Friday, September 3, 2010

Louisville, Kentucky

Here's an oddity. This postcard was probably printed in about 1915, but it shows a street scene from 1850.  It really does look as if a very early photograph was used as the basis for the card, which was then colored and embellished. I've never seen anything quite like it.

There is still a Galt House in Louisville. It is the official hotel of the Kentucky Derby and is now a 25-story building with 1,300 rooms.  I don't think it's in exactly the same location either. it looks like it may have migrated across the street.

Here's the back of the card:

10 comments:

  1. Very strange card indeed. Pretty sure I stayed in a hotel on Main Street, Louisville several years ago on a work trip - needless to say it looked nothing like this.

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  2. Looks more like a piece of folk art than a post card, I like the bright yellow carriage though!

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  3. hehee. Downtown Louisville is a really awful caricature of this now... It's always been a Dead ZOne.

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  4. this looks like a little piece of art from someone who was quite creative.
    & thank you for your comforting comments about Priscilla. She's home now & doing well.
    : )

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  5. It's fun to go over the image and make guesses as to what is drawn and what was on the original photo. "Galt House" sign looking a bit hand lettered. Street lamp on right not real. It's like one of those hidden pictures. There are 10 fake items in this image. Can you find them?

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  6. hbxx,
    You may change your mind when I post another card of downtown Louisville next week.

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  7. "Alex, I'll take Literary Characters for $1000."

    "And the answer is: 'Her detractors said the protagonist of this famous 1957 novel was named after author Ayn Rand struggled with a bout of diarrhea in Louisville, Kentucky's Galt House john.'"

    Sorry, Christine, my sixth grade class clown got the better of me. Jack/Youngstown

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  8. What a wonderful postcard! The casual capture of the different vehicles is so interesting.

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  9. Wow, very bizarre! A great find.

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  10. With humility, I withdraw the word, "always".

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