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1913-1-8-helwin-mother-luxor-1.JPG
1913-1-8-helwin-mother-luxor-2.jpg
(Letterhead)
Luxor,
Upper Egypt

Wednesday Jan. 8th 1913

Dear Mother,

Last night we came over for good. Bag and baggage from the
hotel. We rode our two good trusty steeds, and the rest camels,
all except the dog who rode on his four little footsies. The stud
farm buildings were moved from the banks of the Nile being a tent
and the caravan started. It was black night by the time it arrived
so I couldn’t take a picture, it would have been one allright
too. Daland’s letter just arrived before we left the hotel. Last
Saturday I tried a first ride over here, had lunch and
then back. Sunday I was so stiff that it was impossible to move
however I managed a post card or two which you may have
already received. Daland’s little token hasn’t has (sic) yet arrived doubtless
it will turn up. This place is full of novelty, for instance
there are no locks or handle on any doors and they have to
be kept shut by a block of stone which is never quite heavy
enough to keep out all the draught, so the wind whistles
dismally all night and the dog writhes upon the pillows. None
of the furniture is here except a few chairs and the beds which
came from England but the Jones(?) found a swell cook somewhere

(2)
who takes to vinegar flavoring & cochineal coloring in the frosting on
the cake. Hence our stuff is in the greatest mess it’s yet been in
and there seems to be no hope. There isn’t any use unpacking anything
as there is nowhere to put it. But when things are ready I think
we will be pretty well fixed. The house is very attractive & we
have by far the nicest rooms although there is no sun in them whatsoever
but the few here, only the dining room and kitchen, it’s something
to be avoided apparently. Mrs. Bying came over to lunch today &
was amusing, she wears a wig I think, and is very sprightly still
I don’t know as if she does any more than you did in your day.
We brought quantities of native baskets for scrap affairs and then some
marvelous embroidery for sofa cushions, all on the house but they have been
very funny about the furnishings like curtains etc. instead of getting
native stuff that goes with the house much the best, they have had stuff
sent from England that is the worst looking stuff any way. So far
our end we thought we might save up a few pennies and get some
curtains on our own account so there is the story in a nutshell.
I wish you could see the place. When everything is settled I’ll take a lot
of pictures inside and out and send them along. Today is Cook day
and all the tourists are streaming over the hill opposite to the Rest House.
The boy is waiting to take the letters so I’ve got to stop. Good bye with
lots of love Helen. Herbert and I get along very well together there is no need to
worry...
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<persName ref="SK">Sarah Ketchley</persName>
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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><title>Luxor, Upper <placeName ref="#Egypt">Egypt</placeName> <date when="1913-01-08">Wednesday Jan. 8th 1913</date></title></p>
<p>Dear Mother, Last night we came over for good. Bag and baggage from the hotel. We rode our two good trusty steeds, and the rest camels, all except the dog who rode on his four little footsies. The stud farm buildings were moved from the banks of the <placeName ref="#Nile">>Nile</placeName> being a tent and the caravan started. It was black night by the time it arrived so I couldn't take a picture, it would have been one allright too. <persName ref="#Chandler_Daland">Daland</persName>'s letter just arrived before we left the hotel. Last Saturday I tried a first ride over here, had lunch and then back. Sunday I was so stiff that it was impossible to move however I managed a post card or two which you may have already received. <persName ref="#Chandler_Daland">Daland</persName>'s little token hasn't has (sic) yet arrived doubtless it will turn up. This place is full of novelty, for instance there are no locks or handle on any doors and they have to be kept shut by a block of stone which is never quite heavy enough to keep out all the draught, so the wind whistles dismally all night and the dog writhes upon the pillows. None of the furniture is here except a few chairs and the beds which came from <placeName ref="#England>">England</placeName> but the <orgName>Jones(?)</orgName> found a swell cook somewhere
<pb n="2"/> who takes to vinegar flavoring & cochineal coloring in the frosting on the cake. Hence our stuff is in the greatest mess it's yet been in and there seems to be no hope. There isn't any use unpacking anything as there is nowhere to put it. But when things are ready I think we will be pretty well fixed. The house is very attractive & we have by far the nicest rooms although there is no sun in them whatsoever but the few here, only the dining room and kitchen, it's something to be avoided apparently. <persName ref="#Bying_Mrs">Mrs. Bying</persName> came over to lunch today & was amusing, she wears a wig I think, and is very sprightly still I don't know as if she does any more than you did in your day. We brought quantities of native baskets for scrap affairs and then some marvelous embroidery for sofa cushions, all on the house but they have been very funny about the furnishings like curtains etc. instead of getting native stuff that goes with the house much the best, they have had stuff sent from <placeName ref="#England">England</placeName> that is the worst looking stuff any way. So far our end we thought we might save up a few pennies and get some curtains on our own account so there is the story in a nutshell. I wish you could see the place. When everything is settled I'll take a lot of pictures inside and out and send them along. Today is <orgName ref="#Thomas_Cook_and_Sons">Cook</orgName> day and all the tourists are streaming over the hill opposite to the Rest House.The boy is waiting to take the letters so I've got to stop. Good bye with lots of love <persName ref="#Winlock_Helen">Helen.</persName> <persName ref="#Winlock_Herbert">Herbert</persName> and I get along very well together there is no need to worry...</p>
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Description

2 page letter on Luxor, Upper Egypt headed paper

Creator

Helen Winlock

Source

Massachusetts Historical Society

Date

1913-1-8

Original Format

paper

Citation

Citation

Helen Winlock, “1913-1-8 Letter by Helen Winlock to her Mother,” The Emma B. Andrews Diary Project, accessed March 28, 2024, https://www.emmabandrews.org/project/items/show/1854.

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Item Relations

Item: Winlock, Herbert is mentioned in This Item
Item: Winlock, Helen wrote This Item

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