Streetcar Sunday -Sydney, Australia

According to Wikipedia, Sydney once had the largest tram system in Australia, the second largest in the Commonwealth (after London), and one of the largest in the world. It was extremely intensively worked, with about 1,600 cars in service at any one time during the 1930s. In 1945, the system provided 404 million rides.

As with most cities, Sydney started out with horse-drawn trams (or streetcars) in the late 1880s. These were replaced by steam-powered trams, which proved to be very popular, but by 1910 just about all of the trams were electric. The system was highly successful, despite competition from cars and buses. Still, the government was determined to shut it down. The system was shut down gradually, with the last streetcar making its final run in 1961.

If you want to know more about Sydney streetcars, there are lots of good resources. Dedicated individuals have put a lot of work into the Wikipedia reference for Sydney trams, so be sure to take a look. And don't miss this wonderful video, What Happened to Sydney's Trams:


You might also want to check out the Sydney Tramway Museum.
Oh, and here's the back of the postcard, just in case you want to see it.

Sepia Saturday - Your New Family

I was minding my own business (well, as much as I ever do) at a postcard show/sale when I came across this card in the sale bin. I really had no intention of buying it, because it's pretty creepy, but they were staring back at me so intently from the photograph. I guess I felt compelled...or threatened.  Now that I think back on it though - did I really buy the card? Or did I walk away without buying it, and then it showed up at my house in with the other cards anyway?  I just don't know, but maybe you would like to adopt this family and they can come live with you. Just say the word and they'll be on their way to your house.

If you check out the Sepia Saturday Blog, you can see other sepia photos of people with normal good looking families.

Marriage is a Cinch

One child (on the table) is lighting a pipe and the other is crying. Dad is polishing the brass, and Mom is smoking and reading the paper. What's not to love?

P.S. Handwriting can be beautiful, but I love it when people type their messages on postcards.