all the guests are to celebrate Weihnachten together. Here the street scenes are similar to London; shop windows brilliantly arranged, also small street booths with flaming lights selling all sorts of cheap toys and gingerbread hearts with Aus Liebe on it in icing sugar. And sausages, ha! It is funny to see crowds with their tongues hanging out staring at the fat hams and sausages and pigs’ heads. It has been the coldest spell here I seem to remember (people wore earflaps to prevent their lugs from freezing) but thaw set in today. I see you have had it in London too. But give me the German houses for genial warmth, right from the front door throughout the house.
The other day, I went to a big entertainment of the English colony, first a music hall entertainment, then supper and dancing. Also a charity lottery; I bought 5 tickets @ 1s/_ each, and drew three prizes: one ¼ lb Liptons tea; one 2 oz. ditto and a small cake of Pears soap. These I gave to Frau Hauns, the manageress of the Pension, much to her joy. Other prizes were a Remington typewriter, a sewing machine, a gramophone, Horrockses bedsheets and pillows, dress lengths, pots of jam and bottles of wines and whiskies & cigars & cigarettes. One man bought 20 tickets and only got two tiny cakes of soap. The German newspapers had articles about the Fest which they said was very jolly, but still with an "aroma of reserve,” meaning presumably that there was no shouting or rowdy revelry and that everybody behaved properly!
I hope none of you came to grief owing to the slippery state of the streets; I see there were many casualties in London. I shall be with you in spirit when the turkey comes on the table; here it is generally goose, and I am wondering whether you will have anybody to dinner. Give the carving knife an extra sharpening, don’t forget!
My love to you all, and keep up supplies during the festal days!
Thine,
J.
Original Format
Letter
To
Bouman Family
Collection
Citation
Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958, “Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family,” 1927 December 22, WWP23160, Jon Anthony Bouman Collection, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.