Signature, George

My Dad's second name

In 2019 when I inherited the family home , I also found the first batch of nearly 68 letters written between my parents during their 1947 courtship.(among other unpublished works, from New Haven to NYC and back) . I was left with questions and mysteries but one puzzle piece was figured quickly.

At the end of each of my Dad's letters to my Mom, there were loving words, often, 'to My small one with all my love', followed by a signature of 'George'.

My fathers actual first name was 'Glyn' ( pronounced 'Glinn') . When my Dad met Irene and William, his future in laws, they had trouble pronouncing his real name , so they called him 'George'. After that, Dad would then sign his letters sent to my Mom as 'George' . My Mom had told me that story when I was a teen.

As Dad was trying to please his future wife, and deeply in love, he compromised his real name on letters for his soon to be in laws, and never gave it a second thought. Another suggestion by a friend historian; that this was a house with six children and two adults so that privacy to write letters or keep them private was at an all time low. Especially romantic letters from a promising suitor, a Yale University engineer! Irene and William would be well within their rights to read such letters.

I also came across a letter my Mom wrote from behind a file cabinet at work, a she kept an eye out for her boss in the auditing department of the Daily News (in the late 1940's) . That boss was Ed Sullivan.

I go through each letter now, each Western Union telegrams, clippings and countless pictures, and piece together that very special time that led to my own beginning. As many of the letters were typed on parchment paper, with occasional fading type writer ribbons at work, translations are slow. Thanks for special character recognition , for the big careful work ahead to decipher, and enjoy a different time of love.

Thanks for the help of Image Curator, and Videographer Paul Smith in this journey.