Friday, March 21, 2008

A postcard of a church in Hollywood from Ethel


From Ethel to Ada. This card is a bit frustrating in some ways. The stamp has been removed, taking with it any postmark that might have helped to date it. And most of the address has been obliterated. Ethel does not actually tell us the name of the church; I have done a Google search for RC churches in Holywood, but cannot find one that looks like this. The text reads

"Dearest. This is our little church. Isn't it lovely. Other sides have orange, fig and palm trees. Bell marks historic spot where Padre Junipero Serra celebrated Mass of the Holy Wood of the Cross in old spanish days. Please write me 6806 Hollywood Blvd L.A. Calif. I haven't had a letter for ages. Love to all from Ethel"
I'll see what I can find about the address she mentions - see http://mackiegenealogy.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04/news-from-ej-fleming.html for further details.
Update. Leo Weiss's United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, dated September 12th 1918 as far as I can make out, gives his spouses name as Ethel Veronica White and her address as 6806 Hollywood Blvd. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZVN-KKP He gives his occupations as 'actor' his employer as 'Universal Picture Co' and his place of employment as 'Universal City, Los Angeles, California'. His date of birth is given as November 10th 1881 (the commonly accepted DOB for him is November 10th 1882, but I don't think anyone has any primary source evidence for this.) and he has signed as 'Leo Weiss' with 'Leo White' in brackets underneath. Give or take a middle name, this is further good evidence that Ethel McCann from Plumstead was married to US actor Leo White and therefore she was the actress known as Blanche White.

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