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Original antique telegram dated 1878, completed in exceptionally bold, flowing ink handwriting on a printed “Blank No. 1” telegraph form.
The message reads:
“Send Charlie
to the Lake
for me tonight”
A brief, intriguing instruction preserved from everyday life in the nineteenth century. The oversized handwriting, sweeping flourishes, and strong contrast give this small paper considerable visual character.
The document retains its handwritten recipient line, sender-name line, date notation, and additional service notations near the bottom. The sender, recipient, and particular lake have not been positively identified. The year 1878 is clear; the remaining date and place notations are less certain.
Handwriting on a received telegram may have been entered by a telegraph operator. The sender-name line is not being represented as an authenticated personal autograph.
Condition: Age toning, light soiling, horizontal and vertical folds, additional creasing, small edge tears and nicks, and short separations at some fold ends. The message remains clearly readable. Please examine all photographs for condition and the photographed ruler for scale.
An appealing original for collectors of telegraph history, antique manuscripts, nineteenth-century communications, and American paper ephemera.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS LISTING IS FOR ONE ORIGINAL PAPER ONLY. The collage shows the same document in a full view and separate detail views. The decorative background and ruler are not included.
Type: Original handwritten telegram
Year: 1878
Time Period: 1850–1899
Country/Region: United States
Language: English
Material: Paper
Form: Blank No. 1
Subject: Telegraphy; Communications; Social History
Message: Send Charlie to the Lake for me tonight
Location: Unconfirmed
Quantity: One original paper
Measurements: See photographed ruler
Condition: Used; antique folds, creases, toning and minor edge damage
