Streetcar Sunday- El Paso to Juárez

I posted a card  several months ago of a cafe in Juárez that attracted U.S. residents wanting to buy a drink or two during prohibition.  Decades later illegal substances are still supporting the Juárez economy. Based on current events and high levels of violent crime and drug trafficking on the U.S./Mexican border at Juárez and El Paso, Texas, it's refreshing, but also sad, to see the easy and open border pictured on this card.

In 1882, a streetcar line was established between El Paso, Texas and Juárez, Mexico.  Like most streetcars of the time, these were initially drawn by horses or mules. The coordinated service fell under the jurisdiction of two separate operating systems, one in Mexico and one in El Paso, but the service was effectively operated by the El Paso Electric Railway, with the conversion to electricity taking place in 1902. This card dates from sometime after 1910, when the cars were converted from open to closed cars.

Streetcar service was discontinued in 1974. Oddly enough, it was not discontinued for the typical reason - replacement by bus service.  Instead, the Mexican government halted the service because of a perception by Juárez merchants that only the El Paso stores were benefiting from the streetcar. They felt that Juárez shoppers were all heading north.  Recently there has been talk about reintroducing the service, but of course now there are major concerns about illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

Florida Float, Real Photo

Here's a real-photo postcard of a float in a parade. We don't know if the parade was in Florida though. The parade could have included a float for every state, and it could have been just about anywhere. Real-photo postcards are often highly sought after, depending on the subject matter. Why? Because they weren't printed, they were developed, and there was often only one card of the particular scene.

It helps a lot if you know the exact location of the photograph. It also helps if you know the date, although the stamp box on the backside of the postcard will help you determine that.

Real-photo postcards were developed on various papers, and they often included markings that help narrow down the date. For instance, this one has the letters AZO and 4 triangles pointing up. Because of this, we know that the postcard was printed between 1904 and 1918. Not exact, but better than nothing!
Here's another one, with an Al Capone look-alike on the right.

Where is his right hand? Is it holding a gun?  Are the men exchanging something behind the woman's back? Is this Mae, the woman Al fell in love with and eventually married? Here's the back of the card:

The letters PMO indicate that the picture was developed between 1907 and 1915.  That's, of course, very disappointing to me, because Al Capone was born in 1899, so that would make him no more than 16 years old in this picture.  So, I guess it's probably not Al.  Darn! Well, at least you can see the usefulness of these stamp boxes for determining the date. If you would like more information, Playle's website provides an easy guide to determine the dates of old cards.
Today is Sepia Saturday, so click on the link to view some beautiful sepia photographs accompanied by colorful stories.

5th and Morrison - Portland, Oregon

It may have been called Fifth Street then, but it's 5th Avenue now and it's still a very busy street.  Many of the buildings are still standing. There is no longer a sacrificial policeman standing in the middle of the street though, in what is now considered the transit mall. It's not just buses either; there's also light rail, bikes, cars, and plenty of pedestrians. There are times when this traffic cop might come in handy.

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