The collection consists of the surviving postcards sent to Mattie Keel by Mr. Riner on a 1932 trip, plus cards sent to Ms. Keel by earlier suitors, 1912-1915.
Arrangement:
Collection is divided into two series.
Series 1: P0stcards, 1912-1915
Series 2: Postcards, 1932-09 to 1932-10
Biographical / Historical:
Novie Ocy Riner was a mail carrier in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. On September 1, 1932, Novie Ocy Riner and his friend Roscoe Hatch set off for the National Association of Letter Carriers' Convention in Portland, Oregon. After the convention, the two men drove down the Pacific Coast, presumably in Hatch's Model A Ford, stopping in San Francisco, then to Los Angeles, San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. After September 26, 1932,they began the trip home again. On each day of his trip, Novie sent a ostcard to Mattie Keel, his future wife, Mattie Keel, who was in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Their courtship lasted nearly ten years, having been delayed by the Depression, and illness. They eloped in 1937.
Provenance:
Donated to the Archives Center, December 10, 1997 by Edward Riner, son of Mattie and Novie Riner. The cards remained in the family for years, and the donor used them in school work, losing or destroying some in the process.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
