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.

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.

“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 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.

“Several years were required in completing this splendid building. Located on Washington Square. Contains many fine paintings. The Municipal Courts Building is directly west of City Hall.”  I’m thinking that some artistic license was taken with regards to the coloring of the landscaping.

This week’s entry for Postcard Friendship Friday the 13th is addressed to Miss Evelyn Chester, a neighbor of Kay Anthony.  From Granite City, Illinois on May 26, 1945, “Nellie” writes: “Hi — Hold everything in the road until I come back.”  Wait — you want me to do what now?

Don’t forget to check out what the other PFF bloggers have on display this week. Once you’re done, get some free pictures to spice up your blog.

Oh, my, how opulent.  I’m sure that the fine people of Depression-era Pennsylvania didn’t mind paying for this at all.  Well, on the plus side, since the room was destined to be filled with politicians, we can be sure that this project was “shovel-ready”.

This is a Curteich “C. T. Art-Colortone” linen postcard, number 3A-H911, manufactured in 1933, and is postally unused.  It’s in pristine condition, thanks to the care of Kay Anthony.

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 linen postcard from the Asheville Post Card Company bears no description.  Judging from the art deco fonts on the back, it was probably made in the mid-1930s.   This particular card was among a stack of ten or so cards that were tucked into one of Kay Anthony’s albums; I had missed them but my wife noticed them a few days ago.  Unlike the cards I knew about, these haven’t had a chance to air out and smell a little bit musty, but in general the cards are in pristine condition and have very vibrant colors.  This card seems to be the exception; there’s some color fading as if portions of it had gotten damp at some point.

According to the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, “the Monticello Hotel opened in 1926, and in 1927 boasted of having the ‘largest searchlight in the world’ on its roof, which was claimed to be visible three hundred miles away. The light scanned the heavens over Charlottesville, and was often pointed at distant Monticello at night. Famous guests at the Monticello Hotel included Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, band leaders Tommy Dorsey and Guy Lombardo, writer Gertrude Stein, and movie stars Robert Taylor, Sterling Hayden, and Joan Blondell. The dining room of the Monticello Hotel was locally renowned until it closed in 1989 and was converted into office space. Today the hotel houses condominium apartments.”  I’m glad the building is still there.

“For millions of years this ‘Mighty Chimney’ 225 ft. high, has stood unmoved. The panorama from its top is a memory maker — beautiful mountains, Hickory Nut Gorge, towering cliffs, incomparable Lake Lure, and the Piedmont Plain.” This card from the Asheville Post Card Company is a treasure I almost missed, tucked away in one of the albums that had been owned by Kay Anthony.  Based on the art deco fonts on the back, it was probably made not later than the mid-1930s.

Here’s a postcard that Kay Anthony received in 1947 as part of a swap.  Mildred Wickham of Cumberland, Ohio, wrote the card on July 10, 1947, but didn’t mail it until four days later.  Mildred writes:

“Dear Pal: Thanks for lovely v. card of last mo. It wasn’t stamped at all in P.O. It’s raining this eve. I took ill last eve stomach spell, sore mouth. It’s due to a lack of vitamon (sic) B. Because my system won’t absorb it properly. I take lots of them. Jesus is precious to me & He never fails, Bless His sweet name.”

This is a Curteich “C. T. Art Colortone” postcard, number 6B-H224, manufactured in 1946 and distributed by the Black and Grant Company of Zanesville.

P.S. Don’t forget to check out the other bloggers celebrating Postcard Friendship Friday!

She’s not bad; she’s just drawn that way. Lloyd Stoltz sent this card off to Kay Anthony on June 6, 1950 (the day before he sent her this card) with the message “See I’m asking you — ha ha. Hesitatingly, LS”.

Was Lloyd trying to cultivate a long-distance romance? What was the question from Kay to which he’s obviously replying? I don’t know where the cards that Kay sent to Lloyd are, but I hope they still exist somewhere.

This card bears a copyright notice of 1914 on the front, but wasn’t postally used until June 7, 1950, when Lloyd Stoltz mailed it to Kay Anthony. Note his initials rubber stamped in the upper left corner (below). Published by Johnson’s Post Card Works of Waupun, Wisconsin.

If you think this is cute, wait until tomorrow, when you can see the card that Lloyd sent to Kay the day before.

“One of the most noted of the Totem Poles of Ketchikan (Alaska) is the famous Totem Pole of Chief Kian. It is surmounted by the fabled bird Kajuk. Below this bird is an eagle and below the eagle is the wolf.”

Trojan Man?

Research indicates this card was published around 1910; it is a pre-linen, white border card. It was published by the H. H. Tammen Company, which used a squatting “Primitive” (that is, Native American) as its logo. Time magazine wrote an interesting article about Tammen in 1927 (Tammen had died in 1925) which describes his beginnings as a waif, then saloon cuspidor (presumably, the kid who empties spittoons rather than acts as one), then bartender; he later befriended Fred G. Bonfils, a rich cousin of Napoleon, and squeezed enough money from Bonfils to buy the Denver Post. He then proceeded to maintain a near monopoly on the news (and the advertising revenue generated) for the entire American West until his death. The article does not mention any other publication ventures like postcards, but there are plenty of cards stamped “H H T CO” out there; most of the ones I have seen have Native American culture as their subject matter.

This postcard was postally used some 35+ years after its publication, on May 11, 1946. Postmarked at False Pass, Alaska, it was sent from one Mrs. A. Newman to our friend Kay Anthony: “Hello. — Your card was lovely. You can send any kind of card.” Clearly this was another of Kay’s postcard trading partners; I still wonder how they found each other back then. Today we have online resources like Postcrossing that let us trade around the world; Kay’s correspondents seem to have been confined to the United States.

Also of interest is Thlinget (now spelled Tlinget) culture. (You can see a turn-of-the century photo of Chief Kian’s totem pole here.) From the perspective of U.S. history, they had a few early encounters with Europeans, but most of their earliest dealings were with Russians. Misunderstandings with the Russians culminated in the Battle of Sitka, in which the Russians displaced them from much of their land. When the Tlinget shamans couldn’t cure smallpox, brought to them by the Russians, the Tlinget converted to Orthodox Christianity, also brought to them by the Russians. There is a movement today among younger Tlinget to bring back the old gods, but older Tlinget want no part. Also of interest is the fact that the Tlinget had kept slaves; when the United States purchased Alaska in 1867, emancipation was enforced, and the Tlinget demonized Abraham Lincoln.

“The magnificent and palatial Sun Valley Lodge is located in the heart of Sawtooth Mountains, south of Galena Pass and near Ketchum, Idaho. The view shown is looking east up Trail Creek Pass. Skiing, skating, tobogganing and dog-sledging (sic) are typical activities attracting international sportsmen. Cost $1,500,000.” I hope they’re referring to the cost of building the Lodge rather than going on a ski vacation.

This Curt Teich card (number 7A-H3945, published in 1937) features a photograph by Wesley Andrews, and was in fact distributed by the Wesley Andrews Company of Portland, Oregon. Andrews started out making real photo postcards early in his career, then apparently outsourced production to the Teich Company later. A beautiful card despite some minor damage in one corner.

This Curt Teich card (number 0B-H2338, produced in 1940) still has gorgeous colors. It came to me from the collection of Kay Anthony.

According to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park website, “World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America’s most visited national park.” Remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture? Paddle faster, I hear banjos!

“The new Capitol fronts on Mississippi Street, between N. President and N. West Sts. It is constructed of Bedford Stone and stands with dignity on a high terrace. The building was designed by Theodore Link and was dedicated and opened for use on June 3, 1903.” Did anybody else notice that every light in the place is turned on? I’m guessing that’s just some artistic license on the part of the illustrator.

The back of this card has a very odd overprint which leads me to believe that the wrong description was originally printed on the back. Also interesting is the stamp box, with a blank line between “place” and “stamp here”. I’m sure that the blank line used to say “one cent”, which implies that the card was produced around 1952, when the postcard rate increased to two cents. This “Colourpicture” card, number K 9006, was distributed by the City News Company of Jackson, Mississippi and came to me from the collection of Kay Anthony.

This is a Union Pacific Railroad Pictorial Post Card — basically a commercial that you get to pay for. “A summer vacation outing on one of these Western guest ranches provides zestful recreation and healthful activities that can scarcely be duplicated elsewhere.” Well, with the possible exception of nudist colonies. Oh, forgive me, I didn’t mean to interrupt the commercial message: “Union Pacific Railroad serves the Dude Ranch country.” Ah, there it is.

Despite the lack of mention on the card, this is an obvious Curt Teich card, number 6B-H1205, with the number indicating manufacture in 1946. I know that Teich manufactured cards on spec for hundreds of organizations, but I can’t recall any other card that doesn’t have his publication data on it. I am amazed at how much of the original color remains. Our friend Lloyd Stoltz posted it to fellow collector Kay Anthony on March 12, 1952, from his home in Reading, PA.

Lloyd begins with “Greetings, Kay,” then immediately follows it with “D” in quotation marks; two small X’s, one on top of the other; then a long dash (for you computer geeks, I mean an em dash as opposed to an en dash or hyphen). Could Lloyd have invented the emoticon? He continues: “Could use one of these horses to catch up. Please note the change of address, just to keep in touch with you. Having an awful tough time trying to get straightened out or back to normal, if such a thing is possible? Here’s hoping you are doing fine. Joyful Wishes Pal,” and then he signs it with his own “LS” ideogram.

While this looks like a photochrome postcard, it is in fact an actual photograph printed on photographic paper. It is definitely an oddity. The drawing is artist signed by Ken Holmes of Pecos, Texas; Ken marked the drawing as ©1941. The other inscription, that of Howard Studio, also of Pecos, may be Ken’s artist studio or the studio at which the drawing was photographed.

The stampbox, pictured at right (and which has undergone some enhancement, as the ink on the back is very faint) shows the letters “EKC”, meaning it was manufactured under a process by the Eastman Kodak Company. Ron Playle says that this stampbox was used on cards made from 1930-1950, which confirms that the card was manufactured contemporary with the drawing.

This card is from Kay Anthony’s collection. She had at least one correspondent in Texas, who may have mailed it to her inside of an envelope. The card is stiffer than the typical photo of today, but still has a very faint crease — which may also indicate that it was manhandled in the mail.

This is an incredibly well preserved postcard, from Kay Anthony’s collection. The postcard would seem to agree with me: “A remarkable view of the downtown section of New York City’s world-famous skyline, a truly awe-inspiring sight.” The card was published by Alfred Mainzer, 118 East 28th Street, New York 16, New York.

I continue to be amazed at the vivid colors from Kay Anthony’s postcard collection. This is a “Genuine Curteich C.T. Art-Colortone”, number 2B-H1375, indicating manufacture in 1932. The resolution is also remarkable; you can make out a Coca-Cola sign on the building inside the letter E.

Kay’s home in Spartanburg was only 20 miles down what used to be the Georgia Highway (for my fellow Yankees, that means if you follow the highway long enough, you would reach Georgia) from Gaffney; it’s now the “Old Georgia Highway” and part of US Route 29. My friend James says she probably picked it up at the corner drug store, where it probably sat on a rack for years. It looks like she didn’t start collecting until the mid- to late-1940s.