A Mexican Honeymoon, 1938
A little diversion, a Postcard from a time and place where a Shrimp Omelet on the menu cost $0.75!
February 23, 1938. On the radio, FDR’s Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes warns that world fascism must be stopped, and calls for stronger social programs.
In The New York Times, basketball fans read that “Yale turns back Princeton, 41-34”. In the same issue a classified ad describes a Beautiful Small Farm in Bath, Maine, “bordering river, 8-room house, lovely views, only $1,500 if taken soon”.
And in Pittsburg, the Mayor marries an artist and actress who are both locally well-known, and who will become my parents. The press records the moment.
The headline says “Richard Crist, Inc.” because a few years earlier he had financed a painting trip to Mexico by selling shares in himself. Back home, he rewarded stock holders with art works from his trip.
They honeymooned in Mexico in July and my mother, Eda, kept a scrapbook with a wooden cover.
A clipping inside is titled, “Timely Tips to Travelers”. It says you could bring into Mexico, duty-free:
100 cigars, 20 packages cigarettes, 1 pound tobacco; one camera not over 11 pounds; 12 rolls film; tents; cooking utensils; tables; chairs and limited number of sporting articles and 25 books.
From the United States they drove across the International Bridge, through Laredo, Monterrey and Lenares, and then into Mexico City.
Eda wrote,
Mexico City, to the Hotel Biltmore where we had room #116 for one night. Someone in the room above left the tap on and by morning our room was drenched - so we moved next door …
The hotel restaurant featured things like Guaymas stripped Shrimps ($0.75), Tomato Crabs (Veracruz style) (0.50), Pacific Pescadilla stuffed with oysters (0.75), Special caracolillo coffee (0.30), and a large bottle of wine, Fonseca Portugués, for $4.00.
She carried a sketchbook on flower walks and to the markets.
They bought pottery and a little wooden and clay kitchen scene. They are on my shelf now.
The Pyramid of the Sun was a day-trip from the city. Eda wrote on the back of the postcard below, “750 ft. square, 216 ft. high, part of the sacred city which was 4 mi. long and 2 mi. broad”.
Her illustrated note below tells about archaeological souvenirs that were available to visitors for the digging. It may still be true today, but I doubt it.
Her note says,
Tuesday. The pyramids. We dug a bit and found much obsidian - knives - spear heads - bits of of pottery with designs …. Then the storm came and we got back to the car just in time.
That was a lot of fun - we want to dig some more - at Xochicalco near Cuernavaca.
I think Taxco must have been their destination, because Richard had painted there on his previous trip. It’s a silver craft center, so Frida Kahlo’s earrings probably came from there. I wonder if the Crists ever met the Riveras. My fairy tale!
They had their picture taken!
Then, back in Pittsburgh again, Eda added one more note to her scrapbook.
P. S. In researching this post, I discovered an archived silent home movie filmed in Mexico around this time, the late 1930’s. It’s in the Stefan Hirsch and Elsa Rogo papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Lovely ...absolutely LOVELY!
I definitely agree with Margaret's post!
How interesting and beautiful! Helps me understand why you are so creative. Thanks for sharing!