Wild Postcards

Ramona was an 1884 novel by Helen Hunt Jackson which described the travails endured by our young half-Scottish half-Native American heroine, mostly due to racial discrimination. It was immensely popular, and many places in San Diego jumped on the popularity bandwagon, claiming to be the places portrayed in the novel. The Camulos Ranch, pictured above, had a valid claim; the author is known to have visited there during her research, and describes particular furnishings and other items at Camulos in great detail, despite having stayed there only a few hours.

This card is one among a group of six cards purchased at Ramona’s Marriage Place, another attraction, that I found in a shop as part of a lot of several California cards. Each of them has a “From Ramona’s Marriage Place” rubber stamp on the back, and were probably purchased at the same time by the same tourist.

None of the cards appears to be any newer than around 1915 at the very latest. This particular card is a very early Curt Teich “C. T. Photochrom” postcard, number A-33852, published in 1913.

Ramona was an 1884 novel by Helen Hunt Jackson which described the travails endured by our young half-Scottish half-Native American heroine, mostly due to racial discrimination. It was immensely popular, and many places in San Diego jumped on the popularity bandwagon, claiming to be the places portrayed in the novel. The Camulos Ranch, pictured above, [...]

Here’s a little something to cool you off on this hot summer’s Postcard Friendship Friday: “Iceberg Lake, Altitude 11,500 Ft., Trail Ridge Road between Estes Park and Grand Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.”  It was in fact posted from Estes Park, CO on 3 August 1940; I guess somebody else was trying to cool off, too.  But we’ll never know who.

This is a Curt Teich “C. T. Art-Colortone” linen postcard, number 6A-H288, published in 1936.  Odd that there’s no message, but it does happen from time to time.  I received a postcard myself just last week (Update: correction — two weeks ago — Ed.) with no message; I was very put out about it.

Be sure to check out the other blogs celebrating Postcard Friendship Friday.

Here’s a little something to cool you off on this hot summer’s Postcard Friendship Friday: “Iceberg Lake, Altitude 11,500 Ft., Trail Ridge Road between Estes Park and Grand Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.”  It was in fact posted from Estes Park, CO on 3 August 1940; I guess somebody else was trying to cool [...]

“Missouri Watermelons: The delta-area of southeast Missouri is noted for its production of watermelons. One of the area’s main crops.”  Sentence fragment FTL from the description on the back of the card.

I love this card because the photo is timeless; it might have been taken yesterday or 50 years ago.  I was able to discover (pretty easily, this being a John Hinde Curteich card with a serial number) that this card was produced in 1972 which, if the photo is contemporaneous, would mean that this young lady is in her early 40′s.  Maybe she’ll stop by and tell us her identity!

“Missouri Watermelons: The delta-area of southeast Missouri is noted for its production of watermelons. One of the area’s main crops.”  Sentence fragment FTL from the description on the back of the card. I love this card because the photo is timeless; it might have been taken yesterday or 50 years ago.  I was able to [...]

“Loading cotton at the Port of Corpus Christi, for ports throughout the world. For many years cotton was the main export commodity; however, in recent years, petroleum, petroleum products, chemicals and agricultural products have become major export commodities. In 1949 the Corpus Christi Waterway ranked 9th in tonnage among U.S. ports.”

This card is a bit of conundrum.  The Curt Teich serial number (4A-H2018) is unequivocal proof that this card was manufactured in 1934.  However, the description makes reference to events of 1949.  Obviously, therefore, this is a reprint and, according to the manufacturer’s procedure, should have received a reprint serial number, but did not.  Somebody was being lazy.

As far as lazy goes, the coloring on this card isn’t up to the usual Curt Teich standards either.  This image started out as a black-and-white photo, and the colorist simply failed to color the ship names on the bows, preferring instead to leave a rectangular non-colorized shape around the names.  The masts of the ships in the foreground, and the entire ship in the background, remain in black-and-white as well.

This is a card from Great-Grandpa Phil’s collection, sent to him and the missus from Corpus Christi on 23 June 1953 from “The Moyers”: “Hi folks. We are having a swell time, but sure is hot in Texas.”  Hot?  In Texas?  In June?  Seriously?

“Loading cotton at the Port of Corpus Christi, for ports throughout the world. For many years cotton was the main export commodity; however, in recent years, petroleum, petroleum products, chemicals and agricultural products have become major export commodities. In 1949 the Corpus Christi Waterway ranked 9th in tonnage among U.S. ports.” This card is a [...]