The Daily Postcard

Paris Opera - Palais Garnier

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

On Monday I posted a card of the Hippodrome in New York. Then I saw that this week's Sepia Saturday theme is theaters (or theatres, depending on where you live.) So, I decided to post a couple more, including the Frankfurt Opera house and La Scala. I will have additional theater-related posts over the next few weeks, but I'll intersperse them with others, because I know some of you have already had enough of opera and theaters. But today, we're off to Paris.

The Palais Garnier certainly dominates the focus of the Place de l'Opéra. The building housed the Paris Opera from 1875 until 1989, when the new larger Opéra Bastille was built. The Palais Garnier is now primarily used for ballet performances. I have visited the building and the Paris Opera Library-Museum, but I have never been to a performance there. I did see a performance of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra at the Opéra Bastille in 2007, which was roundly booed by the audience, in part because of the modern reinterpretation and the spare set with its glaring gold backdrop.

Here's the Palais Garnier at the turn of the century. The card is embellished with lots of glitter, which unfortunately doesn't show up well on the scan.

And another view from decades later.

Here's the back of the first card, sent in 1906 to Cherry Morgan, staying at the Mount Hotel in Scarborough, England. The message reads:

Dear Cherry

We have put across the Channel. Some of the Channel was on ___of us Rough. Paris is very gay - hope you and your Ma are enjoying yourselves. Send love.

E.M. Costaline (?)

This is a post for Sepia Saturday, which is as entertaining as any theater. Click the box below to be transported.

La Scala - Milan, Italy

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

The building we see here was inaugurated in 1778 and named after the church (Chiesa di Santa Maria alla Scala, built in 1381) that was demolished to make way for the opera house. Over the years, numerous operas by Verdi, Puccini, and Rossini, among others, premiered at La Scala. The first performance at La Scala was the performance of Antonio Salieri's Europa riconosciuta.

It may not look like much from the outside, particularly on a black-and-white postcard, but it seats 2,800, and the interior looks pretty fabulous. I have never been to La Scala, but if I did I would want to sit in the cheaper nosebleed seats (known as the loggione) above the box seats. If you sit there, I imagine you can watch the opera and all the people in the box seats too.

La Scala was severely damaged by bombing in 1943, but was rebuilt in 1946. The opera house is currently facing a tough budget year, with a drop in both private and public contributions.


Source: Wikipedia

Here's the back of the card.

Opera House - Frankfurt, Germany

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

The grand old Frankfurt Opera House still stands, although it is now known as the Old Opera, having been replaced by a newer building. The original Opera House was inaugurated in 1880. Kaiser Wilhelm attended and remarked that he would not be allowed such an extravagance in Berlin.

Carmina Burana premiered here in 1937, but only seven years later, a bomb nearly destroyed the opera house. It lay in ruins for many years amid proposals to demolish it and build an office building. Instead, a citizens' initiative started raising money for a reconstruction fund in the 1950s. The opera house was finally reopened in 1981.

At the time this card was sent (sometime before 1907), senders were not allowed to write a message on the back of the card. Many people scribbled message over or around the picture on the front. Salomon Marx simply imprinted the front of the card with his personalized stamp. He sent the card to Rachel and Esther Rousseau of Ghent, Belgium.

I couldn't find anything on the Rousseau sisters, but I did find that Salomon Marx was born into a prominent Jewish family in Frankfurt. I can only assume that this is the same Salomon Marx. He was born in 1863 and was able to emigrate (to the United States?) sometime after 1933.

More on Sarah Craven

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sarah Craven of Lawrence, Massachusetts was the recipient of the card from Chas that I posted yesterday. Chas sent the card from New York in 1910 and said he might go ashore. Was he on a cruise? Nope, Chas was a sailor on board the USS Idaho. Based on the next card, we can assume that there was some romantic connection between Chas and Sarah, at least in some people's eyes.

The card appears to have been sent from a young male relative of Sarah's who lived in the same town, maybe a nephew. The message reads:

Received your postcard you was trying to fool me this is you and Charles kissing each other good by from Edward Craven.

Oh, but then I have this other postcard sent to Chas Walter on the USS Idaho from somebody named Clara who also lives in Lawrence, Massachusetts. She seems to think that Lawrence is HER guy.

The message reads:

Dear Chas I received your cards wish I could see you play football. I would give you a cheer. When are you coming to Boston XXXXXXXXX Clara Schneker (?)

This card was sent in 1908, so perhaps Clara was out of the picture by the time Sarah came along.

New York's Hippodrome

2012-01-23T08:09:00.000-08:00

Imagine visiting New York's Hippodrome Theatre in 1910. At the time, the huge theatre, which seated 5,300, was only five years old. You might have seen Harry Houdini make a 1,000 pound elephant disappear here or watched a Charlie Chaplin film when it first came out. The theatre had an 8,000-gallon water tank which could be raised from below the stage for diving shows. The huge stage had no trouble accommodating circus animals. The Hippodrome passed through many incarnations--as a vaudeville theatre, a budget opera house, and a sports arena--in an effort to make money. Unfortunately, the operating costs were high, and the Great Depression just made matters worse. The theatre was closed down and demolished in 1939.

It was replaced by this building.

View Larger Map

Here's the back of the card, sent to Sarah Craven of Lawrence, Massachusetts. The message reads:

New York, Sep. 25, 1910

Dear Sarah.

We are in new York. I think I will go ashore. Will write you a letter. Hope you are in the best of health. From your friend Chas

Valley of the Dolls

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

When the call went out for photos of dolls for this week's Sepia Saturday, I thought for sure I would find lots of material. Looking back through family photographs though, I realize that sticks and rocks were the toys of choice in my family, and dolls were fairly rare. Perhaps dolls were associated with embarrassment. When my mother was a child, her parents took a picture of her with a doll, but they also put a lampshade on her head. Although she grew up to be normal, I suspect that the experience colored her view on life and specifically her view of dolls and light fixtures.

The true test came when I requested a Barbie doll as a child and the request was categorically denied. You know as well as I do that it had something to do with the lampshade.

Source: Tracy's Toys

I was given other options though, including trolls. Wait a minute! This one has a lampshade on its head too.

Source: Tracy's Toys

At the age of 6 or 7, I was presented with a lovely bisque Deanna Durbin doll (Durbin was a movie star in the 30s and 40s.) Deanna had real (human!) hair and sleep eyes and was quite lovely, but she was not as durable as a Barbie doll. A direct hit from a basketball thrown by one of my brothers broke one of her legs. She has since been repaired and seems to be fine. It also appears that she actually ate the marshmallow I tried to feed her as a child or it dried up and disintegrated. As lovely as she was, I had to decline invitations to Barbie parties, because you simply do not walk into a Barbie party with a bisque doll of any kind. It would be sort of like wearing a lampshade.

My mother bought me some other dolls too, including a Native American doll and a plantation doll of unknown origin (Caribbean?). They have since been joined by a doll I bought in South Africa in the 1970s, a Hungarian doll, and the gregarious Don Ho bubble doll.

When I lived in Hawaii, I passed a huge cart of these Don Ho dolls that were being given away. I'm not sure why I only took one. The tag around his neck says "Don Ho blows tiny bubbles and big ones too." His head screws off and then you press on his chest and a bubble wand emerges from his chest cavity. A quick blow and there you go...tiny bubbles and big ones too.

Just in case you're interested, I leave you with a clip of Don Ho singing Tiny Bubbles

And here's Deanna Durbin.

The Wilds of Lewis County

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

This card was sent from the wilds of Lewis County, Washington to C.E. Shea of Portland, Oregon in 1917. Even today, the population of Lewis County is only about 75,000. The largest city is Centralia, with a population of just over 16,000. There's plenty of rural land, and the eastern end of Lewis County is national park and forest. Unfortunately, we don't know where this photo was taken in Lewis County, especially since it was sent from Seattle.

The message on the back reads:

Picture taken in the wilds of Lewis County. Notice the dog. I can get a separate picture of him very lovely looking.

Have you seen Aunt Hattie lately. I am contemplating taking the G.N. train which goes through Rainier and thought I would let them know.

Leon

While we don't know who the people in the picture are, I am fairly certain that the card's recipient was Cora E. Shea, born in about 1870 in Illinois. She and her husband, James Shea, lived in Portland with their three children Leo, John, and Margaret. I wonder if the son, Leo, sent this card to his mother. Leo would have been 26 at the time. Although the Census records show the name as Leo, I guess it's possible that his full name was Leon.

The Great Underwear Emporium

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

If you ever wondered why people didn't smile in old photographs, this may be the answer: wool underwear. Wool underwear would certainly put a serious expression on my face. As you can see, the child in this picture, an advertisement for the Great Underwear Emporium of Tioga County, is probably wearing those wool undergarments too.

Here's where you can go to stock up on your Shetland knit underwear.

Tram Tuesday - Lynchburg, Virginia

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Lynchburg, Virginia has a rich and colorful history. Back in 1757, it was just a ferry crossing from Lynch's Landing across the James river. The ferry service was provided by 17-year-old John Lynch, who a few decades later petitioned the Virginia General Assembly for a town charter. Years later, the city was spared from any severe damage during the Civil War because General Jubal Early ran empty train cars through the area to make it look as if reinforcements were coming into Lynchburg.

In 1880, fifteen years after the end of the Civil War, the first horse-drawn streetcars started operation in Lynchburg. Streetcars didn't last as long in Lynchburg as they did in many other American cities though; they were gone by 1941.

The message on the back of the card appears to have been written in 1911.

The message reads:

Arrived here about 7;30 and hope to leave tomorrow. Feel well and hope you are to

Here are a couple of before-and-after views of Lynchburg, courtesy of Kipp Teague, Lynchburg resident and generous host of a Retroweb, which features many old and new views of Lynchburg.

Source

The French Influence

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

These are American trade cards from the 1880s with French writing on them. But who reads French anyway? Best pretend not to, or you may see yourself featured in some unflattering television spots.

Here's what the back of the cards looks like.
I'm not sure what Arnaud sold, but I would love to see what the shop looked like.

Hats and the People who Wear Them

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

I realized, when I was looking for photos of people wearing hats, that people in my family just didn't wear hats very much, at least not very exciting ones. My husband's family has a few photo postcards of people with hats; the only problem is that we're not sure who they are, maybe cousins or in-laws. However, it's probably safe to assume that they were recent immigrants to upstate New York from Moravia or Bohemia at the time the photos were taken. Her hat looks classic 1920s.

Never mind his hat, I'd love to know more about the pipe.

I have plenty of cards that show big beautiful hats, including this one, with the generous addition of glitter.

It also has an amusing message on the back.

The message to Lloyd Robbins of Frankfort, New York was sent in November, 1907:

Would like to exchange postal if this card is ans. I will send better one

Lillian Rhodes

31 Maple Street

Gloversville

I didn't find anything definite about Lillian Rhodes, but Lloyd Robbins, born in 1897, seems to have been inducted into the military in 1918.

More exciting hats can be found at Sepia Saturday.

Good For What Ails You #5

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

I was going to post something celebrating this blog's 100,000th visitor yesterday, but I'm a little under the weather and just didn't have the energy. Instead, I am on the search through these trade cards from the 1880s for a remedy that will make me feel better.

I don't really have a cough, but the cough drops might make me feel better anyway, especially if they're the old fashioned kind.

The backs of these cards promise me that they are cheap, harmless, pleasant, and effective.

There are some other brands I could try too.

The Red Cross Cough Syrup says it's good for whooping cough too. Nichols Bark and Iron seems to cover everything, including malaria, general debility, nervous prostration, and hypochondria. It must have a very high alcohol content! It also has Calisaya bark and iron in it. Where's the laudanum?

I don't know. I'm feeling a little tired, but maybe I need to mix up my own elixir. I turn to my best resource book: Dr Chase's Recipes or Information for Everybody, published in 1867. The book contains sections for farriers, painters, and leather workers, in addition to the medical advice. I sometimes wonder if they get mixed up, since linseed oil does appear in some of the medical recipes. Maybe it just slipped over from the furniture refinishing department.

In any case, here are a few recipes for your amusement. Good luck finding the ingredients. I guess people just used to go to their grocer or pharmacist for these things? Try going to your pharmacist and asking for an ounce of Turkey opium.

Paregoric is also prepared with opium, just in case you thought this recipe was opium free.

I know that a number of these recipes call for laudanum. Here's a recipe for that.

It seems that my pharmacist is out of Wahoo, spikenard root, and tamarack bark, so I think I'll just go to bed.

Beware the Escolar, My Son

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is a special warning post to protect my dear readers from harm by fish. I write this because we have increasingly encountered this particular fish on restaurant menus, a fish that should not be there. Eat it at your peril. We did, and now we know better.

The fish is called Escolar or Snake Mackerel, but more often is listed on menus as Super-White Tuna, Walu, Butterfish, and even as Sea Bass and Black Cod and a number of other fish that it isn't. This is a misrepresentation. It's hard to say if this is the fault of the fish wholesaler or the restaurant, but it's dishonest. The best thing to do is to ask the waiter if it's the same thing as Escolar and hope that you get the correct answer...or order something else. If you order the fish, it will be very rich and delicious, and you would be unlikely to attribute the alarming after effects to this tasty fish. That said, there have been lawsuits against restaurants. It is currently illegal to sell the fish in Japan and Italy. Some countries allow it to be sold, but only with a warning. It was also prohibited in the United States until the 1990s, but now it's legal to sell and becoming more common.

Now, you're probably wondering what this fish does. I will not describe it here, but will guide you to a few informative links including Wikipedia and the Medellitin Food Blog . I would also mention that it is probably (?) safe to eat the fish in a tiny portion such as on a sushi roll. Many sources claim that if you keep the serving under six ounces you should be fine. I can tell you from experience, (we split an 8-oz portion) that that's not true. There are also claims that only 1 in 3 people have problems with it. I don't buy that either.

Here is the back of the last card, associating good health with the fish. Believe it if you will.

Tram Tuesday - Berlin, Germany

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

As you can see, this gentleman is balancing the tram on his head. And yet he looks so nonchalant.

It's a shame that someone removed the stamp. It wasn't likely worth much anyway, and the postcard loses something important in the process, not just the stamp, but the cancellation date. We can make a pretty accurate guess though based on the cancellation message, which urges people to join the Reichluftschutzbund, the State Air Protection Corps., which was formed in 1933.

The Berlin tram system was (and is) extensive. It was one of the earliest tram systems, with the first public line opening in 1847. Most of the lines that ended up on the western side of the city after World War II were replaced with bus routes, but the East Berlin system remained largely intact.

The message on the back of the card reads:

I'm having a very nice time in Berlin and wish it could last forever. With best regards Edith Flemming

Edith could not have foreseen the horrors of World War II, just around the corner. She could not have known that this part of Berlin would become East Berlin and that the remains of the palace would be demolished in 1951. She would not have wanted to stay forever though, that is certain.

Juarez, Mexico

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Was Juarez a dangerous city back in 1911? Probably not like it is today. The street scene looks very peaceful with the horse-drawn carriages and the shaded booths.

The message on the the card to Elnor (Eleanor?) Moss of Minneapolis reads:

Dear Elnor

As I have just come in from the 30 Mill station and had a few nickels in saved from the rations and found a few cards.

Yours truly

W.J.L.

I'm not sure what 30 Mill station might have been. Any ideas?

Milo and Maude

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Maude sent this card to Milo, with an information-rich message about rubbers, cuffs, and watches. I like messages like this that transcend the usual "I am well. Hope you are well too. Please write soon." Thank you, Maude!

Here's the front of the card - very bucolic.

Here's the back of the card, which is really more interesting.

Maude Pope sent this card to Milo L. Mack in 1909. I love messages like this, and I think I would have liked Maude if I had met her:

Dear friend Milo - I will send you a card did you catch the car last night you forgot your rubbers- did you tell your mother I wouldn't let you come home. Well Milo - I took your cuff buttons down, and they said they couldn't exchange them now but they would have changed them if I had brought them in before Xmas: so I had them marked. I was awful sorry I couldn't change them and get a watch fob, but I couldn't so you can save them to look at anyway. I had a letter from Charlie and he wants me to come up but I am not going so will say Good Night from your true friend Maude

I have just wound my watch

So, who were Maude and Milo? I thought of posting this card about a year ago and couldn't find anything, so I left it alone. I read it again this week and thought I'd check one more time. If it hadn't been for an obituary, I would have been in the same place as last year. The obituary I found was for Elizabeth J. Seeloff Eaton, born May 5, 1918. Sadly, she died just last week, on December 28, 2011. She was the daughter of Milo Lee Mack and Maude Pope Mack. Although I was sad to hear about Elizabeth's death, I was somehow elated to hear that Maude and Milo married and had children. True friend, indeed! The card was sent in 1909, so sometime between then and about 1914 they got married. They had a son named Milo Jr. in 1915 and the daughter, Elizabeth, in 1918.

The 1920 Census shows John employed as a shoe packer in a shoe factory. That also brings a smile to my face. The address on the card was Lestershire, New York, a village that no longer exists, since it was renamed Johnson City in 1916. Johnson City (near Binghamton, New York) was the home of the Endicott Johnson Shoe Factory, reported by many to be a great place to work. Not only that, but Milo worked there at the same time as my mother-in-law's parents. They may well have known each other.
Check out this earlier post on the Endicott Johnson Shoe Factory.

Vasagatan - Stockholm Sweden

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a card showing Vasa street or Vasagatan in Stockholm, Sweden around 1900. It is now a very busy street with lots of traffic.

Eventually, Vasagatan becomes Vasabron (Vasa Bridge), when it crosses the Norrström, as you can see in this more recent postcard. If you look closely, you can see a tram on the bridge. I love this card because of the mysterious barrel floating in the water. Parliament is nearby...is there a politician inside?

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The Lobster, Oyster and Chop House - New York City

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:00

At the time this postcard was sent, you could get a lobster dinner at the Lobster, Oyster and Chop House for under $3. In fact, for $2.50 you could get the Special Continental Supper, which included clam chowder, deviled crab, a whole Maine lobster, french fries, cole slaw, and coffee. There was an amazing variety though, and you could instead order smelts ($1.50), bluefish (also $1.50), Finnan Haddie ($1.35), shad roe ($2.25), mackerel, scallops, swordfish etc. And if you weren't in the mood for fish, you could order prime rib, a roasted chicken, or veal cutlets among many other things.

I came upon a website that gives a very nice description and a short history of the restaurant. Here's what the website, created by Bill Bence, has to say about it:

The Lobster Palaces

After a movie at one of the downtown palaces Mimi Sheraton's affluent Brooklyn family sometimes went to The Lobster, Oyster and Chophouse, better known simply as The Lobster by its patrons, Sheraton's college boyfriend also took her there on dates in the mid-40s. It was located on West 45th Street near Times Square and had opened in 1919. Lobster houses had been a Times Square fixture for decades. Around the turn of the century they were posh hangouts, along with oyster bars, for the sporting crowd. The Lobster and its 1946 counterparts were more mid-market. Sheraton always ordered the lobster but she writes that her mother would order “strange” things like gray sole, broiled bluefish, steamed codfish or finnan haddie with an egg or cream sauce

In his 1930s guidebook Dining in New York, Rian James described The Lobster as “a low-ceilinged, rambling restaurant with the grace and courtliness of a one-arm cafeteria; with rushing, ribald waiters, who dash up and down between the long aisles of tables with squirming lobsters in their hands, who take your order in a restless, 'must be getting away' fashion, making the distance between the oyster bar, up front, and the kitchen in the rear, in pretty nearly nothing flat.” The walls were decorated with mounted lobsters and fish and cartoons from Harry Hershfield and Fay King. According to Rian, it also had the best seafood in the city at a reasonable prices, which drew mobs of suburban and outer borough theatergoers in such numbers that people waited on line on the sidewalk to get in. The many other lobster houses in the immediate vicinity based their business on the overflow.

The Lobster was among a number of establishments that were fined in February 1946 for charging customers more than the legal ceiling prices set by the OPA. The Lobster paid a much higher fine than the other restaurants cited. That summer it also was cited for unsanitary conditions. It stayed in business until 1972 when increased costs, declining patronage and a change in the neighborhood made it no longer profitable. It was a favorite lunch spot for the staff of The New Yorker and Richard Harris wrote a "Reporter At Large" piece in the December 30 issue about its closing. To him it was a "comfortably unattractive," bustling place with efficient waiters and the air of convivial private club where you could get simply prepared, fresh seafood at reasonable prices. The owners, who were really pissed at the unions as well as the city bureaucracy, told Harris that the unions used to block the employment of African-Americans from any but menial positions. They defied the unions to promote a Black employee to the oyster bar.

The back of the postcard seems a little odd, since it has a return address stamp from New York, but was postmarked in Astoria, Oregon...and there's no message. It's not quite as strange though if you know that the recipient, Edwin Payne, was a postcard, stamp, and cover collector and a postal historian. Here's a plaque in his honor from The Salem Stamp Society.

Tram Tuesday - Havana, Cuba

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

I could tell you all about the trams of Havana, Cuba and how they started out as horse-drawn transportation for freight only, and how electrification of the system came fairly late, in large part because of the war with Spain. However, if you want to know more about streetcars in Havana or anywhere else in Cuba, you should really take a look at Allen Morrison's website, The Tramways of Havana. He documents the entire history of the system, with lots of great photos and postcards.

Here's Prado Avenue with a tram and horse-drawn carriages in about 1905.

The message on the front of the card to Clara L. Gray of Minneapolis says:

Jan 13 '06

This is Prado. I tried to describe in the letter I'm sending at same time. The ocean in the distance also Morro castle. G.D.G

Here's a card showing Morro Castle.

5th Avenue and 49th Street, New York City

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here's the view circa 1910, when St. Patrick's Cathedral was the tallest building and it was surrounded by residential buildings. Plans for the cathedral started taking shape in the 1850s, but many considered the idea preposterous, because the site was so remote. The cathedral's doors opened in 1878. After that, the city grew around the cathedral.

And here's what it looks like today. St. Patrick's Cathedral is still there, it's just dwarfed by skyscrapers.

View Larger Map

Here's the back of the card--sadly with no message.

Czech New Year

2012-01-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

The lovely Czech family on the front of this card sends you hearty New Year's greetings. I also wish you a very happy New year, but I don't read or speak Czech, so I'm afraid I can't offer a translation of the message on the back. Any input from Czech speakers out there would be greatly appreciated.

Glückliches Neues Jahr

2011-12-31T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here are some ornate German New Year's cards. These were the cards that the Schweigert family sent to Adolf Stoltz in 1911, 1912, and 1913. They were sent from Markirchen, Germany, which appears to be the town that Adolf emigrated from. He settled in Lawrence, Massachusetts with his family and the Lutz family sometime around the turn of the century.

Albert Schweigert must have been a very good friend of Adolf's, because I have a lot of postcards that he sent. Adolf appears to have tried to fit them in an album of limited size, so some of the cards have been trimmed. It's a shame, but they're still beautiful.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

I won't transcribe all three cards, since they don't relay any great news. The message on the one above reads:

Dear friend I wish you and your mother a happy New Year. Everything good, everything beautiful. Heartfelt greetings from Schweigert.

Heureuse Année

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

More French New Year's postcards. Tomorrow I'll post some beautiful German ones.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

Bonne Année

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have so many old French New Year's postcards, so I'm going to try to post as many as I can.

Here are the backs of the cards, which are almost as beautiful as the fronts.

The New Year and Clocks

2011-12-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

There are a number of symbols that are associated with the New Year. One of my favorites is the image of a clock striking midnight. Here are some classic examples.

These cards were all produced by Raphael Tuck & Sons. Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

New Year's Calendars

2011-12-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that this new year's calendar is 100 years old.

This one's from 1911.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

Happy New Year from Walter P. Smith, Mail Carrier

2011-12-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

How I would love to get a card like this from my mail carrier!

And while we're talking about mail, here's another card that mentions the U.S. Postal service in terms of New year's Greetings.

The back of the first card is blank. here's the back of the second one.

The message sent to Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey Hawkins of Susquehanna, Pennsylvania in 1909 reads:

Dear friends

May this Xmas be a joyous one for you both. Wish you could be here with Bertha and I. We are having such a good visit. With love Emily

Dutch Christmas

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

I love the graphics and the colors on these--and any picture with ices skaters wins my favor.
Have a very merry Christmas.

The backs of the cards all look the same, though only one has any writing on it.

What Santa Does in His Spare Time

2011-12-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

You may have wondered what Santa does when he's not delivering presents. Here's your answer. He likes to work with miniatures and build dollhouses. He also has a habit of answering the phone when he passes a phone booth and hears it ringing. That doesn't happen much anymore because there are so few phone booths.

Oh, and he smokes a pipe.

Here are the backs of the first two cards in the same order. The first one was sent to Viola Vincent in Sidney, New York in 1914. The second one as sent to Miss Cassie Doran in Daleville, Pennsylvania in 1908.

Christmas Rhymes

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

These rhymes are much better than the one I posted earlier with a Christmas poem for Jews. That needed a little work. I know that some of you get tired of Christmas cards. On the other hand, people like me who have so many, see this as the only opportunity to post a lot of them. I wish I had some Hanukkah postcards. I would post them if I had any, but I never see them anywhere.

In any case, here's Santa with some Christmas rhymes. Feel free to download these images if you have a use for them.

Here's the back of the first card, sent to Miss Edna Witherstine in Herkimer, New York in 1910.

The back of the other cards are blank.

Fröhliche Weihnachten

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of the many cards I have that were sent to Trina von Oesen in Germany. I have hesitated to post them, because I struggle with the old Sütterlin handwriting.

For whatever reason, this handwriting was taught in German schools between 1915 and 1941. Thank God it wasn't longer. There are numerous problems in deciphering this handwriting, but the main ones are that so many letters look alike and that the upper case and lower case of the same letter often look very different. If I want to read these postcards, I am going to have to learn to decipher the handwriting.
Here is my name (Christine) written in Sütterlin (and that's if it's written neatly):

It kind of makes sense if you already know what it's supposed to be, even though the letter E looks very much like the letter N. The letter C is one of the oddest, in my opinion. Here is lowercase C and capital C:

And then there are several different versions of the letter s

Anyway, I'm determined to learn it, because otherwise I will be unable to read the backs of these cards--and there are lots of them.

This one, luckily, is fairly simple.

The front of the cards says Merry Christmas. The message on the back continues with the message:

wishes you with all his (her) heart,

Your F. Auf Wiedersehen

Christmas - Wish I Could Eat Dinner with You

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

And the message to Mr. Geo Ray of Bridgewater, New York reads:

Friend cyi

Wish I could eat dinner with you.

yrs Brownie C.

Here's a card with a similar style.

Jordena Flood Green - Part 3

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

O.K., where did we leave off yesterday? Jordena Flood, born in 1911 in the small mining town of Globe Arizona, of apparently humble parentage, is suddenly jet-setting around the world and staying at the world's finest 5-star hotels.


Image of Globe, Arizona courtesy of epodunk.com

She is single and in her twenties. It would appear that her mother gave birth to her and her brother out of wedlock, but later married a man who worked as a house painter and became their stepfather. Oh, and look what I found:

So, Jordena's father was a railroad conductor! That and being born in a town called Globe must have predestined her to become a world traveler. Since this ruins my theory about her rich father and a trust fund though, the source of her traveling funds remains a mystery.

If Jordena had taken a job as a maid or a waitress it would have made sense given the circumstances, but for her to be suddenly spending money like an heiress is very odd. Jordena's family had moved to Los Angeles by the time she was 9 years old. Did she make a fortune acting in movies? If so, it was under a different name.

The ships' registers indicate that her travels between the ages of 24 and 30 were always first class, and generally for months at a time. At the age of 29, she moved from Los Angeles to San Francisco. At the age of 30, she married Martin I. Green, a doctor at Green's Eye Hospital. Here's a picture of Green's Eye Hospital.

The hospital later became the San Francisco Eye and Ear Hospital and then Cathedral Hill Medical Center. After this point, it's hard to know if Jordena's travels were financed with her husband's money or hers. Their first trip appears to be in January, 1941, and included visits to Australia and Hawaii. Unfortunately, Jordena's husband died within four years, at the age of 46. As far as I can tell, they didn't have any children and she didn't remarry. She did continue to travel though.

Jordena also moved a lot and I'm not sure why. Back in the 30s, 40s, 50s and even 60s, people didn't move nearly as much as they do today. Jordena was an exception. While her addresses were always decent ones--on Nob Hill or in Pacific Heights--they were never exceptional or particularly elite. Perhaps it was because she focused on travel.

Here are some of her San Francisco addresses. I think there are a few more.

536 Stockton Street
485 California Street (which seems to be very much in the Financial District)
1201 California Street
1801 Bush Street
1750 Vallejo Street
630 Mason Street, #1201
1400 Geary Blvd, Apt# 2001 (This appears to be an assisted living facility)

There is also an address listed for San Clemente, California and Laguna Woods, California (Leisure World.) I have the sense that she went there to retire, but decided that she missed San Francisco and returned.

Jordena Flood Green died on April 21, 2001 in San Francisco. She must have had so many stories to tell. I'm sorry I never met her and had a chance to hear about her trip to Libya and her stay at the famous Hotel Casinò Uaddan or the trips to Italy, Spain, Singapore, or Egypt.

All the same, I am thankful to her for the suitcases, which document her travels and after all of these years still smell of her perfume.

The Mysterious Life of Jordena F. Green - Part 2

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Jordena.
Yesterday, I posted some pictures of Jordena Greens' suitcases and a little of what I found out about her travels. But who was Jordena, and how did she afford this lifestyle of luxury travel to Europe, Africa and the Orient?

I thought there might be a hint in her maiden name. Jordena was born Jordena Flood on December 20, 1911. I immediately thought of the wealthy Flood family, the family that owned these two mansions in San Francisco.

Photos: seesdifferent.wordpress.com

But then I saw that Jordena was born in Globe, Arizona, an old mining town that currently has a population of under 8,000. That seemed strange until I was reminded that the Flood family made their fortune in mining. Still, wouldn't the society wives of rich influential men stay at home in the city rather than roughing it in a dusty mining town? Wouldn't they prefer to give birth to their children in a city hospital with all the amenities?

Whatever the case, I could not find a definitive link between Jordena and the James. L. Flood of the white mansion above. James L. married twice and had two children, James and Mary Emma (born in 1900 and 1908.)

Here's where it gets interesting. Jordena could have been born into an unrelated Flood family, but it would have to be a Flood family with a fair amount of money to afford her lavish lifestyle. The most interesting tidbit of information comes from the 1920 US census, which shows Jordena (age 9) living in Los Angeles with her mother Jennie Kaleb, her stepfather John Kaleb, and her brother, Richard. A. Flood, age 10. John Kaleb's occupation is listed as 'house painter.' Hmm. Just imagine how many houses John Kaleb would have had to paint to finance his stepdaughter's travels.

Here's one possibility, although it is pure speculation. Jordena's mother Jennie was a waitress or a secretary working in Globe, Arizona. Perhaps James L. Flood was there and took a shine to her. She bore two of his children, but they certainly couldn't get married, because he was already married. And besides that, she probably was not a society girl. Although James L. Flood had mentioned another illegitimate daughter to his wife, a child who actually lived with them, it is unlikely that he would want to mention the existence of two more.

The illegitimate daughter who lived with the Flood family, Constance May, filed a paternity suit after James L. Flood's death to gain her share of the inheritance. I don't think Jordena did anything like that, but she may have had a trust fund set up in her name, perhaps one that she could access once she reached the age of 21. We may never know, but the money had to come from somewhere.

All this from a set of luggage! If she hadn't left an address label on the case, and a tag inside, I would never have guessed what the initials J.F.G. stood for.

The story isn't quite over. Come back tomorrow to find out about Jordena's marriage.

The Travels of Jordena F. Green - Part I

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

If Jordena Green were alive, she would be celebrating her 100th birthday tomorrow. She might have celebrated by taking a first-class trip around the world--but only if she bought some new suitcases. That's because I bought her old, well-traveled suitcases about 25 years ago when I lived in San Francisco. Jordena also lived in San Francisco and she did not travel light. One suitcase is almost large enough to fit a grown person. Another one is just a little larger than a normal modern suitcase. And then there's the special vanity case. I suspect there was also a wardrobe case that ended up somewhere else.

All the cases are covered with hotel labels from her various travels. Jordena traveled frequently and only stayed at the finest hotels.

Although I missed the opportunity to call Jordena when she was still alive, the internet provides an amazing amount of information (including her former phone number!) In this case, some of the most useful records are the ships' registers on Ancestry.com. These records let me know what ships she sailed on, which class (always first!), her age, whether or not she was married, and sometimes how long she would be traveling (often more than two months at a time), and a street address. Jordena's home address changed very frequently, which is no surprise, because she seems to have been traveling most of the time.

Jordena stayed at the world's finest hotels, including Frank Lloyd Wright's Imperial Hotel.

She also stayed at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel

Most of the hotels where she stayed still exist in all their finery. The Hotel Ritz in Madrid looks well maintained and offers rooms from $421 to $5,964 per night. The Hotel Quisana Capri also offers rooms starting at about $430 per night.

It appears that Jordena began her travels in the 1930s when she was single and in her 20s, although the trips continued after she married. That's when she bought these monogrammed Hartmann Skymate suitcases with the pink satin lining. Even after all of these years, the scent of her perfume in the suitcases is quite strong, but very pleasant. A friend assured me that the scent is White Shoulders, but I certainly wouldn't know.

On August 17th 1935, she boarded the SS Malolo, bound for Hawaii. She returned home to Los Angeles on the SS Lurline on October 5th. A nice long trip. Two months later, she sailed back to Hawaii on the SS Mariposa and didn't return until the end of February, 1936. It appears that she also made trips by airplane, as evidenced by airline stickers on the cases form Iberia Airlines, British European Airways, and Pacific Northern Airlines. It's clear from the labels that she visited several cities numerous times, staying in different luxury hotels.

Here are some additional images of the suitcase labels.

I never met Jordena. I guess I probably assumed that she had died and that's why the suitcases were for sale. It turns out that she didn't die until 2001. If only I had done this research a little earlier, I could have just called her up and asked her about her travels and her (ahem) family history. I'm not sure why it is that I've become curious enough to research it now, but I can tell you that there's something a little odd here, an intriguing mystery to say the least. Tune in tomorrow for more details on the mysterious life of Jordena F. Green.

Christmas Shadow Cards

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

I don't usually post anything on the weekends, but I am swimming in Christmas postcards, so I thought I'd post some extra ones today. These are from an interesting series that emphasizes the larger-than-life shadows cast by the figures. Mistletoe is also featured prominently.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The message to Mrs. Sarah C. Becker in Valatie, New York reads:

December 13, '10

Ideas are O.K. Size 10 1/2 (all black). Thermometer crawling slowly upward. This is a picture of a "suffer-yet" Dutch Lady (Old Dutch Cleanser)

The message on this card to Mr. Henry Grimes of Grand Meadow, Minnesota reads:

If you have a class reunion remember me to everybody. I could spend two months very profitably visiting you. As it is I'm going back where I was born so long ago and expect everyone to know me from the family resemblance. Clara Parker

The Czech/Slovak Holiday Food Pyramid

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the holidays, the Korinek family has provided some eating recommendations in the form of a revised food pyramid.

Created by Dawn Korinek

If you're not Czech or Slovak, feel free to replace these categories with your own ethnic substitutions. I know that my pyramid would certainly include some pickled herring.

But if you'd like to stick to the Czeck/Slovak pyramid, here's a recipe for Buchta to get you started:

And finally, a graphic from 1880, urging you to stay hydrated.

Here's the back of the last one

If you're still hungry after this, head on over to Sepia Saturday for more yummy treats.

Mystery of Life #63

2011-12-15T08:23:00.000-08:00

There is actually more than one great mystery of life at work here. Firstly, why would anyone take a picture of a parking lot for a postcard, especially in such a uniquely beautiful spot as the Smoky Mountains? Secondly, who would buy a card like this? Well, I guess I bought it, so I can't say too much about that.

Here's the back of the card. Unfortunately, there is no message relating a pleasant (or otherwise) experience at the parking lot.

I Do Not Cycle

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

The problem with a postcard, or even a letter, is that you may not know what was communicated in previous correspondence, so there are invariably mysteries. There's nothing mysterious about the front of the card, but the message could use some explanation.

Wilf sent this card from Coventry, UK in May 1910 to Miss Polly Lee in Bridgnorth.

Here's the back of the card.

The message reads:

Dear Polly

have just received your letter but shall not be able to answer it very soon as I have got to go to Coventry for the Sunbeam on a little bit of business so I cannot say how long I shall be before I shall get back but I expect it will be Tuesday but I will write as soon as I can! I Do Not Cycle? Wilf

What could he mean?

Here's a picture of Polly's house, courtesy of Google.

View Larger Map

I revised this post based on the comments below. Yes, it's Sunbeam, as in bicycles. And here's a great link to a blog that talks about Coventry's role in the bicycle industry. Those Sunbeams were beautiful. Here's the link that Lisa provided ion the comments below: http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/Transport/bicycles/Sunbeam.htm

Tram Tuesday - Munich, Germany

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Munich's first horse-drawn trams were operating in 1876. By 1895, electric cars started replacing the horse-drawn cars, a process which was complete in 1900. There are still streetcars in Munich today, although the emphasis on developing the underground U-Bahn and S-Bahn systems has been greater in recent decades.

The first cards shows trams crossing the Ludwigsbridge. You can see that the front car was closed, while the rear car was open. It's also interesting to see people pushing carts along the street next to the trams. There are also some horse drawn carts, but no automobiles to be seen anywhere.

Here's a close-up.

The second card doesn't show any trams, but instead a full view of the city. The card was sent the same year it was printed, 1899.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The first card was bought at the Cafe Odeon, where it was probably also written by the senders as they sipped coffee and ate Kuchen in early May, 1910. They sent the card to Bertha Deschamps, who lived (or worked) on the beautiful rue St. Honoré in Paris. The card indicates that the address is at the location of a shop, although a look at Google maps suggests that there are (and were) apartments above. Back in the 1870s, when C.B. Black wrote tour books for Paris and surroundings, he listed this address as a shop where one could buy ribbons.

The card is written in German, but I would guess it is not the sender's native language. The handwriting, with the exception of the second signature, doesn't look German at all, and the phrasing is a little awkward. The message reads:

Dear Miss Bertha!

Best thanks for your news. Letter follows real soon. I am still at Lenbachplatz. I was overjoyed that your wish was fulfilled. You are certainly far out now. Greeting from your Emilie Cloeter, next to (__?_) Ernst Cloeter

The second card was sent to Miss Senzi Guggemos c/o medical Doctor Kock in Zürich, Switzerland in 1899.

Beautiful Christmas Scenes

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

I'm guessing these are from the early 1930s (?).

In any case, they are richly colored and beautiful. There's no writing on the backs.

An Odd Christmas Card from Granny

2011-12-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of the oddest Christmas cards I have encountered.

I like it because it's addressed to Eric Brasie of Brasie Corners, New York. The town was obviously named for his family. I also know from another postcard addressed to Eric, that his father was the postmaster.

Here's the back of the card.

To Ruth from Ethel and Fred

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Ethel sent her sister Ruth in London a few cards - one from Felixstowe and one from Folkestone.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The message reads:

Dear Ruth just a card to ask you if you can put me up for one night as I shall be home on Thursday and shall probably go to the flat on Friday. I shall not come until after xx o'clock as I shall be calling at mothers first hope you are all well Love from Ethel

The message on this one is a little harder to make out, but seems to say:

14 Warren Rd Folkestone

Dear Sister This is where all the big Pots stay there are two bandstands and a new Hall called the Cliff Hall also Leas Pavilion where we went to a Variety show called the Golden Gommes it is very good there are also some lovely walks below the cliffs We had a ride on the Model railroad at Hythe. We hope you are all well today Love Ethel and Fred.

We are at Swingate (?) today

Würzburg

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post this card today, because it was sent to the same address as yesterday's, to the lovely Villa des Marguerites on the Brittany Coast. If you want to see a picture of the vila, check yesterday's post.

I have come to the conclusion that when people struck out the word Postkarte and replaced it with Drucksache (the equivalent of book rate), that they could then pay a lower postage rate, with the card presumably taking somewhat longer to reach its destination. That's merely a guess though. If you have a better explanation, please let me know.

The second card was sent from Würzburg too, though a few years earlier. It was sent to Lara and Alma Kahn of Oakland, California.

From Freiburg to St. Lunaire

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

In 1902, Gabrielle was visiting Freiburg, Germany and sent a card to Monsieur G. Kuentz in St. Lunaire in Brittany, land of beautiful beaches and equally beautiful houses.

Here's another view of Freiburg at about the same time.

The back of the second card is blank, but the back of the first card includes Gabrielle's sweeping script and a few cancellation stamps.

Although I felt like a bit of a stalker, I had to look to see what the Villa des Marguerites looks like. Here it is. This is the side view. The front looks out to the sea. The Villa was built in the 1880s, one of the first villas to be built on the point.

Strange Spoon Postcards

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

There were more cards in this spoons series. They were probably printed around 1910, but these particular cards were not mailed until 1941. They were sent to Budd Bankson in Spokane, Washington from Blue (?) in Billings, Montana.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The message on the first one reads:

A lordosis curve on the green squash...

If you are becoming tired don't mention it the worst is yet to come -

Blue

Since lordosis was not in my vocabulary, I will assume it wasn't in yours either. This definition from Wikipedia may help to clarify:

lor·do·sis/lôrˈdōsis/

Noun:

Excessive inward curvature of the spine.
A posture assumed by some female mammals during mating, in which the back is arched downward.

The message on the second card reads:

Was Butch an iscream spoon? I think perhaps a soup spoon would be better for size at any rate.

Blue.

Hmm, well I won't interpret these messages, but here's some information on the recipient, Budd Bankson:

Budd Bankson (Norman Ray Bankson) was an Army Captain in Special Services and the son of Russell Bankson, City Editor for the Spokane Daily Chronicle. His brother, Rodger, was Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Information at the Pentagon. After his career in the Army, Budd became an author. In fact, his book, I Should Live So Long, which details his time in the Army is available on Amazon. It's really inexpensive too, so if you decide to buy it and read it, be sure to send me your review!

Later, Budd also did some writing for film and television. He wrote for the TV series Rawhide and He wrote a puppet show for kids entitled "The Adventures of Sir Gazooks" and then he developed the somewhat famous character, Teddy Ruxpin.

Budd was born on September 26, 1916 and died on January 21, 1992. He is buried in Riverside National Cemetery, in Riverside, California. This picture is from their site.

A Christmas Poem for Jews

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

It's not a great poem, but I think it may express some of the Christmas fatigue that Jews endure with Christmas trees, Christmas music, Christmas gifts, Christmas decorations, and Christmas cards throughout the season. Even Santa looks a little fatigued.

It's particularly impressive that this card sent to Albert Kinziger in Utica, New York, was actually postmarked on December 25th.

The message reads:

Here's to you, you lucky Jew.

Churp up - smoke up

and drink up dew. For they'll all help

to pull your sorrows thro'.

Don't sigh and cry like a boy in blue

But go to bed and

dream it's all true.

Will see you soon "a lost Friend"

Of course I had to look for Albert Kinziger to find out who he was. I found an Albert Kinziger who died from being hit in the head with a hammer in 1943 or 44, but (thankfully) he was born in 1896, so I think he couldn't be our Albert. Our Albert had to be born earlier than that to receive a card like this in 1908. Instead, I think our Albert was born in 1871 and died (far too young) in 1929. If so, he is buried in New Forest Cemetery.

Bridge Over the River Elbe

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

What an extraordinary bridge. It was built in 1899 and survived World War II. The ornate portals were removed in 1960.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order. The first one was postmarked at sea in 1930. the second one was sent in 1905.

Here's a photo from Wikipedia, showing a British tank guarding the bridge in 1945.

Galveston, Texas

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is a tiny postcard folder circa 1920s from Galveston, Texas. Galveston actually had a larger population then (53,000) than it does now (47,743). The city was devastated by a hurricane in 1900, but was making a comeback about the time this postcard was published. Despite Prohibition, there was plenty of drink and complementary vices for visitors to Galveston.

Main Streets in Raton and Clovis, New Mexico

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Raton means rat or mouse in Spanish. I'm not sure why anyone would want to name a town after a rodent, and this doesn't even look like a place where rats would want to be (no harbor!). What a main street though! It doesn't look quite as lively today, though some of the old buildings are still standing. Raton currently has a population of about 7,200.

And here we have Clovis, another New Mexico town with a great main street. The Hotel Clovis, on the left-hand side, is still standing. And while I don't know how Raton got its name, I can tell you how Clovis was named. The town was originally called Riley's Switch, because it was a Santa Fe railroad town and it must have been the place where Riley controlled the railroad switch.

The name of the current town reportedly came from the station master's daughter who was studying Clovis, King of the Franks at the time. Isn't that sweet? - a schoolgirl gets to name a town (current population of approximately 38,000) after something she's interested in. It ended up going far beyond that though. Years later, when Indian artifacts were unearthed near Clovis, researchers named the pre-historic Paleo Indian culture after the nearby town. When you hear of the Clovis culture or the Clovis Indians (thought to be the first human inhabitants of the new world), think of that little girl. Had she been studying Napoleon at the time, they might have been called the Napoleon Indians. Had she been reading Flaubert or Emily Bronte, they might have had yet another name.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

Tram Tuesday - Wiesbaden

2011-11-29T08:54:00.000-08:00

Although there is no close-up of the tram, this card really gives you an idea of what it would be like to be standing on the street in Wiesbaden at the turn of the century. But for the sulfurous spa waters, I would love to be transported there. All three of these cards show the same street, the Wilhelmstrasse, named after Kaiser Wilhelm. Sadly, Wiesbaden eliminated its tram system in 1955.

Here are the backs of the cards in reverse order. The first one sings the praises of Wiesbaden and particularly the beautiful Wilhelmstrasse (la rue Guillaume) and its shops and foreign banks. The writer also mentions a casino along the promenade that people may visit after a concert in the park.

Inspired by the message on this card, I went to look for more information on the casino, which is still there. It seems that the casino was every bit as much of a draw as the spa and attracted all sorts of people, including Dostoyevsky, who gambled away everything he owned here in 1865. Rumor has it that both Crime and Punishment and The Gambler were written under duress to cover gambling debts.

The Waters of Wiesbaden

2011-11-27T21:13:00.000-08:00

Since Roman times, the springs in Wiesbaden, Germany have been recognized for their various qualities - as a place to bathe horses, a source for red hair dye, and a restorative tonic. The water may taste like salt and sulfur, but drinking it is reputed to help rheumatoid problems along with a number of other ailments. Kaiser Wilhelm II was a regular visitor here, but Wiesbaden was also frequented by Russian nobility and visitors from throughout Europe.

The buildings surrounding this particular thermal spring (the Kochbrunnen) were designed by architect Wilhelm Bogler in the 1880s. Although they survived World War II, they were torn down in the 1960s.
Here are some additional cards showing the building interior and exterior.

In the photo above, it appears that the man in the foreground on the left moved as the photo was being taken, resulting in a strange ghost image of his face.

Hmm, there's a typo on the front of the last card. Can you find it?

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

Rudy Goes Fishing

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

That's right, Rudy's back. If you remember previous posts about Rudy, he went off to fight in World War II and became ill at the end of his service. He had kidney failure and it turned out that he only had one kidney, so he ended up dying not long after he returned. Looking at the picture below and his somewhat puffy face, I have to wonder if that was due to kidney disease.
Here he is while he was still in the army, stationed somewhere in the U.K. The A.P.O. address is always a domestic address, so it's unfortunate that it doesn't give a better indication of exactly where he was.

In case you can't read Rudy's writing, here's what his letter says:

Hello Folks,

Just a few lines and I hope they find you all in the best of health and spirits. I went fishing with my new tackle yesterday and had good luck. I caught two trout, one 14 1/2 inches and one 11 inches. I also got a eel that was at least three feet long. After seeing the fish i caught some of the boys went today fishing but had no luck. It seems I that i am the only one that has any luck at this stream. I ate one trout yesterday nite for my supper. It was great eating. I went to town today and seen a show. I usually get up around noon when I work notes. Got a ticket also to see Bob Hope in person this Sunday. Well I'll say so long all. Thanks for everything. Rudy.

Here's the back of the photo.

For more good fishing, wade on up the stream to Sepia Saturday.

Happy Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving cards were very popular at the turn of the century. Many of the old Thanksgiving cards were focused on the hapless turkey. Not many people send cards for the holiday anymore, though people certainly do go to great lengths to share a feast with family and friends. If that's what you're doing, I hope you have a warm and happy Thanksgiving.

Le Clou Du Voyage

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

I hope no unfortunate circumstances like this interfere with your weekend travels plans.

This card was sent to Mr. Jimmie Kearney in Washington D.C. from his sister in Switzerland in 1932.

The message reads:

Le Clou du Voyage - "The Cloud on the Trip" - or in other words - "the fly in the ointment." These babies are having a hard time. they have had a puncture! Today was Palm Sunday + tomorrow we are on Easter vacation. Miss Bahr (?) has to work part of the time tomorrow but we are going riding in the P.M. Wish you were here to go with us Jimmie - we would have such a good time. I will send you a picture of us soon. Hope you and Baby Brother are well + happy - much love from Lalla(?) Palm Sunday March 20

Tram Tuesday - Dresden, Germany

2011-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

Dresden has a long history as a center for transportation. The first horse-drawn streetcars started transporting passenger in 1872, but electric streetcars were already operating in 1893. The city, along with the transportation network, was pretty much destroyed during World War II, but today the tram network is alive and well with twelve routes and 200 km of track. Here's a view of Dresden before it was bombed beyond recognition.

Here's an image of the square in 1950 taken by Roger Rössing and Renate Rössing. Note that two of the streetlights remain.

Here's the back of the card.

Don't Go Back to Reston

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

This card was sent in 1909 with a message that doesn't seem to fit the picture...or does it?

Here's the back of the card, sent to Miss Lillian Smith in Roseburg, Oregon in 1909:

The message reads:

Dear Friend

I have been to church every night I could and I think I have got my sins forgiven very well by this time. I feel like a chritan any way. I don't no how I look. Well I sopose to-morrow will ind your time in Roseburg for a while. Well of course you can do as you can do as you please but I see your finish if you go back to Reston. I will sing off hoping to hear from you soon. Alee P.

Things Could Have Been Very Different

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

As I peruse The Gasoline Automobile, published in 1915, it's clear that things could have taken a different direction. The book starts out by discussing the differences and pros and cons of steam propelled cars, electric cars, and gasoline automobiles. And though the book doesn't mention it, Henry Ford was also looking at the value of biofuels at that time. You have to wonder how different the world would be today if we had chosen a different fuel.

Would my mother have gone on this trip to the American Southwest in the early 60s in a steam-powered car? Maybe not. And the car may not have looked as sexy either.

I'm not a car buff, but I love reading through this book, because it explains the workings of the automobile in a way that's understandable to me. It helps that there aren't any electronics. The illustrations are also wonderful. It's interesting to think that the scarcity of second-growth hickory affected the choice of wheel design.

Motor on over to Sepia Saturday to read more about automobiles and the people transported by them.
By the way, if you want this book, you may be able to find original copies through Alibris or eBay. You can also order a reprint. And, if you want to read it on your computer, you can download it from the Internet Archive for free, courtesy of the California Digital Library.

Greetings from the Seaside

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

The card and the message are not particularly well matched, but I think that's part of the appeal. The front of the card shows a very British or European looking beach scene.

The front and the back of the card both evoke the joys of summer; they just do it a little differently. Here's the back.

The card was sent to Gilbert Grinley of Warwick, North Dakota in July, 1909. Warwick currently has a population of 65, but back in 1909 the population may have been as high as 300. The message is priceless:

July 18, 1909

Dear Cousin, How are you getting along? have you killed many gophers this summer? I wish you was here to help me pick strawberries the sloughs are chuck full of them this year. From your cousin Allfred

Luis Alvarez - continued

2011-11-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's card to Senor Don Luis Alvarez was sent from Freiburg, Germany in 1904. Today's card was sent a year later by a different sender from Larche, a lovely little village in the French Alps near the border with Italy. That helps to explain why it is an Italian postcard.

The card shows the Alpini, Italy's mountain troops that were formed in 1872 to protect the mountainous borders with France, Switzerland, and Austro-Hungary. It was during World War I that the Alpini distinguished themselves, fighting battles on glacial crags and throughout the steep Dolomites. They had to be agile and able to function well at low temperatures and high altitudes. But the adaptable Alpini had also been sent to Tripoli in 1911 to fight in the Italo-Turkish conflict where they battled against Berbers in the sand dunes.

Enough about the amazing Alpini though; let's look at the text. Just as with yesterday's card to Mr. Alvarez, the message is written on the front, because no message was allowed on the address side. The message, sent on August 8, 1905, reads:

Dear friend,

I received twice three newspapers. Thanks. My regards to all the friends. without______

P. Bulgo (Buljo?)

Here's the back of the card.

It appears to me that Mr. Alvarez had a post office box (#8). As with yesterday's card, you can see that the sender has specified the route the card should take. I'm not sure if that was just to assist the postman or because the sender preferred that route over others. This card is designated to go via Le Havre and New York to its final destination in Chihuahua, Mexico.

Tram Tuesday - Freiburg, Germany

2011-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Streetcars are alive and well in Freiburg, Germany, transporting an average of over 200,000 passengers a day. The City also has an extensive pedestrian zone and is considered to be among the 'greenest' cities in the world.

Every now and then I run across a postcard where I get the sense that there's a lot more than meets the eye. This card was sent to Don Luis Alvarez of Chihuahua, Mexico in 1904. Who was Don Luis Alvarez? I don't know for certain, but there is a Luis Alvarez who was a Mexican industrialist and the Mayor of Chihuahua as well as a candidate for President of Mexico in 1958. Was he related to the postcard's recipient?

The message was written on the front of the card, because in 1904 no messages were allowed on the address side. It is written in Spanish and reads:

October 7, 1904

Dear friend Luis:

Here is the second dozen cards. The maps arrived safely.

Affectionate Greetings

Foerkel.

This is postcard #13, addressed to Mr. Luis Alvarez. His title includes the word 'Don', which suggests that he was a person of distinction. The title is used a little more broadly today, but was originally reserved for nobility. The card was sent to Alvarez in care of Mr. Ketelson and Mr. Degetan, who were prominent in the mining and banking industries in Chihuahua. For whatever reason, Ketelson and Degetan are listed on the Enemy Trading List of the United States War Trade Board in 1917. The list is described as follows: This is a list of enemies and allies of enemies, and other persons, firms, and corporations, whom there is reasonable cause to believe have acted directly or indirectly , for, on account of, on behalf of, or for the benefit of enemies and allies of enemies.

As with so many other postcards, I'm sure with a bit more research I could get to the bottom of this.

More Lovelights

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

last month I posted some Lovelights cards. Here are a few more.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The message to Miss Ilene Harris of Decatur, Illinois reads:

Garfield, Kans.

May 11. 09

Dear Cousin-

This leaves me well. Am going to leave here tonight for Kingman Ariz. just 1200 miles South west of here. Am going with a car load of stock. It takes about 6 days for the trip will send you a card when I get there. LM (?)

The second card was sent to Jennie Safarak of Rochester, Minnesota in 1910. The message reads:

Dear Jennie:-

Rec'd your letter and card. We are all very glad mamma came out all right and hope she will be better by this time. Will write a letter later on. Will go out to Farwell next Wed. Love to Mama from us all. Your niece Lottie.

Did you get my letter? We ___often. Very warm, hot rather, aint it?

Veterans Day and Ghost Towns

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

I had the best intentions for a Veterans Day post focusing entirely on military and veterans, but I can't help what's written on the back of the card and where it leads. I certainly couldn't ignore the message sent to J.J. in Lucky Boy, Nevada. Actually, it seems very fitting, since today is not only Veterans Day, but also 11/11/11, a date some consider to be very lucky. It's also the 100th week of Sepia Saturday (more on that below.)
Here we have two pre-WWI American officers wearing Army and Navy military uniforms.

The first picture may be a likeness of Rear Admiral Caspar F. Goodrich.

And then there's the back of the first card. First of all, the message is written in French. Secondly, it's addressed to someone in Lucky Boy, Nevada, a place I had never heard of - and it was sent in 1911 from Goldfield, Nevada. One of the reasons I've never heard of Lucky Boy is that it's a ghost town. You can see current photos of it here. There was a lot more action there in 1911 though, after silver was discovered in 1907. Gold and silver prospectors came from all over the country and from abroad to seek their fortune. Lucky Boy appears to have had a post office, since the card has a Lucky Boy cancellation.

I have trouble deciphering the message, but it was sent to J.J. Cousol from his mother (Julietta?), who reports that Mr. Murphy visited Doty and it was very nice. She also says that there's something in it for the son - something about Horn Silver. Horn Silver, as I just learned, is silver that is formed on the desert surface from weathering silver sulfide. You could come along with no experience and a shovel and easily haul away a fortune. But when the surface silver was gone, that was it. There wasn't more below.

J.J. Cousol's mother was writing from Goldfield, which by then was at the tail end of its Goldrush. At one point Goldfield had been the largest city in Nevada, all due to gold prospectors. Now it is also a ghost town, with many old buildings remaining. The famous brothers, Wyatt and Virgil Earp, came to Goldfield in 1904, and Virgil was hired to be the Goldfield Deputy Sheriff shortly thereafter. Poor Virgil died of pneumonia within six months of taking the position though. By 1911, when this card was sent, the population of Goldfield had declined to about 4,800. Now it has a population of about 440. You can see some great Goldfield photos past and present here.

I can only guess that J.J.'s parents came to Nevada as part of the Goldrush and that when things started to get tough, J.J. ventured out and looked for better prospects in other parts of Nevada. And since we're talking about seeking fortunes, I should point out that the back of the postcard informs us that Senior Rear Admirals earn $8,800 a year when at sea and $8,000 a year when on shore.

Here's the back of the second card.

Apart from my other intentions, I had also in mind to post something separate to celebrate the 100th Sepia Saturday. After I wrote this post, I decided that it was really meant for Sepia Saturday, with a card that takes us back 100 years. Going back 100 years, we are suddenly in a time where people were prospecting for gold and silver, where World War I and World War II had not yet been imagined, and where communication from afar was primarily through the postal service.

For more ways to celebrate the auspicious 100th post, be sure to visit Sepia Saturday.
Thanks to Alan and Kat for dreaming up the idea.

Eat Your Giant Vegetables

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Just five servings a day, that's all you need. Both of these cards show giant vegetables from Oregon being delivered by rail car. For some reason, Oregon has been blacked out on the first card...perhaps by a jealous Californian.

The second card is basically identical to one I posted earlier, except for the wording. I recognize those tomatoes.

The first card was sent to Mrs. F.E. Hull (Krill?) in Bandon, Oregon in 1916 from her May in Coquille, Oregon.

The message reads:

Jan 3, 1916

Dear Mrs. Hull

I got the little towel . I was tickled to death over it thanks it is beautiful. We have sold out and are moving don't know where. I will write a long letter when we get settled bye bye from May.

Here's the back of the second card, sent to Lola Cline in Union, Oregon in 1909.

The message reads:

I arrived here at 10 o'clock safe and sound. How is the baby tell him "Hello" will write to the rest of the folks soon. The folks were at the train to meet me. love to all. Tiddy.

Perkins Hotel - Portland, Oregon

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

There were a number of elegant hotels in Portland at the turn of the century, catering to wealth visitors. The Perkins Hotel stands out from the other hotels though. Richard Perkins was a cattle driver and owed his success to driving cattle from the Willamette Valley to Idaho. He was a native of Bristol, England, the son of a wholesale cattle dealer and butcher. When Richard Perkins built the six-story Perkins Hotel on the NE corner of 5th and Washington streets in Portland in 1891, he honored his roots as a cattleman by placing a golden steer on the exterior above the top floor. The hotel catered to visiting cattlemen and served steaks in its restaurant across the street, but it also attracted politicians and actresses such as Sarah Bernhardt.

Mr. Perkins had financial trouble in the following years and had to sell the hotel. The hotel was redecorated and re-opened by its new owners without the golden steer in 1908. However, when A. Everett Meyers leased the hotel in 1924, he returned the steer to its alcove. It remained there until 1957. At that point the hotel had been declared a fire hazard and the top floors were closed. The entire building was demolished in 1962. The golden steer is now stored (though not on display) at the Oregon Historical Society.

I love the message on the front of this card sent to Mrs. E. Thrall of Albany, Oregon in 1907:

Dear Mamma - All we girls are up on Council Crest. How are you? (???? T.)

At the time, Council Crest was the site of an amusement park. I'll post a card of that one of these days too.

For more on the Perkins Hotel and history of Portland, visit Vintage Portland.

Tram Tuesday - Rotterdam, Netherlands

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Like many cities throughout the world, Rotterdam started out with horse-drawn streetcars in 1879. Rotterdam also had steam-powered trams, which was more of a rarity; the majority of cities went from horse-drawn streetcars to electric-powered ones. In the case of Rotterdam, the electric-powered streetcars started replacing both steam-powered and horse-drawn streetcars in 1905. Line One, shown below, was the first electric-powered car and replaced a horse-drawn service.

On both of these cards, you see the pantographs above the streetcars; that's the electric rod device that collects electric current from the overhead lines. You don't see the overhead lines themselves though. They would have been visible on the photograph, but were often erased when the photo was colorized. Sometimes the pantographs weer also erased. It made for a cleaner picture.

Line 4 below, also replaced a horse-drawn service, and was added in 1906.

There are a lot of interesting details in this picture, including the advertisement on the left, the carts, the way people are dressed, and the over-sized chair on top of the building in the middle. Here's a close-up.

You can see the letters MEUB underneath. The entire word, blocked by a chimney, is probably meubilair, which is the word for furniture in Dutch.
Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The message, sent in 1908, reads

Dear Madame!

Our sincere greetings from the second house on the left. Your devoted E.M. Pool

For a complete history of trams in Rotterdam, visit The Tram of Rotterdam website.

The Wurst Family

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Do you happen to recall a previous post of the Whole Dam Family? No matter, I'll put it at the end of this post. The Whole Dam Family postcards were printed to publicize a movie entitled The Whole Dam Family and the Dam Dog. I am guessing that the following two cards were inspired by the Dam Family phenomenon.
First we have The Wurst Family. I never 'Sausage' Wursts.

Then we have the Gunn Family, with a message written in shorthand on the front.

Both of these cards were sent before 1907. There is no message on the back of the card because postal regulations didn't allow it until 1907. The first card was sent to David Kampf in Brooklyn, New York.

The second card was sent to Miss Lena Frink in Bryn Mawr, California.

According to Rootsweb, Lena Frink was born in 1881 in San Bernadino, California and died in Bryn Mawr, California in 1959.

Oh, and here's the Whole Dam Family, which may have served as the inspiration for the other two.

Wearing My Heart Away for You

2011-11-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I don't usually post anything on the weekend, but just this once...
This card was inspired by the song I'm Wearing My Heart Away for You, written by Charles K. Harris in 1902. It is not the same song made popular by George Jones years later.

Here are the Lyrics to the song:

I'M WEARING MY HEART AWAY FOR YOU

I wonder where you are tonight, my love,

As all alone I sit and dream.

I wonder if your heart's with me tonight,

And if the same stars for you gleam.

I sometimes fear there is another love,

Some fairer face has won your heart;

But Ah, I hope the day will never come,

The day that we two must live apart.

The bees are droning in the wild wood, love,

The flowers their tiny heads bow low.

The birds are singing soft and plaintively,

They miss your dear kind face I know.

From o'er the meadow comes a faint perfume,

It whispers gently, "Love you're true;"

But Oh, my darling, if you only knew,

I'm wearing my heart away for you.

I'm wearing my heart away for you,

It cries aloud, "My love be true,"

I dream of you by night, I long for you by day,

I'm wearing my heart away for you.

I found an old recording on the internet archive, but it's very squeaky. If you're interested in listening to it anyway, here it is.

Here's the back of the card, sent to Adele Littlefield in Detroit, Michigan.

To My Love

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the back of the card.

The message to Master B. best reads:

S. Valentine's Day

Just got back from London. Daddy gone to Hereford again. This is a picture of you at the dance

Mother.

Master B. best must have been a boarder at St. Cuthbert's Prep School, Malvern Link.

Rally Day

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

What's the difference between Rally Day and Rallyday? One is a call to prayer and an effort to get kids back to Sunday school in the fall. The other has to do with rally cars and an event that takes place in Wiltshire, England. These postcards have nothing to do with cars.
See how many fonts you can identify on the first card.

Here are the backs of the cards, sent to Joyce Thompson of Santa Ana and Mrs. Veryl Culver of Arcata.

All the Nice Girls...

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's fun to find two postcards with the same title, especially All the Nice Girls Love a Sailor. Do you know the song?

The song was written and composed by A. Mills, but it was made famous by Hetty King (1883-1972) who sang it in 1905. Hetty was a male impersonator. You can hear a version by Ella Retford here.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

Tram Tuesday - Aachen, Germany

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Although this postcard doesn't provide us with a nice close-up of the streetcar, it does provide some interesting stamps, stickers, and handwriting.

Aachen is located in German near the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands. Back in the days when Aachen had a streetcar (1880-1974), the cars also crossed the border into Belgium and the Netherlands. For the first 15 years, the streetcars were pulled by horses, but by 1895 the entire network had been electrified. Expansion of the network continued until, in 1913, Aachen's streetcar network was the fourth largest in all of Germany.

By 1974, all the streetcars had been replaced by buses. While this progression is typical for American cities, many European cities have kept that streetcars, if at reduced levels. But Aachen, like many American cities, started looking at re-introducing streetcars. They looked at it in the 1990s, but plans stalled. Now it's being considered again. Stay tuned.

Here's the back of the card, sent from Maximillian Joesten in Aachen to Eugene Bloesch in San Francisco on August 30th, 1908. Eugene Bloesch corresponded with a number of postcard collectors. Whenever possible, they put the postage on the picture side. I think it adds something special to the card.
Here's the back of the card.

The message says:

Heartfelt greetings from afar!! M Joesten

I'm not sure what's written under the signature.
Here's another Eugene Bloesch postcard with the stamp on the front.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

The old Halloween cards stand in stark contrast to the Halloween decorations currently available in stores. I went to look for some decorations, because I want trick-or-treaters to see our house as a welcoming one. Unfortunately, about the only decorations I could find were severed limbs, ghouls with various nasty wounds, huge snarling rats, and plastic gravestones. The gravestones are O.K., but what happened to friendly ghosts, smiling jack-o-lanterns, black cats, and witches on broomsticks?

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The message, sent to Miss Marian Bacon in Marietta, New York in 1922, reads:

Dear Marian, How are you and Mama + Papa? Are you a good girl? Did you have a Jack O' lantern? It is cold her and has snowed quote a little this week. be a good little girl because Santa will soon be here. Your friend Ella

The second card was sent to Miss Louise Ely in Clyde, New York in 1909.

Lovelights Bussing

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

This bussing has nothing to do with four wheels. We're talking about kisses here.

Bussing Meaning and Definition from Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Buss \Buss\ (b[u^]s), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bussed (b[u^]st); p. pr. & vb. n. Bussing.] To kiss; esp. to kiss with a smack, or rudely. ``Nor bussed the milking maid.'' --Tennyson. Kissing and bussing differ both in this, We buss our wantons, but our wives we kiss. --Herrick.

Other definitions do not offer a distinction between bussing and kissing, but refer to a relationship to the French word for kissing (baiser) or Welsh and Gaelic words for lips (bus).

These postcards were released in 1909 just about the time the tungsten filament light bulb was being introduced. That's not to say that the events are related in any way, although it's a possibility.

Here are the backs of the cards, which are almost as fun!

The message to Miss Myrl Grose of Muncie, Indiana, reads:

Dear Friend Myrl. I have not heard from you and I want you to write because i am getting kind lonesom down here because you dont write so be sure and write if nothing is the matter

I love my hugging But oh your Kisses,,

Be sure and write me onley get a bout a week and half to work and I will be up their.

By By

From Yours truley

Emerson Hiday (?)

Brightwood 2138 Denot St.(?)

Interesting that the back of the last one is different.

Be sure to stop by Sepia Saturday, where you may see a different kind of bus. You can see more cards from the Lovelights series here at Postcard Roundup, and here at Postcardy.

Frog in Your Throat

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Frog in Your Throat was a popular brand of throat lozenges at the turn of the century. They printed a number of cards like this one around 1905 that generally featured a lovely lady in the foreground and a leering frog in the background. The lozenges contained licorice, coltsfoot, wild cherry bark, horehound, cubeb, capsicum, menthol, potassium bitartrate, peppermint, sugar, and other aromatics. Here's a link to a website that shows a nice collection of Frog in Your Throat ephemera.

The back of the card is nice too. It's labeled as a Private Mailing Card instead of a postcard. Prior to the congressional act in 1898, the US Government had a monopoly on printing postcards. After 1898, private mailing cards were allowed, but until 1907 only the address and no message was allowed on the back of the card. That means that a lot of these cards are mysterious; unless the sender wrote on the picture side, there's little indication of who sent it.

While we don't know who sent the card, we do know that it was sent to Miss Prudence Davis of Portland, Maine. A short search revealed that Prudence Augusta Davis (of the same address) studied at Smith College and married Melville H. Marston on Thursday, November 6, 1913.

Leather Postcard

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a leather postcard with a strange little saying on the front. The address on the back appears to be burned in. Leather postcards were popular at the turn of the century. Although many of the designs are very beautiful and interesting, I can't say they're among my favorites. For whatever reason, I prefer paper postcards. This one's pretty interesting though.

Tram Tuesday - Philadelphia

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

This card has a lot to offer. It has the full names and mailing addresses of both the sender and the recipient. Although there is no stamp or postmark, it appears that the card was sent in 1910. Nettie Smith of Philadelphia sent the card to Miss Julia Schneider in Los Angeles. Maybe they were in secretarial school together, because Nettie seemed to be confident that Julia could read her shorthand. Does anyone still read (or write) shorthand?

It's a little sad to see those old Philly streetcars, because the extensive system that Philly once had is no longer there. I think that there is a greater sense of loss in Philadelphia than in some of the other places where streetcars have been replaced by buses. I hope they make a comeback.

Here's the back of the card.

If you want to read more about the current issues regarding Philadelphia's streetcar system, you may want to check out Eric Miller's The New Colonist.

The Quiz Kids

2011-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Quiz Kids were on the Blue Network on Sunday evenings. What was the Blue Network? It was a spinoff from NBC, which eventually became ABC. But this wasn't TV, it was radio. There were many very bright kids on this show, including Joel Kupperman, bottom left, who was able to do amazing calculations in his head. He now teaches philosophy at the university of Connecticut.

The Quiz Kids show was on the radio from 1940 until 1952. People were invited to send in questions, and if your question was selected, you received a radio as a prize. If your question was not selected, you got a postcard like this one, with your address typed on the card by a secretary at the Blue Network. I can't imagine anyone getting a reply at all these days.

The question weren't easy either. Here's a sample:

1. What popular American dessert would you get if you joined up the last name of a 1948 pitcher of the Cleveland Indians with the nickname of the 1927 third baseman of the Pittsburgh Pirates?

2. What three explorers' last names begin with "La, De and Da?”

3. Arrange the first letters of the four major meatpacking companies so as to spell a branch of the United States armed forces.

4. Why would Pennsylvania and protactinium remind you of the third Sunday in June?

5. What fish spelled backwards is the name of a famous general?

Let me know if you are able to answer these. I'm going to try spelling fish names backwards to find that general's name...Nomlas? Tuort? Hcrep? Elos? Tubilah?

More Rudy

2011-10-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

Last week, I recounted the tragic story of Rudy along with some pictures. Here are some additional photos of Rudy during his school years. The first photo shows him in the graduating class of Jarvis Street School, which must have been an elementary/middle school. An earlier post showed a circus parade by students at the school. Rudy may be in that picture too, but I couldn't tell you for sure.

Rudy is in the front row, wearing the JS jersey. He doesn't look nearly as tough as the fellow in the second row wearing the same jersey. Some of the boys look very refined with their neckties, but a few look a little rough around the edges.

Here's another picture of Rudy, this time at Binghamton High School with his wrestling (?) team. He's number 7.

Be sure to check out Sepia Saturday for lots of classroom photos and other treasures. If you want to know more about Rudy, check out the previous post with baby pictures, letter etc.

Santa Cruz, California

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Most people don't think of casinos when they think of Santa Cruz. Instead, they might think of the boardwalk, hippies, UC Santa Cruz, Birkenstocks, Monterey Bay, the earthquake, etc.
But back in 1904, when the casino was built, it was a main attraction. There was no boardwalk; that was built later around the new casino. The original casino (shown below) burned down in 1906. Work started on a new one in 1907. As far as I know, that building is still part of the current boardwalk, although there is no gambling there. You can read more about the casino and see a picture of it in flames on the Santa Cruz Public library website., along with some pictures of the new casino.

Here's the back of the card, sent to Ida Schack of Chicago in 1905.

Paris, not just in the spring

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Paris anytime! I know people who swear that it's best to visit Paris in the dead of winter. Others claim it's a good idea to visit Paris during the month of August when all the Parisians are somewhere else. Is it ever the wrong time to visit Paris? Whatever your preference, there's so much to see and do in Paris that it almost doesn't matter when you go. I would like to be there to hear the horse-drawn carriages on the Champs-Élysées, but I think I'm a little late.

I like the idea of traveling to Europe by ship instead of by plane too. It's not the norm these days, but I guess it can be done. I'll just dust off my steamer trunks.

The first card doesn't have a message on the back, but the second one does. Edith sent this card to Mr. and Mrs. W. Abbott in Chicago in 1930. Here's her message:

7-29

Dear Folks -

This is some town - and I don't mean maybe. Will have to have a good memory to remember all we have seen - Hope to get our tickets to sail tomorrow - oh, for a calm sea -

Love to all -

Edith

Tram Tuesday - Seattle, Washington

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

King Street Station (on the right) was completed in 1906 and still looks very much the same, at least on the exterior. The Oregon-Washington Station (later named Union Station) was built alongside King Street Station in 1911. Both Union Pacific and Milwaukee Road trains served this station for 50+ years. Then, Union station sat empty until it was renovated in the 1990s. Now you can rent the grand hall for your wedding or party, but mostly the building is used as the headquarters for Sound Transit. I haven't seen much of the building interior, but the last time I was in King Street Station it was terribly run down inside and showed evidence of bad remodels. I understand that a restoration process is underway.

Seattle is also bringing back streetcars. See the official Seattle Streetcar website for details.

As for the message on the back, it's page #2 of an extended message, so it doesn't begin or end on this card. Make of it what you will:

2. mine (you can get them for fifty cents for any camera and they are well worth while and got portraits of about all the bunch. As long as you don't know the people, and wouldn't probably be interested in the portraits as you would the scenery I'm going to keep them to look at myself until I come home - when I'll show them to you. I have prints of all of that the others took that I was in - too.

I have got mixed up with a jollier, more congenial bunch of young people and we were all just like one big family. After "being in the family" so long, I felt pretty blue at leaving them, and I'm afraid my blueness was a good deal to blame for my not writing sooner. There is quite a

And with that abrupt ending, we're off to card # 3, which along with card #1 is not in my possession. It means we don't know who the sender or the recipient was. All we have is that little snippet from the middle.

Views of Oregon

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Steven from Facing West kindly sent me these Oregon postcards some time ago. I had trouble finding information on the monument below until Jennfer Keyser of the Oregon Historical Society came to my rescue. The name of the park is now Lownsdale Park and the statue is known as the soldier's monument. It is a memorial to Oregon's 2nd volunteer regiment that helped to capture Manila in 1896 at the end of the Spanish-American War.

Here are a two other cards Steven sent me, a great beach scene at Seaside, Oregon, and a view of Cascade Locks on the Columbia River. I don't go to Seaside very often, but it is a popular destination for Oregonians and visitors alike.

There is now a city called Cascade Locks, but the locks you see in this postcard were submerged in 1938 by the Bonneville Dam, which included its own locks to replace the Cascade Locks. The Cascade Locks were originally built to ease navigation through the treacherous 4.5 mile Cascade Rapids, which Lewis and Clark named The Great Shute. When they came through in 1805, they carried their gear around the rapids and took the canoes down empty.

Here are the backs of the postcards in the same order.

The message sent to Mrs. H.L. Barth of Seattle in 1911 is faint and hard to read, but I think this is what it says:

Portland, Ore May 5, 1911

Dear Fanny:

Rec'd your letter and was very glad to hear from you. I would like to write, but expect to be home soon and will tell you all the news then. We expect to stop over at Centralia and Grand Mound on our way up. We are having a dandy time. Say, maybe I wasent glad to go.

Best. With Love SM

Rudy

2011-10-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

Last week I opened my big mouth and said I would have something to post for Sepia Saturday this week, especially if the theme was World War II, cooking, kidneys or strange outfits. Well, guess what? It seems I got my wish. So, here's the story of Rudy, the uncle-in-law I never met. I'm not sure if you can accurately call a person an uncle-in-law, but it seems less cumbersome than 'the brother of my father-in-law.'

Rudy was born in Binghamton, New York in about 1920. Here he is as a toddler.

Here's another picture of him (on the left) with my father-in-law, John.

Rudy was in the army during World War II, stationed in England. Here's a letter he wrote home in 1944.

Rudy worked as a cook in the army.

Does this picture say something about his cooking?

Later, Rudy ended up at the 127th Station Hospital. In the letter below, it sounds as if he is working at the hospital, but this is about the time he became sick and had to be hospitalized. For a long time, they couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Finally, they discovered he was suffering from kidney failure. The story I have heard is that they went to remove one kidney, but found that he only had one. I don't know if that detail is right, but I do know that it's true that he only had one kidney. There were no kidney transplants at the time and dialysis was in the early development stages. Poor Rudy died at the age of 27.

Here's a letter Rudy sent to his brother John, who was also in the army. I'd love to know what the censors blocked out here.

Be sure to stop by Sepia Saturday for great stories and photos, which may or may not have anything to do with cooks, kidneys, or World War II.

From Lizzie Graham to her Mother

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a card sent to Mrs. George Mable, Lizzie Graham's mother in 1917. I have posted a number of cards from the Graham family, some very animated, and all of them heartwarming. I have also posted a few photos, courtesy of Bernice Mable Graham Telian, Lizzie's daughter. There is something very special about the Graham family.

I wonder if the letter E was left off the word little on purpose?
Here's the back of the card.

The message reads:

Dear Mother - I got my C. yesterday and they are grand. Have been working ever since. Think they would be nice for you? ? Don't know when we will can come up, - the car isn't near ready. We may go down to Tracy's folks awhile to morrow. I haven't done much this week, I guess it is the weather. Had a card from Aunt Jasmine (?) saying she thot (?) would come but not a word from Cooper's. I have written to them again. Lovingly, L.

On the side it says:

I want you to stop working so hard + I mean business. I'll come up next week some way.

If you want to see more cards and photos from the Graham family, go here.

Hotel Gregorian

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's the excerpt from the previous post on the Hotel Gregorian:
In April 1906, The Montreal Gazette described the Hotel Gregorian as being among those 'realizing the highest ideals of the best homes with an atmosphere of refinement and well ordered ease'. The hotel is still there and is now operated as the Comfort Inn Manhattan Hotel.
This card was sent in November 1939 to Jean Weaver from her mother. Both this message and the one on the previous Hotel Gregorian card are puzzling and mysterious.

I am very curious as to what Mom was up to. She requests that her daughter fill out mail-forwarding requests for two different addresses. Both of these addresses and her daughter's address in Hyde Park, are within blocks of each other. Here's the back of the card.

The message reads:

Dear Sis: Please put pink card forwarding address thru for me at once. Former Chi. addresses

6230 Kimbark

6207 Kenwood

Will write you all as soon as get a machine. Love to all Mom.

Tram Tuesday - Racine, Wisonsin

2011-10-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Some of you may remember that before I got lazy and stopped posting on weekends, I used to feature streetcar postcards every Sunday. I haven't done that in awhile, but I thought I would experiment with doing it on Tuesday instead. I may not do it every week, but I'll try to do at least a few a month.

Racine, a city of about 82,000 is located on Lake Michigan and has not had a streetcar since before World War II. That streetcar system ran from 1892 until 1940. Like many cities however, Racine has looked at bringing the streetcar back. Plans for a two-mile streetcar loop are included in the 2005 Racine Downtown Plan. It shows the proposed streetcar traveling on State, Main, 6th, and Marquette streets. As far as I can tell there is no target date though, and it's not there yet.

Here's the back of the card, sent to Gladys Knauf in Akron, Ohio in 1921 (?)

The message reads:

Dear Glad

We are working at this place today. Best to all. C +M

See Rialto theatre this is where we are today. with star above it.

The message makes me think that C + M were Vaudeville entertainers, performing at the Rialto.

Centurylink - exactly which century?

2011-10-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

If you're wondering why this post is late, here's the story.
I called Centurylink when I realized I didn't have a dial tone on our home phone. The repairman came and tinkered about and then left, proclaiming the problem fixed. He never tested the telephone though, which still didn't work. Not only that, but the internet, that worked fine before his fateful visit, now didn't work either. It turns out he knew the problem wasn't fixed, because Centurylink had not closed the repair ticket. He must have had other plans.

I won't describe the many phone calls to Centurylink or the number of times I had to enter my phone number, repeat my name, address, and social security number, and re-state the problem. In all, I spent several hours on hold listening to recorded assurances that Centurylink strives to provide excellent customer service and my call is important to them. In any case, their automated caller confirmed that a repair technician would be at my house between 8 am and 11 am. You guessed it - no one showed up! Another hour on hold, and I was told that a technician would be here by 8 pm. Sigh. Anyway, I'm happy to say that it's finally fixed.

It hasn't always been like this. Technology may have moved forward, but it doesn't mean that customer service has. Here's a great example of customer service: the Chinese Telephone Exchange in San Francisco. It opened in 1909, and was staffed with operators who had to speak fluent English as well as five Chinese dialects. They also had to remember not only the names of the thousands of Chinatown residents, but also where they lived. They had to know what they did for a living too, so they could distinguish between two people with the same name.

The exchange was destroyed by the San Francisco earthquake, but was rebuilt and continued to operate until 1949 when the rotary phone system made the switchboard obsolete. For more on the Chinese Telephone Exchange, including video footage from the 1920s, be sure to visit the fabulous foundSF website.

Here's a great card showing the interior of the Chinese Telephone Exchange.

The Comstocks

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a joyful gathering of Mr. and Mrs. Ross Comstock with friends and family. I don't know who they are or where they are. The stamp box in the upper right-hand corner indicates that the card was printed sometime between 1904 and the 1920s, a fairly broad range.

Is that really a hat the young woman in the front is wearing, or is it something she put on her head as a joke? It's very unusual. It's so nice to have the names on the back, but not knowing the location it's hard to say for sure who these people are.

Alise Sainte Reine, France

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Alise Sainte Reine is a tiny town in Burgundy with a population of just over 600. Small as it may be, it is thought to have been the site of Caesar's defeat of the Gauls in the Battle of Alesia. The U.S. military also stopped by here during World War I. According to the message on the back of the postcard, the X on the front marks the location of their battalion headquarters.

I'm at the Imperial Hotel. Where are You?

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

The architect who steals my covers recently returned from the annual Frank Lloyd Wright conference with this piece of memorabilia.

I'm re-posting the card from a previous post that shows the hotel itself, along with the background information.

At the turn of the century, there was an increased demand for rooms for foreign visitors to Japan. In order to meet that demand, a directive was issued to build the Imperial Hotel. Frank Lloyd Wright was hired for the project in 1916. He designed just about every aspect of the hotel, including doorknobs and carpets.

According to the architect who steals my covers, these are some of the significant aspects of the hotel:

The job was an important one for Wright because he had no work at the time. He was still recovering from the murder of his mistress Mamah Borthwick-Cheney, who had been hacked to death with a hatchet along with her two children at Wright's house at Taliesin. The murder was committed by one of Wright's servants, who had just served them lunch moments before. After that, the servant also burned down Wright's precious Taliesin house. Frank Lloyd Wright was at his office in Chicago at the time. The scandal of the affair with Borthwick-Cheney and her subsequent murder diminished Wright's appeal to prospective clients.
The Imperial Hotel managed to withstand the great Kanto earthquake in 1923, which destroyed just about every other building in the vicinity.
The hotel was demolished in 1967 because the property values were so high that a two-story building simply didn't make financial sense. The center part of the building was preserved and reconstructed at the Meiji Mura Museum, an outdoor architectural museum in Inuyama.

Happy Birthday & Many to Foller

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

These are both pretty birthday postcards, but I love them more for the messages on the back.

Here's the back of the card, written on March 9th, 1916 by Silas Davis.

The message reads:
I wish you a Happy Birthday & Many to foller. from Silas Wayburg (?) Davis

The second card was sent to Minnie Crosby in Norwich, new York in 1915.

The message reads:

Dear Auntie:

We are all well but papa he has got a sore leg

please excouse writting From Clara W.

New Home Sewing Machines

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here are two 1880s trade cards from Watertown and Cortland, New York.
The New Home Sewing Machine company was formed by William Barker and Andrew Clark in 1882. They continued to manufacture sewing machines under that name until the brand was bought by Janome of Tokyo in 1960. If you want to find out more about the history of sewing machines, check out the website for the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society. You could even attend the 2011 US Convention in Nashville, Oct 14-16, 2011. I posted another trade card recently that showed a similar graphic, with a head bursting through a newspaper. It must have been a trendy graphics technique at the time.

John Is Thrilled

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here he is - excited about riding the pony.

Here is John again - excited about relaxing in the sun.

And here he is, excited about riding his tricycle.

The truth is that John really was very enthusiastic about many things. It just doesn't show in these pictures. I think it's fair to say that he probably didn't like to pose for pictures. John Korinek, born in 1926, was my father-in-law. Here's a picture of him getting excited about a new pair of glasses he got in 2003.

And since Tracy asked, I have added this wedding photo too. There's definitely a smile this time.

If it's unbridled enthusiasm you're after, head on over to Sepia Saturday.

Hood's Sarsaparilla Saved My Life

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you read the back of this 1884 trade card, you can discover how Hood's cures what ails you, and how it saved the life of J.H. Martin of Delight, Kansas. Then you can head on over to G.L. Swift & Son in Marathon, New York to buy 100 doses for a dollar.

George Lucien Swift was the first grocer and a prominent businessman in Marathon, New York until his death in 1900. After visiting his daughter in New York City in the summer of 1900, he became ill with some ailment that sarsaparilla could not cure. His health declined as the year progressed. Although he was able to get up for Thanksgiving dinner, he died a few weeks later.

San Francisco's Chinatown

2011-09-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

Pamela Gerard of Cappuccino and Art Journal kindly sent me this San Francisco postcard folder. There are too many views to show all of them, but here are some of the highlights.

Here's a link to the Tattered and Lost post mentioned in the comments below. I also saw a very nice old San Francisco Chinatown card recently at Postcard Roundup.

Snowdon Railway

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Every now and then when I'm reading other blogs I'm inspired to dig up a related card from my collection. In this case I was reading about Mt. Snowdon in North Wales on Sheila's blog, A Postcard A Day. I like her post because it not only tells about Mt. Snowdon, but also has a message from the sender recounting the experience of hiking to the top. Sheila also mentions that while many people seem determined to hike the summit, a train was built in the 19th century. Here's that train.

There is a lot more information on the official railway website, although I couldn't seem to find information on how long the journey takes. I would probably want to hike up and take the train down, but the site warns that there is not always space available for one-way trips down.

Unfortunately, no message on the back.

Hotel Gregorian to the Sanitarium

2011-09-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

In April 1906, The Montreal Gazette described the Hotel Gregorian as being among those 'realizing the highest ideals of the best homes with an atmosphere of refinement and well ordered ease'. The hotel is still there and is now operated as the Comfort Inn Manhattan Hotel.

Here's the back of the card.

The message on the card addressed to Mrs. Louise Perry at Dr. Sahler's Sanitarium reads:

I expect to be at the Sanitarium next Sunday and shall be so glad to see you. Please tell Myra Powers I am coming

cordially E. Hathaway

The story of Dr. Sahler's Sanitarium is probably more interesting than the postcard itself. Dr. Sahler, who was educated at Columbia, was also an expert in the occult. An advertisement in a 1901 edition of the Metaphysical Magazine: a monthly review of the occult sciences, included this clip on the sanitarium:

Dr. Sahler also received a glowing assessment in the Phrenological Journal and Science of Health, volume 109, 1900. Phrenology, according to Wikipedia, "is a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules." Phrenologists would measure the skull and feel the bumps in the skull to assess personality traits.

Dr. Sahler also worked with mediums and auras, as reported in the Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research (1909). Here's an excerpt:

I only wish that Louise Perry could tell us about her experiences at the Sanitarium.

I'm Only Sleeping

2011-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

The theme for Sepia Saturday this week is based on a photo of sleeping man. I found no photos of sleeping men, but I did find a picture of my mother taking a poolside nap circa 1959.

I also found a beautiful illustration in a book of mine from 1840, showing the sleeping Chriemhilt (also known as Kriemhild) from the Nibelungenlied. This book was published with the Middle High German, so the spelling is different. The Nibelungenlied is an epic poem recounting the life of Siegfried the dragon slayer, his eventual murder, and his wife Kriemhild's revenge. The Nibelungenlied also served as the source material for Richard Wagner's opera, The Ring of the Nibelung.

The illustration was drawn by Julius Huebner and rendered as a woodcut by F. Unzelmann. The illustrations in this special celebration edition, are all very intricate and beautiful. I will feature more of them in the near future.