Your TR Source
The Charles C. Myers collection consists primarily of more than 900 postcards gathered by Myers in the course of his duty as a sailor in the Great White Fleet, as well as in personal travels throughout his life. It also includes other souvenirs, such as tickets and handkerchiefs, as well as some of his personal effects, such as his sailors’ hat and his personal bible. In 2024, Myers’ granddaughter Melody Keane reached out to the TR Center and generously donated the collection to us.
Charles Cleveland Myers was born in Novelty, Missouri in 1879. He initially planned to be a teacher and obtained a certification from a normal school. However, he felt for personal reasons that he did not make a good teacher, and soon joined the US Navy. At the time he was sent on duty with the Great White Fleet, he was an electrician, holding the rank of Chief Petty Officer. One of his eardrums was damaged in a searchlight explosion, and he was honorably discharged in 1910. For three years after, he toured the country giving lectures about his travels. In 1913, he married and settled in Altadena, California, where he raised his family. Myers died in 1942, aged 63, of a brain tumor.
View items from the collection below.
Colorized postcard showing a large neoclassical building, the United States Treasury Building, with the Washington Memorial visible in the background. A street with railcars, automobiles, and pedestrians in the foreground. Text on the reverse of the postcard describes the building. The number designation on the front indicates the postcard is part of a series.
Unknown
B. S. Reynolds Co.
1915
2025-10-23
English
1915
2025-10-23
English
Colorized postcard showing a river valley, the Bow River Valley, with mountains in the background.
Unknown
Canadian Pacific Railway News Service
1915-06-25
Myers, Charles C. (Charles Cleveland), 1879-1942; Myers, Myrtle L. O'Dell, 1880-1959; Myers, Victor D. (Victor Dale), 1914-1998
2025-10-23
1915
2025-10-23
English
Unknown
Fred Harvey (Firm)
2025-10-23
English
Unknown
2025-10-23
English
Unknown
2025-10-23
English
White silk handkerchief owned by Charles C. Myers. The handkerchief features two embroidered crossed flags in the corner with a yellow star and yellow bow in between them.
Unknown
A silk handkerchief featuring a printed map, portraits of President Roosevelt and naval commanders, and pictures of battleships that traveled with the Great White Fleet. The handkerchief was a souvenir for the voyage and was owned by a sailor in the fleet, Charles C. Myers.
1909
A pink textile, possibly a pillowcase, with a printed photograph of Charles C. Myers in a navy uniform. The textile also features embroidered stars, an anchor, two crossed flags, and the date.
1910-06-05
Silk handkerchief commemorating the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904, featuring a printed photograph of President Roosevelt and embroidered flowers.
1904
A rectangular textile embroidered with multi-colored florals owned by Charles C. Myers.
Unknown
White, square handkerchief with curly embroidery around the edge. An embroidered flower is in the corner and a the date and “France” is handwritten on the next corner. The handkerchief was owned by Charles C. Myers.
1910-12-25
A circular textile featuring embroidered flowers, ships, birds, and a sailor. Below the ships, “At sea. April 15, 1910” is embroidered. Lace decorates the edge. The textile was owned by Charles C. Myers.
1910-04-15
A white sailors cap, also known as a “Dixie Cup”, once owned and worn by Charles C. Myers.
1900-1911
A pocket-sized book, Testament and Psalms, given to Charles C. Myers by friends and read by him aboard the USS Delaware in Fall 1910.
1910