PRESSED FLOWERS FROM THE HOLY LAND

The complete title is PRESSED FLOWERS FROM THE HOLY LAND GATHERED AND PRESSED IN PALESTINE,  and it was authored by Harvey B. Greene with an introduction by
Rev. Smith Baker, D.D.

We recently rediscovered this little book of pressed flowers tucked away on a shelf here in the Bullis Room and were amazed at the relatively good condition of the cover and the pressed flowers inside. You can see for yourself from these photos.

And here's a photo of a pressed Lily of the Valley, one of many scarlet flowers Mr. Greene found in the Holy Land.

The author also included pressed papyrus, in the shape of a cross, which is still in excellent condition in spite of its century-plus age.

And in case you are wondering if the author really did gather and press these plants in Palestine, the book includes this statement from the consulate:

"Consulate of the United States

Jerusalem, Palestine

February 12, 1898

I take great pleasure in stating that Mr. H. B. Greene has spent three springs, in gathering and pressing the flowers of Palestine, during which time he made with the assistance of native helpers, large collections of the wild flowers, and I feel sure that these flowers he now offers for sale really grew in the Christ Land."
(Signature)

Which leaves us with nothing more to say except that this little book is a real treasure.

SNIPE SHOOTING

Yesterday we were rummaging through some items on a shelf and found a worn journal that contained pages of almost-illegible writing (due to nineteenth-century penmanship combined with natural fading).  Some of the pages also contained newspaper clippings from sportsmen's publications, which caused us to again marvel at the Bullis family's dedication to recycling rather than repurchasing.

However, a clipping from FIELD SPORTS titled "Snipe Shooting" caused us to pause and take a second look. We couldn't find a date on the article, but two other clippings designated 1871, so we assumed that this article was about 140 years old, as well.  Written by January Searle, it informed readers that "...the snipe is a very difficult bird to kill and if the young sportsman brings one down in twenty shots, he may think of himself no worse off than others...." At this point, we paused to wonder: Is this article "for real" or is it a tongue-in-cheek reference to that age-old practical joke called snipe hunting? We do not know the answer to this. Please let us hear from you, if you do.

NEW IN THE BULLIS ROOM

This week we received some exciting stuff in the mail. One of our San Antonio connections sent us a copy of an article recently published about John Lapham Bullis's two wives.  And, also enclosed were two commemorative medals that were awarded to participants in an Army combat medic competition at Camp Bullis.  Both sides are shown below:

These medals are not only beautiful works of art and design - they are a fitting commemoration to John Lapham Bullis. Our thanks and appreciation go to our fellow volunteers in San Antonio for sharing these with us. 

BULLIS ROOM TO-DO LIST

Our to-do list is always lengthy, which is okay because it reassures us volunteers that we really are needed. For several months in a row, one item toward the top of our list was: "Get John Lapham Bullis San Antonio memorabilia framed." Well, we accomplished that and removed that item from our list. 

NOW, one of our top to-dos is: "Hang framed ... " (you get the idea). We will accomplish this task in due time, also. For now, we've included a photo of it in this post, and if you'd like a clearer look, we invite you to stop by the Bullis Room.

HONORING VETERANS

This week our volunteers assembled books, pamphlets, posters, photos, and medals to include in a display case outside the Bullis Room. Here is one of the posters included:

(Lower caption reads: "Supplement to Engineering News Record, November 19, 1917."

As we worked on the display, we wondered about the history of this holiday, so we consulted Wikipedia's Veterans Day article and learned that November 11 "...is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world...."  The article also reminded us that on November 11, 1919,  President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Armistice Day as a holiday. President Calvin Coolidge issued another proclamation in 1926 that called for November 11 to be observed with appropriate ceremonies, and in 1938 Congress proclaimed November 11 a legal holiday, "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'." Finally, 

in 1953, an Emporia, Kansas shoe repair shop owner "had the idea to expand Armistice Day into 'All' Veterans Day...." With the help of U.S. Representative Ed Rees, also from Emporia, a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. "President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954. Congres amended the act on June 1, 1954, replacing 'Armistice" with 'Veterans,' and it has been known as Veterans Day since."

On this November 11 as you celebrate in your own way, whatever that might be, we suggest you also stop by the library and look at our display. The case's contents are only a small part of similar items in the collection. If you'd like to see more, please feel free to stop by.

AGAIN, REMEMBERING...

...Jeannette Aurelia Bullis, who died 32 years ago this month. As in previous years, we quietly honor her memory.

We will again honor her on her next birthday, March 23, 2012, for we prefer to remember the beginning of her physical life and all that followed.

OLD LETTERS

This week volunteers took a look at copies of envelopes that had carried letters from family, friends, and a former comrade-in arms to John Lapham Bullis. Even though these envelopes are over 150 years old, they are still mostly readable, and they bear the addressee's name, date posted, and date received.

There were several small details about these envelopes that caught our interest. First, all of the date stamps record only the month, day, city, and state - no year.  (Wonder why the year wasn't included in the postal stamp, back then...hmmm...do any of you know?) Second, calculating the time between the date posted and date received, in 1868 it took approximately six weeks for a letter to travel from Macedon, New York to Brownsville, Texas. (This time frame is unimaginable to us today.)

We also looked at the contents of these envelopes. Most of the letters were several pages,  thoughtfully written in neat longhand,  the product of more than an hour's effort. (And quite a contrast to the quick text messages and emails we send today in less than a minute, with barely a thought at times.)

So...once again we concluded that we should enjoy, appreciate, and treasure all documents from the past, whatever their source and form. They have messages for us...we simply have to find them.