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(Letterhead)
THE UPPER EGYPT HOTELS COY.
ETC

LUXOR WINTER PALACE
LUXOR

January 2,
1913

Dearest Mother and Father and Sister and Brother,
Here we are once more in Luxor after much delay. Got up here a couple of days or so ago and I have hardly been out of the hotel grounds since and haven't seen the house El Assassif its called meaning 'the Holes' or 'Ditches' being descriptive of the ground round about. I am not sure whether that name appears on the note paper or not, Mr Carter across the way calls his plan "the Hill of Flies" in the language of course and that heads his paper so we must not be behind. I am much better every day I can feel the change, but I haven't

(2)
dared ride so far and as all the furniture hasn't come it would mean riding back again. Herbert of course has been over and has stabled the two horses, the dog, the guard and the stable boy in the dining room tent right across the river, everything handy, and now he has a cold and has been in bed for the day, mainly to get well quickly as J.P. starts on the 5th and nothing has been done to get ready for him. Herbert will be alright tomorrow though sure. Our opinion is castor oil but the doctor hasn't done anything of the sort said it didn't matter. However perhaps he knows. We had a hectic day yesterday as we had a front room which was cold as the tomb which the poor boy couldn't stand so we up and

(3)
shifted to the top floor back and the difference is enormous, though there isn't so much room for trunks of which we seem to have enormous quantities. I trimmed my tough looking black straw hat that you hate with the cord out of pajamas that Mamie donated to tie my wrapper together with. It has tassels and goes round three times and looks very cute. Then the green veil goes round everything and hangs down behind & I take a swell walking stick a pair of white gloves and the god and sally forth. The rest of me doesn't matter so much. Mr & Mrs Davenport and Miss Annie Ward are here and have been very nice to me. I've been eating at the table while my little sick boy has been away and they gave me a copy of the transcript today with

(4)
pictures of Copley Square in it. I should think Father might protest, what are the going to swap to get Trajans column for the middle of it one to be especially made depicting Fitzgeralds life and acts from the start, not omitting the scene where he opens the Base Ball games, and another where his daughter debuts into B.B. society at the Copley Plaza. Something might be done if you got hold of the right person. Perhaps Brown (?) himself might accomplish something. Then family groups I understand there is room for four large &so could fill up the rest of the statuary and the whole could be called the glory of Boston 1915 or any other similar epitaph. Personally I think a few more trees, so more sparrows would collect to break the stillness of the Sabbath morn would be more effective.

(5)
We got all your letters here about being sick, we both cried over Mother and Fathers. Ethel's broke the strain and Dalands well the less said about that the better! Meany. We understand he is very busy at last. We gather he has many things to attend to which is much the same thing. They made a New Years greeting. I'm glad you didn't use your intelligence and send them to England, because we after all got here first. The Arabia is in. We met Mahmoud in the street one evening he recognized Herbert. It was dark and he couldn't see us very well, but I asked him if he didn't remember

(6)
and he said "Oh you were with us last year!" And retired in roars of laughter. Sammad the boy that takes care of the horses came down to the train to meet us with the dog, also the contractor who built the house he kissed my hand and put it against his forehead and then sent me an enormous bunch of flowers, carnations, roses and red (haves) all tied up like a great cabbage. It is even now fading on our balcony the sport of the sparrows. Miss Griffiths the reporter lady is here with her hair in a braid. Also some piers whether they are any relation to Arthur or not I don't know. Whimper they bird artist who lives here gave us a specimen of his

(7)
brush in the way of a picture of an ibis standing on a pyramid with a thunderstorm coming up behind the bird is wonderfully done. He's amusing too as Herbert was "Ilio" on the Lampoon. We have met Mr Nichol again you (deletion) remember the one we had tea with on his boat, and various other types, women as wild as Hon. Mrs Byng wife of the Commander of the Army of occupation who had a letter to Herbert and arrived today. I had to tell her the sad truth but we are bosom friends now. She came up on the night train. I saw her at about 11. She was covered with diamonds and had sent off endless letters of introductions and (deletion) is apparently out for a time. She'll get it allright. She has a week here & means to get taken round by people who know all about it and not a dragoman at all at all.

(8)
I've just finished "Herself" and its amusing but mixing certainly has a bit of charm - I wish while I think of it you would send some Nations along - but "London Lavender" is too much pinky purple. The second chapter was as far as I could get. The same old orchestra is here but a better pianist is with them & they render the Barcarole with exceptional ecstasy. So Ethel going to Nassau. How did you happen on that place. A good one I should think. I got a letter from Alice. She seemed to think about as much of her family as usual but things they have decided to go to Panama and round generally. It was a very amusing letter. Most ridiculous questions people ask us about Egypt and digging. But it isn't bad here, when you come next Winter get a luxury room & you'll like it better. Lots and lots of love from us both. We are going to get well together tomorrow & the

(5 along side)
Next day may see us both over the river. Ever your Helen
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<p>Established in 2010, the goals of the <name ref="#Emma_B_Andrews_Diary_Project">Emma B. Andrews Diary Project</name> include the transcription and digitization of a wide range of primary historical material from the <orgName ref="#'Golden_Age'">'Golden Age'</orgName> of <orgName ref="#Egyptian">Egyptian</orgName> archaeology, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. A founding partners of <name ref="#Newbook_Digital_Texts">Newbook Digital Texts</name> (www.newbookdigitaltexts.org), the <name ref="#EBA_Diary_Project">EBA Diary Project</name> offers undergraduate and graduate digital humanities education and internships at the <name ref="#University_of_Washington">University of Washington.</name> <persName ref="#Andrews_Emma_B">Emma B. Andrews</persName> is best remembered for her association with the millionaire lawyer turned archaeologist/art and antiquities collector, <persName ref="#Davis_Theodore_M">Theodore M. Davis.</persName> Traveling to <placeName ref="#Egypt">Egypt</placeName> with him between 1889 and 1912, she kept detailed journals of these voyages along the <orgName ref="#Nile">Nile,</orgName> including his important yet under-reported excavations of over 20 significant tombs in the Valley of the Kings. <persName ref="#Emma">Emma</persName> provides a vital commentary on the archaeology and pioneering Egyptologists of the time, painting a revealing picture of the lives of the colonial gentry and the cultural and scientific literati in at the dawn of the twentieth century. Analysis of the content of her diaries, along with a broad range of additional primary source material, will afford scholars information about important historical resources for the first time.</p>
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<p>THE <placeName>UPPER EGYPT</placeName> HOTELS COY. ETC<placeName>LUXOR</placeName> WINTER PALACE LUXOR <date when="1913-01-02"> January 2, 1913</date></p></div>

<div><p>Dearest <persName>Mother</persName> and <persName>Father</persName> and <persName>Sister</persName> and <persName>Brother</persName>,</p>
<p>Here we are once more in <placeName>Luxor</placeName> after much delay. Got up here a couple of days or so ago and I have hardly been out of the hotel grounds since and haven't seen the house <name>El Assassif</name> its called meaning the Holes' or 'Ditches' being descriptive of the ground round about. I am not sure whether that name appears on the note paper or not, <persName>Mr Carter</persName> across the way calls his plan "the Hill of Flies" in the language of course and that heads his paper so we must not be behind. I am much better every day I can feel the change, but I haven't</p>
<pb n="2"/>
<p>dared ride so far and as all the furniture hasn't come it would mean riding back again. <persName>Herbert</persName> of course has been over and has stabled the two horses, the dog, the guard and the stable boy in the dining room tent right across the river, everything handy, and now he has a cold and has been in bed for the day, mainly to get well quickly as <name>J.P.</name> starts on the 5th and nothing has been done to get ready for him. <persName>Herbert</persName> will be alright tomorrow though sure. Our opinion is castor oil but the doctor hasn't done anything of the sort said it didn't matter. However perhaps he knows. We had a hectic day yesterday as we had a front room which was cold as the tomb which the poor boy couldn't stand so we up and </p>
<pb n="3"/>
<p>shifted to the top floor back and the difference is enormous, though there isn't so much room for trunks of which we seem to have enormous quantities. I trimmed my tough looking black straw hat that you hate with the cord out of pajamas that <persName>Mamie</persName> donated to tie my wrapper together with. It has tassels and goes round three times and looks very cute. Then the green veil goes round everything and hangs down behind & I take a swell walking stick a pair of white gloves and the god and sally forth. The rest of me doesn't matter so much. <persName>Mr & Mrs Davenport</persName> and <persName>Miss Annie Ward</persName> are here and have been very nice to me. I've been eating at the table while my little sick boy has been away and they gave me a copy of the transcript today with </p>
<pb n="4"/>
<p>pictures of <placeName>Copley Square</placeName> in it. I should think <persName>Father</persName> might protest, what are the going to swap to get <placeName>Trajans column</placeName> for the middle of it one to be especially made depicting <orgName>Fitzgeralds</orgName> life and acts from the start, not omitting the scene where he opens the Base Ball games, and another where his daughter debuts into B.B. society at the <placeName>Copley Plaza.</placeName> Something might be done if you got hold of the right person. Perhaps <persName>Brown</persName> (?) himself might accomplish something. Then family groups I understand there is room for four large &so could fill up the rest of the statuary and the whole could be called the glory of <placeName>Boston</placeName> 1915 or any other similar epitaph. Personally I think a few more trees, so more sparrows would collect to break the stillness of the Sabbath morn would be more effective. </p>
<pb n="5"/>
<p>We got all your letters here about being sick, we both cried over Mother and Fathers. <persName>Ethel</persName>'s broke the strain and <persName>Daland</persName>s well the less said about that the better! Meany. We understand he is very busy at last. We gather he has many things to attend to which is much the same thing. They made a New Years greeting. I'm glad you didn't use your intelligence and send them to <placeName>England,</placeName> because we after all got here first. The <placeName>Arabia</placeName> is in. We met <persName>Mahmoud</persName> in the street one evening he recognized <persName>Herbert</persName>. It was dark and he couldn't see us very well, but I asked him if he didn't remember </p>
<pb n="6">
<p>and he said "Oh you were with us last year!" And retired in roars of laughter. <persName>Sammad</persName> the boy that takes care of the horses came down to the train to meet us with the dog, also the contractor who built the house he kissed my hand and put it against his forehead and then sent me an enormous bunch of flowers, carnations, roses and red (haves) all tied up like a great cabbage. It is even now fading on our balcony the sport of the sparrows. <persName>Miss Griffiths</persName> the reporter lady is here with her hair in a braid. Also some piers whether they are any relation to <persName>Arthur</persName> or not I don't know. <persName>Whimper</persName> the bird artist who lives here gave us a specimen of his </p>
<pb n="7"/>
<p> brush in the way of a picture of an ibis standing on a pyramid with a thunderstorm coming up behind the bird is wonderfully done. He's amusing too as <persName>Herbert</persName> was "Ilio" on the <orgName>Lampoon.</orgName> We have met <persName>Mr Nichol</persName> again you (deletion) remember the one we had tea with on his boat, and various other types, women as wild as <persName>Hon. Mrs Byng</persName> wife of the Commander of the Army of occupation who had a letter to <persName>Herbert</persName> and arrived today. I had to tell her the sad truth but we are bosom friends now. She came up on the night train. I saw her at about 11. She was covered with diamonds and had sent off endless letters of introductions and (deletion) is apparently out for a time. She'll get it allright. She has a week here & means to get taken round by people who know all about it and not a dragoman at all at all. </p>
<pb n="8"/>
<p>I've just finished "Herself" and its amusing but mixing certainly has a bit of charm - I wish while I think of it you would send some notions along - but "London Lavender" is too much pinky purple. The second chapter was as far as I could get. The same old orchestra is here but a better pianist is with them & they render the <orgName>Barcarole</orgName> with exceptional ecstasy. So <persName>Ethel</persName> going to <placeName>Nassau.</placeName> How did you happen on that place. A good one I should think. I got a letter from <persName>Alice</persName>. She seemed to think about as much of her family as usual but things they have decided to go to <placeName>Panama</placeName> and round generally. It was a very amusing letter. Most ridiculous questions people ask us about <placeName>Egypt</placeName> and digging. But it isn't bad here, when you come next Winter get a luxury room & you'll like it better. Lots and lots of love from us both. We are going to get well together tomorrow & the (5 along side) Next day may see us both over the river. Ever your <persName>Helen</persName></p>
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Description

8 page letter on Luxor Winter Palace, Luxor headed letterpaper.

Creator

Helen Winlock

Source

Massachusetts Historical Society

Date

1913-1-2

Original Format

paper

Citation

Citation

Helen Winlock, “1913-1-2 Letter by Helen Winlock to her Mother, Father, Sister and Brother,” The Emma B. Andrews Diary Project, accessed March 29, 2024, http://www.emmabandrews.org/project/items/show/1805.

Relationships

Item Relations

Item: Winlock, Herbert is mentioned in This Item
Item: Carter, Howard is mentioned in This Item
Item: Whymper, Charles is mentioned in This Item
Item: Winlock, Helen wrote This Item

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