Wild Postcards

Sure, it’s probably Wednesday where you are as I write this, but I’ve been working some long and odd hours of late, so it’s still my Tuesday.  Regardless, it gives me an excuse to post two fantastically preserved linen postcards produced by Tichenor Bros. featuring the waters of Florida.  It’s also a great way to celebrate this month’s Festival of Postcards at Evelyn’s A Canadian Family genealogy / postcard blog.

The colors on these cards are just as they are presented here, and were probably produced in the early 1950s.

“Bayfront Park in all its tropical splendor adds to the Miami visitors (sic) comfort and relaxation. Here among the beautiful flowers, shrubs, and palms, concerts entertain visiting guests and inhabitants.”  I got this card oh, probably about ten years ago, in an antique shop in Florida.

This second card came to me from the collection of Kay Anthony:

“Lakeland, Florida is the metropolis of Polk County. Being 227 above sea level, it is tempered by breezes from the Ocean and the Gulf whch are within easy riding distance. Fishing, bathing and boating can be enjoyed on the 15 fresh water lakes which lie within the city limits. Two eighteen hole golf courses, a public library, air-conditioned first run moving picture houses and a municipal-owned water and electric plant are some of its many advantages.” Moving picture houses, indeed.

Sure, it’s probably Wednesday where you are as I write this, but I’ve been working some long and odd hours of late, so it’s still my Tuesday.  Regardless, it gives me an excuse to post two fantastically preserved linen postcards produced by Tichenor Bros. featuring the waters of Florida.  It’s also a great way to [...]

Postcard Friendship Friday once again brings us a card exchanged by postcard friends from long ago.  This card was sent to Kay Anthony on 7 October 1946 from Beason, Illinois, from her postcard pal Mrs. Logan Edwards.  Mrs. Edwards writes:

“This is a card I got in North Dakota as we traveled to the West Coast by train. We were gone right at five weeks and I will never forget the lovely scenery. We went as far north as Vancouver B.C. and as far south as San Diego, Cal. Our relatives out west showed us such as nice time.”

This is a Curteich “C. T. American Art” postcard, number 103046-N, and it’s a linen postcard, though the card stock is heavier than typical of these types of cards.  The serial number indicates that it’s a reprint of an original run, and records weren’t kept of those types of runs; I can tell, however, that the original run was made in 1925.

The history of the building itself shows that, the more things change, the more things stay the same.  In 1919, the North Dakota Legislature granted an appropriation of $200,000 (adjusted for inflation, that’s about $2.44 million) to construct a building as a memorial to those who fell during the Great War (that is, World War I).  Consequently, some committee sat around for several months trying to decide what sort of design they wanted and, time being money, they decided to hurry up and get the basement poured while they finally got around to telling the architect how it should look.  Construction of the basement alone wound up using most of the appropriation, and so an additional appropriation of $150,000 was requested — in other words, the building went over budget by about 75%.  But why should the government care?  Hey, it wasn’t their money.

Postcard Friendship Friday once again brings us a card exchanged by postcard friends from long ago.  This card was sent to Kay Anthony on 7 October 1946 from Beason, Illinois, from her postcard pal Mrs. Logan Edwards.  Mrs. Edwards writes: “This is a card I got in North Dakota as we traveled to the West [...]

“This view presents (the) original Pass of the North (Paso del Norte). It shows the Rio Grande, Highway U.S. 80, the Canal and Santa Fe R.R. emerging from this famous pass. Across the river are seen mountains in Old Mexico and Mt. Cristo Rey with its “Christ the King” Statue overlooking the valley.”

It used to be possible to take Highway 80 from coast to coast but, with the advent of Interstate Highways, the entire portion of US 80 west of Dallas, Texas has been decommissioned.  It’s still possible to take Highway 80 from Dallas and head east, staying with it all the way to the Atlantic Ocean; you’ll end up at Tybee Island, Georgia.

It’s unusual to see the description on the front of the card instead of the back, but there it is.  This is a Curteich “C. T. Art-Colortone” postcard, number 5B-H345, manufactured in 1945, and in pristine condition thanks to Kay Anthony.

“This view presents (the) original Pass of the North (Paso del Norte). It shows the Rio Grande, Highway U.S. 80, the Canal and Santa Fe R.R. emerging from this famous pass. Across the river are seen mountains in Old Mexico and Mt. Cristo Rey with its “Christ the King” Statue overlooking the valley.” It used [...]

“This view taken below Niagara Falls shows the American Falls on the left and Bridal Veil on the right. Under the falls lies the Cave of the Winds, formed by thirty feet of projecting limestone. This so-called cave is 100 feet in height and 60 feet in depth.”

According to the back of the postcard, this is a Colourpicture Publication, Boston 15, Mass.  Since the words “one cent” have been unceremoniously removed from the text “Place one cent stamp here” in the stamp box, we can surmise that the card was published no earlier than 1952.

“This view taken below Niagara Falls shows the American Falls on the left and Bridal Veil on the right. Under the falls lies the Cave of the Winds, formed by thirty feet of projecting limestone. This so-called cave is 100 feet in height and 60 feet in depth.” According to the back of the postcard, [...]