Streetcar Sunday - Brisbane, Australia

Electric trams operated in Brisbane, Australia between 1897 and 1969. Prior to that there had also been horse-drawn trams. The electric trams were very popular, carrying as many as 160 million passengers at their peak in 1945. After that ridership declined with the increasing popularity of the automobile and increasing suburban development, until, by 1968, annual ridership had decreased to 64 million passengers.

Since 1969, there has been a move to bring back some sort of light rail, but it hasn't happened yet.
Be sure to check out the earlier post on Sydney's trams. For more information on Brisbane's trams, visit the Brisbane Tramway Museum.

When in Winnipesaukee

When in Winnipesaukee, do as the Winnipesaukeeans...whatever it is that they do.  Lake W.  is the largest Lake in New Hampshire,  and, although the spelling on these cards is WinnEpesaukee, the preferred spelling seems to be WinnIpesaukee.

These postcards don't make it look very exciting, but it must be.  It has to be, or else French Prime Minister Nicholas Sarkozy wouldn't have gone there with his family in 2007. I remember this mostly because there was a big fuss after the French publication, Paris Match, doctored a picture of Sarkozy in his bathing suit to remove the bulge above the waistband.

Recently I read about another famous person who spent time at Lake W., Prince Albert. Not in the way you would think though. Prince Albert of Monaco went to summer camp as a youngster at Camp Tecumseh on Lake W. He reportedly returned for six summers as a camp counselor.

Several movies were set at or near Lake W., including On Golden Pond and What About Bob?
Have you ever been to Lake W.?  If so, can you tell me about the great attraction? I'm not getting it from these cards.

RMS Aquitania

It's no wonder the Aquitania was called Ship Beautiful.  The RMS Aquitania was a Cunard Line ocean liner with room for over 3,000 passengers, and an interior designed by the same firm that built and decorated the Ritz Hotel in London. The Aquitania's maiden voyage took place on May 30, 1914, just before the outbreak of World War I.  She was converted for military use during the war, but was back in service as a passenger liner in the 1920s.  The ship was popular with movie stars, royalty, and Americans who could drink to their heart's content during the era of U.S. prohibition.

After the stock market crash of 1929, few people could afford fancy cruises though, so the Aquitania's service was  scaled back. And then, with the outbreak of World War II, the Aquitania was once again pulled into military service. She was retired in 1950.

Here's the back of the card.

If you want to know more about this wonderful ship and its history, you may want to read RMS Aquitania: 'The Ship Beautiful' by Mark Chirnside.