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.
Photograph of a parade float in Pasadena, California. The float is decorated with foliage. Crowds of people can be seen watching the float go down the street and walking alongside the float. The parade is most likely the Rose Bowl Parade.
Unknown
Photograph of a parade float with a wooden cross, log cabin, and tree. Crowds of people can be seen along the street behind the float watching the parade. The parade is most likely the Rose Bowl Parade.
Unknown
Photograph of a parade float with a structure covered in foliage and the word “Stanford” in flowers on the side. The parade is most likely the Rose Bowl Parade.
Unknown
Photograph of Charles C. Myers aboard a ship at sea. Myers is wearing a white Navy uniform and standing at the bow of the ship, looking out towards the water. Another ship can be seen in the background.
1907-1909
Black and white photograph of Charles C. Myers sitting on a bench with his legs crossed. Myers is wearing a navy uniform and white “Dixie Cup” hat.
Unkown
Head and shoulders portrait of Charles C. Myers in a sailors uniform.
1910-11-25
Postcard of a studio photograph of Charles C. Myers in a navy uniform, sitting in a chair with his legs crossed. A handwritten note states the photograph was taken in Brooklyn, New York. The postcard is addressed to Myrtle O’Dell in Pasadena, California.
1911-09-27
Group photograph of Charles C. Myers, Myrtle L. O’Dell, and others. The group is holding a pennant flag for the USS South Dakota and a pennant flag for the Aero Club of California hangs in the background. A note on the back of the photograph states Myers the individual at the top of the group and Myrtle is on the right.
1913
Black and white photograph of Charles C. Myers, Myrtle L. O’Dell, and Myer’s nephew, Lee W. Myers, standing behind a wooden ladder next to a tree in Novelty, Missouri.
1912-10-13
Photograph postcard of Charles C. Myers wearing a suit and holding a piece of paper, possibly in celebration of his college graduation.
Unknown
Charles C. Myers poses, dressed in his sailor’s uniform, inside the chamber of a naval gun. A stamp on the reverse notes that Myers is the electrician aboard the U.S.S. Delaware.
1910-10-15
Colored postcard featuring a photograph of the interior of Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island. A pieces of wood is attached to the front of the postcard. A note on the reverse of the postcard states the wood was retrieved on August 15, 1910 by Charles C. Myers while working in the church attic. Myers also has poked a hole in the postcard to note where George Washington sat in the church.
1910
Charles C. Myers describes a series of thirty-one postcards illustrating his time as a sailor during the Great White Fleet’s journey through the China Sea and visit to Japan.
Unknown
Charles C. Myers describes a series of fourteen postcards illustrating his time as a sailor during the Great White Fleet’s visit to China.
Unknown
Charles C. Myers describes a series of seventy-two postcards illustrating his time as a sailor during the Great White Fleet’s journey through South America.
Unknown
Charles C. Myers describes a series of 40 postcards illustrating Honolulu, Hawaii.
Unknown
Charles C. Myers describes a series of 15 postcards illustrating New Zealand.
Unknown
Charles C. Myers describes a series of thirteen postcards illustrating his time as a sailor during the Great White Fleet’s visit to Sydney, Australia.
Unknown
Charles C. Myers describes a series of 28 postcards illustrating portions of Melbourne, Australia, and the surrounding area.
Unknown
Charles C. Myers describes a series of 19 postcards depicting the island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)
Unknown