Wild Postcards

My new friend and fellow bibliophile Linsey found this great vintage postcard of Chicago’s Conrad Hilton Hotel (now just the Hilton Chicago and still going strong). According to the card, “(t)he hotel located on Michigan Boulevard in the heart of Chicago’s world famous convention center is one of the largest hotels in the world.” Sorry, Chicago — with only 1,544 rooms, this hotel isn’t even in the top 20 anymore; most of those are in Las Vegas. But Hilton can still claim two out of the top 20: the Las Vegas Hilton, and the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu. Imagine that: a hotel big enough to be considered a village.

This card was published by Dexter Press for Cameo Greeting Cards, Inc., 4011 No. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago.

My new friend and fellow bibliophile Linsey found this great vintage postcard of Chicago’s Conrad Hilton Hotel (now just the Hilton Chicago and still going strong). According to the card, “(t)he hotel located on Michigan Boulevard in the heart of Chicago’s world famous convention center is one of the largest hotels in the world.” Sorry, Chicago — [...]

Shirin sends along these vintage views of Singapore and reminds me that the Hotel Raffles, pictured at the top, is the birthplace of the Singapore Sling — meaning folks were sippin’ on gin and juice long before Snoop Dogg had something to say about it.

Also pictured are a Chinese junk, a snake charmer, and the Golden Sultan mosque. All of these things can still be seen in Singapore today — even a snake charmer, if you look hard enough.

  Shirin sends along these vintage views of Singapore and reminds me that the Hotel Raffles, pictured at the top, is the birthplace of the Singapore Sling — meaning folks were sippin’ on gin and juice long before Snoop Dogg had something to say about it. Also pictured are a Chinese junk, a snake charmer, [...]

Kristin was kind enough to part with this amazing collage of large-letter postcards and other postcard images celebrating Route 66.  I don’t have nearly enough large-letter cards, and this is definitely the next best thing.

She also sent a couple of Star Wars postcards for the grandkids, in an envelope bearing a Darth Maul postage stamp; a great deal of time had to be expended in gently removing the stamp from the envelope and affixing it to Number Two Grandson’s card.

As for my card, it’s a good thing I don’t plan on sending it to anyone.  After all, where would I write my message?

Kristin was kind enough to part with this amazing collage of large-letter postcards and other postcard images celebrating Route 66.  I don’t have nearly enough large-letter cards, and this is definitely the next best thing. She also sent a couple of Star Wars postcards for the grandkids, in an envelope bearing a Darth Maul postage [...]

This is an unused Curteich “C. T. Art-Colortone” card, number 1B-H723, manufactured in 1941 and coming to us from the collection of Kay Anthony.  The back of the card bears no description. I especially like the radio tower at the top of the building; it was probably the tallest construction in the city at the time.

Located at southeast corner of North Third and Walnut Streets in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the hotel had 14 stories and was constructed in 1918.  The original building on this site, the four-story YWCA, was built in 1914 and was demolished after only four years in favor of the hotel.

Sadly, the hotel itself was demolished in 1978 to make way for Strawberry Square, a million-square-foot office and shopping complex.

This is an unused Curteich “C. T. Art-Colortone” card, number 1B-H723, manufactured in 1941 and coming to us from the collection of Kay Anthony.  The back of the card bears no description. I especially like the radio tower at the top of the building; it was probably the tallest construction in the city at the [...]