Monday, September 19, 2011

San Francisco Flower Vendors

After reading about Barry the San Francisco Florist at Tattered and Lost Vernacular Photography, I had to look through my San Francisco flower vendor cards. You don't see flower vendors on the streets in San Francisco like you used to.



Here are the backs of the cards. The first one was written in 1923.

The message reads:

San Francisco - Feb. 1 - 23
Arrived yesterday A.M. with my friend and shall be here over the week-end. Mildred will come over to me tomorrow + with me two nights. Mr. Hayes telephoned me ate this afternoon from our house + said they were suffering with the extreme cold temperature down to 28 degrees and snow on all the surrounding mountains. So cold then the house wasn't comfortable.


No message on the second card.

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11 comments:

  1. AllisonSeptember 19, 2011 at 6:41 AM

    Just wondering... have you come across any postcards of the Big Duck along the way? That was a childhood favorite for my sisters and me.

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  2. HaddockSeptember 19, 2011 at 6:48 AM

    Good to see all turned out prim and proper. Even though photography was not that developed in those days, they managed to capture the mood in the right way.
    Thats a lovely handwriting...... I think I should go back to using the fountain pen (not that it will improve my handwriting)

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  3. Little NellSeptember 19, 2011 at 7:30 AM

    A lovely array of colours. I wonder if Barry started off as a street vendor.

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  4. DorincardSeptember 19, 2011 at 7:56 AM

    Colorful, but artificial. Like so many other things in life. :)

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  5. Cappuccinoandartjournal.blogspot.comSeptember 19, 2011 at 8:57 AM

    Wish I could have seen all those flowers venders back in the day -- but we do still have some flower stands downtown in Union Square. My sweetie used to buy me violets from one of them.....

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  6. Karen S.September 19, 2011 at 8:23 PM

    Oh my what flowers they were too! Lovely!...very nice postcards!

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  7. Alan BurnettSeptember 20, 2011 at 4:34 AM

    I love it : almost like a game of snap between two postcard collecting friends. I would love to be able to say that I was now going to look through my San Francisco Flower Sellers' folder - but sadly I can't. I think I might have one taken in Keighley however.

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  8. Christine H.September 20, 2011 at 8:22 AM

    Allison,
    I assume you're talking about the New York Big Duck. I don't have any cards from there, though I have probably seen some. I'll keep my eyes open .

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  9. GadgetSponge.comSeptember 20, 2011 at 8:33 PM

    Absolutely beautiful cards. I can't say that I've run across any flower vendor cards, but now I know another subject to keep an eye out for. The flowers in the second postcard seem huge!

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  10. PostcardySeptember 21, 2011 at 1:04 PM

    Minneapolis has a Farmer's Market downtown once a week. There are always bunches of flowers for sale then, but not at other times.

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  11. Archie TechtSeptember 29, 2011 at 9:11 PM

    The flowers on the first card are great, look like clouds of colored smoke between the people and the city beyond.

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