Tulane University's
Louisiana Research Collection

John Francis Shepert Hamer II (born 1909 or 1910) of Texas, was stationed at Camp Polk, La., from 1942 to 1945. Immediately prior to the war, he had lived in Fort Worth, Tex., with his aunt and uncle. He had a wide circle of friends, mostly stationed at other domestic Army bases. When on leave, they would visit New Orleans, Alexandria, La., or other American cities, to enjoy the company of others in the gay community. Within this collection, different letter authors addressed him in writing alternately as Jon, John, or Johnny. LaRC Manuscripts Collection 199 (Jon Hamer papers, 1876-1950) holds the personal, military, and family papers of Jon Hamer, primarily from the World War II era.   Hamer donated his papers to Tulane in 1969.  At that date, he lived in San Francisco.  Included in the collection are handwritten and typed correspondence, post cards, greeting cards, numerous "v-mails", programs, a log book of letters received, tax and financial docum...

According to his obituary, James Curtis Waldo (1835-1901) was a well-known American journalist, author, and publisher. Originally from Illinois, he lived in New Orleans beginning in 1848 and for the rest of his life.   He served in the Confederate Army for one year.   After the war, he was the New Orleans correspondent for numerous American and European newspapers. Sometimes he wrote and published using his own name, and other times he wrote under the pseudonym, Tim Linkinwater, especially for newspaper editorials and columns.  He and his wife, Margaret Mary Woods Waldo, had six children. LaRC Manuscripts Collection 260 (covering items created 1850-1932) is made up of Waldo's personal and professional papers, including handwritten  correspondence, greeting cards, invitations and other items of social ephemera such as New Orleans Carnival ephemera, drawings, embroidery, financial documents, poems, handwritten and printed maps, newspaper clippings ...