The City of Algiers

Algiers was occupied by the French in 1830.  As French and other European settlers moved in, the city became two separate entities within one - the traditional Arab city on the hill and the European city below. In the 1930s, French architect Le Corbusier drew up plans for a redesign of Algiers, of which he said: “Here is the new Algiers. Instead of the leprous sore which had sullied the gulf and the slopes of the Sael, here stands architecture…architecture is the masterly, correct, and magnificent play of shapes in the light.” His plan was never implemented, but Brian Ackley has written an interesting article about the plans, entitled Blocking the Casbah: Le Corbusier’s Algerian Fantasy.

On March 26, 1962, at the end of the Algerian War, the street shown above became the scene of bloody riots when French soldiers opened fire on French colonists demonstrating against the French government. So many atrocities took place during the Algerian War.

Here's another view down at the docks.

Easter Bunny - See No Evil

Although I have a wide variety of Easter cards, I have a number of them that have a nearly identical Easter Bunny. In a few cases, girls are covering the rabbit's eyes. I don't know why.

Start Drinking

Most postcards that feature the inebriated also include a streetlight. There's often a moon too, but not in this case.

Then there's the guy who just soaks it up in the barrel. By the way, don't try this at home or anywhere else. There are reports of people dying from the fumes after going in to clean out empty brandy vats.

And then there's the guy in Portland, Oregon - did he die or just lose interest in drinking? He saved a whole lot of drink chips from the 60s and 70s from all kinds of taverns in Portland, most of which are not around anymore.  I bought these for 25 cents at a garage sale in a plastic Cool Whip tub with "Dick's Chips" written on the top in felt pen. It's part of Portland's history.

Here are some of the names of the old Portland taverns, in case you can't read them off the scan:
The Boondox Tavern, Y-Not Tavern, Mary Jo's, Little Apple Tavern, Ace Tavern, Spur Tavern, B&I Tavern, Spanish Inn, Hal & Thelma's, Hals' Tavern (uh-oh, what happened to Thelma?),  Pal's Shanty (still there!), The Table, Happy Days Tavern, Pakana, Picadilly Inn, Hour-Glass Tavern, Game Cock Tavern,  Hole in the Wall, Punjab Tavern, Hook & Ladder, Seahorse Tavern, Big Wheel, Snoopy's Tavern, Etc. Tavern, Red Star Tavern, Jakes' Paris Mugs, Tiny's Cafe, Side Show, and the Sandy Jug.

The Sandy Jug is still there, but it is now called the Pirate's Cove.  People still refer to it as the Sandy Jug, because it's on Sandy Blvd, it's shaped like a jug, and it's been there since the 1920s.  Here's what it looks like.

 Photo courtesy of Por Stanton.