"I just about feel good!"

Tuesday, November 9, 1949

46 West 83rd Street, Apt. 7B

New York City

Dear Art,

I feel much better, in fact, I just about feel good!  Sh-h-h, don’t say it out loud.  It seems that I’m not too far behind in homework.  There’s plenty to be done, alright, but not as much as I feared.  The teachers told me that I could stay over part of Christmas to make up some work if I wanted.  Indeed I don’t!  I’d rather stay in June if need be.

I spent all yesterday in school.  At 4 p.m., we met Shirl’s friend Naida at the bus station.  After I called you we went to the Roxy and saw Everybody Does It.  I enjoyed it very much, but almost fell asleep just the same.  Then got back here and to bed, but of course Shirl and Naida wanted to talk so I didn’t get to sleep until after 1 a.m.  I’ve never been so tired in all my life.

14th century figures sketched on
tracing paper by June Anderson.

This morning, I was awakened at 9:00.  Seems I had to copy some figures at the Cloisters, up on 190th Street or so.  We ate, then took the subway there.  After arriving we had to walk about 10 blocks, up and down hills, then had to climb 5 staircases.  Coming back we took the bus for an hour over the bumpiest roads in New York, then walked down Fifth Avenue – the girls wanted to and I was tired beyond objection.

So that brings you up to now.  I’m going to eat supper and go right to bed – homework notwithstanding.  The teachers have been very nice.

Take care of yourself and all my love,

June

© 2010 Lee Price

A New Apartment

Filling in with some background information during a letter-writing hiatus from October 6 to November 9, 1949, as June recuperates at the hospital from a ruptured appendix…

When June returned to New York City in early November 1949, it was to a new and cheaper apartment.  We can assume that her roommate Shirley Stahl must have done the legwork of finding a more appropriate apartment while June was recovering from the ruptured appendix.

The new apartment was located one block west of Central Park and two blocks north of the American Museum of Natural History.  It was twelve blocks closer to Traphagen than her previous address, but that would have only meant a couple of minutes difference in travel time on the subway.

 Before June left for the city, she and Art agreed to immediately resume the correspondence they had started in early October only to be interrupted by June's appendix crisis.  While Art kept his side of the bargain and began writing letters right away, the first weeks worth of letters from him appear to be lost.  Therefore the next week will be dominated by June's letters (plenty of them!) and Art will rejoin the back-and-forth on November 20.  It's good to be getting back to the letters at long last! 

Tomorrow, the correspondence resumes!

© 2010 Lee Price

The Year 1949

Filling in with some background information during a letter-writing hiatus from October 6 to November 9, 1949, as June recuperates at the hospital from a ruptured appendix…

While June and Art were romancing, the world was changing.

World War II dominates the decade of the 1940s, with its repercussions still being felt three years after its conclusion.  Political concerns were rapidly shifting toward Soviet Union anxieties and the burgeoning Cold War.  No one could predict how hot the simmering Cold War might become.

President Harry S. Truman,
drawing by Art Price

Movies and radio were still going strong, but television was beginning to change the paradigm for nightly entertainment.  Art’s family didn’t have a television yet, but he would frequently watch televised events – like the popular boxing matches – at the local Southampton bars with the boys.

Harry S. Truman was president, NATO was created by a treaty signed in April, the Soviet Union conducted its first nuclear bomb testing, “Tokyo Rose” was sentenced to six years in prison for treason, the United Nations building opened in New York, a 31-year-old North Carolina evangelist named Billy Graham led a major tent crusade in Los Angeles, Harvard Law School opened its doors to women, Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell was published, Margaret Mitchell (author of Gone With the Wind) died at the age of 49, Ingrid Bergman divorced her husband and entered into a scandalous relationship with Italian director Roberto Rossellini, “The Hokey Pokey” and “The Harry Lime Theme” were unexpected novelty song hits, the New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series, a rocket testing ground was established in Cape Canaveral, Silly Putty was successfully marketed, Pillsbury introduced its “bake-offs,” and Sara Lee offered its first baked goods.

Meanwhile, June and Art were dating.

(Tomorrow, life on 83rd Street…)

Countdown:  Correspondence resumes in 2 days.

© 2010 Lee Price

Cars and Trains

Filling in with some background information during a letter-writing hiatus from October 6 to November 9, 1949, as June recuperates at the hospital from a ruptured appendix…

At the start of his correspondence with June in early October, Art’s car is in the garage for repairs.  This was probably due to hitting a deer on the way home from visiting June in Riverhead.  We know that this incident occurred sometime during 1949-51 and it seems to match up with the references in the letters.  The car was pretty banged up but survived.  The deer didn’t.

Art's Nash.

Art had purchased his Nash shortly after returning to Southampton from his service in the Navy.  When his parents’ car was in for repair, Art’s car would become the family car.  When his own car was in for repair, he had to improvise other ways of getting around.  Fortunately, his job at Roulston’s was within easy walking distance – about a mile stroll from Cooper Street to Main Street.

Trains are the other mode of transportation that figures prominently in June and Art’s relationship.  While her parents would drive June to the city at the beginning of the semester, June’s weekend visits were done via train.  The Long Island Rail Road had a station just four blocks from the house in Riverhead.  The train ride into the city was approximately two hours.  It could be very cold in winter, but otherwise was an efficient way of bridging June’s two worlds.

(On Sunday, the world of 1949…)

Countdown:  Correspondence resumes in 4 days.

© 2010 Lee Price

Didn't you vote?

(I'll share the full letter next week, but couldn't resist posting this now.)

Nov. 10, 1949

Dear Art,

...

What’s the matter?  Didn’t you vote?  The Democrats got in all over!

...

All my love,

June

(On Friday, cars and trains…)

Countdown:  Correspondence resumes in 6 days.

© 2010 Lee Price

The Boys

Postcard of Main Street, Southampton.

Considering the subdued and abstemious nature of his family home, it’s mildly surprising that Art gravitated toward a wilder crowd when he went out at nights.  For the most part, he easily settled back into the calmer rhythms of Southampton following his time in the Navy.  But he had seen things in Shanghai and the Philippines that he had never imagined in his sheltered life in Southampton and the experience may have left him a little restless.

When Art went out at nights, he would usually meet up with his friends (called “the boys” in the letters) at various local bars.  If there was a party in town, someone in his circle would be sure to know.  These would be parties among the local residents – not the summer people.  There was little connection between the permanent residents and the Gatsby-like revels of the summer people.

Pen and ink drawing of
wine bottle by Art Price
for Pardita art class.

Joe Cerullo and Bruno Marcincuk were Art’s two closest friends at this time.  Bruno worked with Art at Roulston’s.  Other friends included Frank Hoffman, Jack Raynor, Walter “Singer” Hoinski, and Frank “Farmer” Stachecki.

June frequently expresses concern in the letters about Art drinking too much.  By nature, Art was not a heavy drinker but June’s concern was somewhat justified because there was much heavy drinking going on in the crowd that they ran in.  Art tended to be the reliable somewhat-more-sober one who might be tapped to drive friends home after a long night.

(On Wednesday, June on voting…)

Countdown:  Correspondence resumes in 7 days.

The first New York apartment

During the school year before she met Art (and for one month in October 1949), June lived at 40 West 96th Street.  This was on the Upper West Side of Manhattan near Central Park (between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue).  She had four roommates, including her friends Jane Hastings and Shirley Stahl, a fellow Traphagen School of Fashion student.  They thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company.  Jane was the friend who had insisted that June had to go to Helen Darby’s Memorial Day party where June met Art.



From this largely residential neighborhood, it was an easy commute to Traphagen.  They could catch the IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line subway at 96th Street and Columbus, just half a block from their apartment.  The subway would take them downtown, where they could get off at either the Columbus Circle exit at the southwest corner of Central Park, or the 50th Street exit.   Traphagen was located at 52nd and Broadway, a short walk from either exit.

(On Wednesday, Art and the boys…)

Countdown:  Correspondence resumes in 8 days.