The archives of the MHS contain letters relaying Americans’ experiences while abroad over Thanksgiving, including those of Eleanor “Nora” Saltonstall (1894–1919) pictured here.
Saltonstall spent two Thanksgivings in France volunteering for the Red Cross during World War I. Her letters home describe celebrations there. In 1917, she wrote about a large party with dancing, singing, and games. In 1918, she wrote about a forgotten Thanksgiving and a plum pudding meant for that dinner but shared mid-December.
View this photograph of Nora up close.
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