The Blog About the Postcards

Mandolin Band

2012-02-09T15:05:00.004-05:00

A "real photo" gem from my collection of musicians. This mandolin band is posed in the studio with their instruments, festooned with sashes tied to the end of the necks. There's no information on the back of the card, so we don't know anything about these mystery players. Regardless, they will now live on forever (or as long as the internet lasts)!

Mel's TV - Then and Now

2012-02-02T19:46:00.005-05:00

This great chrome postcard is advertising Mel's TV, in Venice, California. Lots of details on the back, including:

"Quality Sales and Service Since 1950. The right place to buy.. New Packard Bell T. V. - Radio - Hi Fi. New Webcor & V. M Phonos & Recorders. Used T. V.s with a money-back guarantee. Budget Terms."

Wonder whatever happened to the place? Now, it's a Thai restaurant! Am I sure of that? Yes Siam!!

Glass Block Bar

2012-01-26T20:57:00.003-05:00

Anyone up for joining me for a drink at this beautiful glass block bar? I have a time machine in my back yard. Here's the description from the back:

When in St. Louis, Visit the Air Conditioned GLASS BAR. The Most Magnificent Show Place in the Middle west. Featuring Tempting Food and Refreshing Drinks. Entertaining Music with Relaxing and Attractive Atmosphere. Satisfying and Smiling Service. Enjoy a New Thrill. Visit the Glass Bar.

South Carolina Part II

2012-01-19T20:02:00.005-05:00

Last's week's entry, in anticipation of the South Carolina debate featured linen postcards of places that I don't think exist any more. So, this week, we're moving into the chromes, with maybe some more luck of finding a restful night's sleep after the all the Republi-fuss.

Your first choice is the Sexton Upton Motel in Florence, SC:

Ultra Modern Guest Rooms, all with private tile baths. Fully carpeted floors. Airfoam mattresses. Air conditioned heat. Room telephones and TV. Near excellent restaurants, shopping district, theatres and all leading churches.

Not for you? Then check out the Empress Motel, Allendale, South Carolina, with the awesome signage out front. And the awesome Empresses out back lounging by the pool. Whose that guy in the suit in the background? The Emperor, perhaps??

Where to Stay in South Carolina

2012-01-12T21:08:00.006-05:00

OK, Folks. The 2012 South Carolina Republican primary is only a few days away, and you'll want to be there for all the excitement. Need a place to stay? Here are two excellent choices:

First, there's the Pocalla Springs Tourist Court. They claim to be "on the shortest route from New York to Miami," which is a fancy way of saying there's nothin' there worth stopping for!

Or, if you like, there's the South Side Tourist Court in Walterboro. It has everything, according to the back of the card:

Sleep in Safety and Comfort without Extravagance. All strictly
modern, steam heated cottages. Private baths. Proper price cafe, famous for good
food. Lounge for guests. We service your car while you sleep. Phone, mail and
Western Union Service.

Shopping in the 60's

2012-01-05T18:11:00.005-05:00

Here are two vintage views of 1960's grocery stores, as featured on postcards from the Piggly Wiggly Manufacturing Division. The postcards are labelled "Impact Merchandaising." These may or may not be high impact, but they certainly bring back memories of what stores used to look like.

I can just hear the ka-ching of the old cash registers in the check out lines!

For Your New Year's Entertaining

2011-12-29T20:18:00.002-05:00

Entertain 1960's-Style with this Party Perk percolator. It's perfect for the buffet or rumpus room! All we need is a fondue set to go with it...

Happy New Year from the Blog About the Postcards.

This Hits the Spot!

2011-12-08T19:05:00.003-05:00

If the Chinese food from last week wasn't to your taste, how about Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner at the Spot Cafe, on Route 66 in San Bernadino, CA.

Chinese Food!

2011-12-01T20:15:00.002-05:00

Let's have Chinese Food for dinner tonite, at the Chiam Restaurant in Chicago. Anyone have a time machine to take us back to the spot of this vintage linen card?

Shell Oil Tower

2011-10-20T18:53:00.004-04:00

According to the architect George Robb's website (www.gra.ca) the Shell Oil Tower was the result of a 1954 architectural competition for an observation tower at the Canadian National Exhibition. The Tower appeared as a beacon in the night, surrounded by urban floodlights and activity. The Tower glimmered from within, emphasizing it openness, freedom of movement, and purpose as a conspicuously important place in the city.

The Tower was completed in 1955 and served as a landmark for its citizens. It was torn down in 1986. Yet it still holds a place in the history of Toronto as a significant and visionary example of civic architecture. Here's a photograph of the tower at some point in the '60's. Looks better in the illustration on the postcard, dont you think?

Doom Products

2011-10-13T20:46:00.002-04:00

Very nice juxtaposition of the beautiful and the ugly in this postcard! The advertisement is for a pesticide that kills Japanese beetles from the Fairfax Biological Laboratory's line of Doom products.

The back states that the brew contains "microbial spores of Milky Disease," which have "proved fatal to Japanese beetles in the grub stage, without affecting beneficial insects, humans, animals, or plants." Sounds to me like the first fifteen minutes of any good sci-fi horror movie, just before the characters realize that the stuff they spread over the roses is killing humans too!

Happy New Year 5772!

2011-09-29T15:37:00.005-04:00

Happy New Year to all my Jewish friends. I've included some new Shanah Tova greeting cards from my collection. These were published somewhere around 1900-1920 by the Williamsburg Art Company. Each has the Hebrew inscription "L'Shana Tova Tikatavu" which roughly translates into "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year." The other wording on the postcards is in the Yiddish language, however I have translations for only a few of the over 100 different cards in my collection. Any Yiddish speakers out there want to translate?

Poetry and a Hurricane

2011-09-08T20:27:00.002-04:00

Here in New England we are just wrapping up with Hurricane Irene, only to be walloped in Connecticut once again with inches and inches of rain over the past few days. A fitting card for this week is an excerpt from the poem, "The Lighthouse," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

The card has a view of White Head, which I'm guessing is near the Whitehead lighthouse near Camden, Maine, commissioned in 1803 by the U.S. Congress.

The poem is about a dozen stanzas long, with the one above somewhere in the middle. It is very typical of Longfellow's poetry: lyrical, full of symbolism and romanticism, and having mass appeal to his fans in the mid-1800's. If you're not familiar with Longfellow, you're probably familiar with some of the lines he made famous, including "footprints on the sands of time," "By the shores of Gitchee-Gumee," and "Into each life some rain must fall." Well, I'd say we've had more than "some" this round!

Pickled Things

2011-08-12T09:20:00.003-04:00

It's now approaching State Fair season in the U.S., where the food midways serve everything from fried Oreos to fried tiramisu to fried butter pats to fried Snickers bars. (In Iowa yesterday, some fried Republican candidates were served up as well).

In any event, if you can fry anything, I guess you can pickle anything too, as evidenced by this week's blog entry. Here's a neat vintage chrome advertisement showing an array of "Pickles with a Pedigree," from the Southern Specialty Kitchen, Statesville, N. C. They go on to boast on the back of the card: "Exquisite packages assembled from the colorful assortment pictured, boxed in beautiful foils, or re-use containers, glamorized with lustrous cellophane, gorgeous ribbons, seasonal flowers, fruits and emblems. Descriptive material submitted upon request. Shipped anywhere. Sold in epicure shops coast to coast and Canada." As if the prose isn't enough to whet your appetite for small objects steeped in brine, they even include a poem:

For zest and spice you will agree
There's nothing quite the same
As "Pickles with a Pedigree"
Home-Made by Dixie Dame.

Happy 150th, Mt. Washington Auto Road!

2011-07-28T20:37:00.006-04:00

This year, on August 6th, the Mt. Washington Auto Road is celebrating its 150th birthday! Mt. Washington is the tallest elevation in the Northeast United States, rising to the summit of 6,288 feet in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Known as the site of the "world's worst weather" (the wind at the summit has reached 234 mph), the mountain and surrounding area is part of a beautiful national forest, blazing foliage in the Autumn and providing outdoor recreation year-round.

The Auto Road opened in 1861 as America's first manmade tourist attraction. Originally traversed by horse-drawn carriages, the road has allowed private vehicles access to the summit of the mountain since the invention of the automobile, like the one in the postcard above, and you may well have seen bumper stickers on cars around the northeast boasting "This Car Climbed Mt. Washington." At an average grade of 11.6%, the road rises a total of 4,618 ft. Click here for a blog entry about the trek from someone I don't know.

I've also included the bottom postcard, which is a view of the Mt. Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods, a grand dame hotel in operation since 1902. The hotel is set at the base of Mt. Washington and is a glorious throwback to another time. This coming week is not only the anniversary of the Auto Road, it's the anniversary of my wife and I (29 years), and we spent our honeymoon at the Mt. Washington! Happy Anniversary, Honey!

Peak's Island, Maine

2011-07-21T18:42:00.004-04:00

Peak's Island is part of Portland, Maine, about a 15-minute ferry ride from the mainland. Ranging in population today from about 800 in the winter to 6,000 in the summer, it became popular as the "Coney Island of Maine" in the late 19th century. These postcards show the steamboat "Pilgrim" landing at the ferry dock, the view from offshore, and the Gem Theater which existed until 1934 when it was destroyed by fire.

The island also played an important role in World War II, when an isolated facility called Battery Steele was built to house a large military defense installation. It included two 16 inch guns, which were only fired when first tested, blowing out windows on the other side of the island. Today, Battery Steele is a hidden ruin consisting of a large underground tunnel with side rooms where ammunition was stored, decorated by graffitti and home to partying teenagers. An arts exhibit, called the "Sacred and Profane" festival, transforms the space into a performance and visual art exhibition annually. See the TimParsons Project Website for great photographs of this site.

Noah's Ark Restaurant

2011-07-14T19:25:00.004-04:00

St. Charles, Missouri was the home of this restaurant, built to resemble Noah's Ark. It operated for more than 30 years, through the year 2000. The decor featured fiberglass animals and a statue of Noah by the door.

Get the full scoop here:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/news/16414
and here:
http://neatocoolville.blogspot.com/2007/09/noahs-ark-restaurant-st-charles-mo.html

It's Roller Coaster Season!

2011-07-07T19:47:00.002-04:00

Now that the 4th Of July has come and gone, Summer is in full swing. Here are a few amusement park cards with great roller coasters, documenting bygone days of leisure.

The top card is from Venice Beach, an outpost of Los Angeles, California, with a postmark on the back of 1911 -- exactly 100 years ago. The amusement pier where this scenic railway was built burned down nine years later.

The bottom card is from the other coast, Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, from about the same time period. This park survived until 1984. After it closed, the roller coaster, built in 1917, was dismantled and moved to Six Flags America Baltimore Washington.

Happy Summer Everyone!

In-Zane Asylum

2011-07-01T17:10:00.005-04:00

When in Zanesville, stay in the Zane Hotel! This beautiful linen card comes from this Ohio town, currently about 25,000 people.

The other big deal in town is the "Y" bridge, the only bridge of its kind in the United States. It spans the confluence of the Licking and Muskingum rivers and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors to the city are often surprised when they receive directions including the statement, "Drive to the middle of the bridge and turn right."

Arizona Precision Sheet Metal

2011-06-23T18:21:00.003-04:00

What does it take to sell sheet metal machinery? It takes "Cindy," the girl showing off the new Automec machine! Here's the text from the back of the card:

Our Cindy says, "What is an Automec?" Well, we never could keep a secret, but then there is a first time for everything. We ain't-a-going to tell ya this eliminates the manual need to re-adjust the back gage. With six different settings and up to nine repeats per setting, Arizona Precision Sheet Metal can reduce your forming costs and increase the accuracy with the one time handling principal. Cindy likes things in the right position!

Times have changed, huh?

Imperial Girls' Band

2011-06-16T20:28:00.002-04:00

Brass Bands in the early 1900's provided much of the local musical entertainment in towns across America. These community organizations were formed by the towns themselves, clubs and organizations, and even factories. There are lots of great Real Photo postcards of bands of that era, and it's easy to imagine them just having bought all their instruments and costumes directly from Harold Hill, right out of "The Music Man."

This postcard is different, in that it depicts an all-girls' band -- a rarity in that nearly all the musicians in all these bands were boys or men. These young ladies look very proud of themselves, and all the more so because of their uniqueness!

Never Built

2011-06-09T19:53:00.002-04:00

This graceful bridge, from New Jersey to Manhattan, won't look familiar to you, because it was never built. The precursor to the George Washington Bridge, this version was severely scaled down due to the Great Depression. The entire story is here:

http://www.jamesmaherphotography.com/photoblog_view_post/143-old-postcard-the-west-jersey-bridge

More Vintage Office Equipment

2011-05-26T18:10:00.002-04:00

From the back of the card:

Check these features and compare: Automatic Inking, 3 minute color change, No drum, no ink pad, Prints post card to legal size, 3-way copy adjustment, Printing area 8 x 14, Automatic cutoff counter, No make-ready or clean up, Printing press quality. The BDC Rex Rotary M4 is always clean, can never leak or cake. Full One Year Guarantee. Electric automatic inking - $345, Hand automatic inking - $250, Hand manual inking $210. Lucas Bros. Inc. Ask for a free demonstration in your own office.

Can you smell the purple ink?

Crest Motel

2011-05-05T22:06:00.006-04:00

I love this postcard because this place looks like a total dump. They took extra effort to include an inset of the swimming pool, but how could that be a good idea? The pool has few chairs around it, and it is so close to the parking lot that you could breathe the car exhaust while you swim (or drive your car into the pool since there's no fence around the pool to keep out your '62 Dodge or your 2-year old child).

The best part is the sign. It's a total ripoff of the Holiday Inn "Great Sign." If you look closely at photos of the old Holiday Inn signs, it's clear that this is not one of them, since the proportions are different and there's no marquee to hang the letters on that spell "Happy Anniversary Marge and Jim" on one side and "Visit Our Lounge" on the other.

Here's a "Great Sign" for comparison...

British Pavilion - Expo'67

2011-04-28T20:46:00.005-04:00

My postcard collection is pretty lame when it comes to British Royalty, so I have nothing to post in honor of the wedding today. I do have a lot of cards of the World's Fair in Montreal, 1967, however, so with a little bit of a stretch to make the connection, here are two views of the Great Britain pavilion from Expo'67! The bottom view is one of a series of cards depicting architectural models of the various pavilions, presumably sold before the fair's construction was completed.

Fish Shanty, Los Angeles

2011-04-21T19:24:00.005-04:00

From the back: Located in the heart of Restaurant Row, La Cienega at Fourth. Fish and Sea Food Luncheons, Dinners, and Cocktails temptingly served in a unique Marine Setting.

Not on the back: Our front door is shaped like a whale's mouth, enhancing your dining experience.

Luxury Hotel

2011-04-14T20:28:00.003-04:00

This fine establishment is really not in San Juan -- it's in Pennsylvannia. Certainly a fine homage to the Latin tropics, we might wonder nevertheless why this place was built in Amish country, sombrero mucho grande and all. The back marks the location on "U. S. 22, Penn Highway 6 miles east of Pittsburgh 21, Pa., at Turnpike Entrance. " And it case it wasn't clear from the picture, it goes on to describe the hotel as "A Luxurious Hotel -- the finest accomodations at the Pittsburgh Turnpike Entrance." My guess is that it was the only hotel at the Pittsburgh Turnpike Entrance.

Office of the Past

2011-03-31T19:05:00.002-04:00

Here's the "Simplifind" filing system, for "records that come to you." Today, lots of deskfuls of these records would fit in your pocket on a jump drive!

BBQ Season is Near

2011-03-24T20:39:00.002-04:00

...and to make sure you're ready, git yourself a Big John Grille or Big John Rotisserie -- the "Talk of Partygivers."

This advertising card makes the most of the postcard format. Four different pictures of burning animal flesh (in case one doesn't make the point), with a bikini-clad grill supervisor thrown in for good measure!

Union Station, Las Vegas

2011-03-17T21:36:00.004-04:00

The Las Vegas Union Pacific Station was the best example of Streamline Moderne in Las Vegas. It was built in 1940 and replaced a 30-year-old Spanish-style station. It was demolished in the mid-1960s to build the Union Plaza Hotel. Amtrak continued train service to the back of the hotel until 1993.

The Union Plaza Hotel, now called the Plaza Hotel, announced in September, 2010 that it was closing its 1,037-room hotel tower and will lay off more than 400 employees, in order to make upgrades and re-open in a very difficult economy. The Plaza is the white building in the foreground of this photo:

Progress?!

Awesome Awning

2011-03-10T19:45:00.004-05:00

"Other Awnings Can't Stand It," is the catch phrase on the reverse of this postcard for the Silver-Top Manufacturing Co. Of course, this roof probably collapsed a few weeks ago during the Northeast snowstorms of 2011, where we had foot upon foot of snow on our roofs, with numerous collapses around here in Connecticut.

Note that in addition to the workmen, two suits and Lassie are also up on the roof. A very effective demonstration of the strength of the aluminum!

Office of the Past

2011-03-04T18:50:00.006-05:00

Here's the latest in Dictaphones -- the Traveler Soundscriber. It's battery operated and features cool green disks branded nicely with the logo.

I just discovered more information about this on an item currently listed on Ebay! See this link: http://cgi.ebay.com/Soundscriber-Dictating-1950s-Rare-CD-Manual-Model-5R-/380160832115?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item588359f273

This is a "trick" postcard, as the back reveals...it's actually a postcard sample from the publisher, with the following description on the back:

"This copy you are reading represents the approximate amount and layout included in the cost of your post card order. Anything in excess of this, or differing in layout, will carry an extra charge.
This card is a standard post card format. Cards will always be printed in this form unless otherswise specified."

Hmmm, I wonder how well this one helped their postcard sales!

A Controversial Topic

2011-02-24T15:45:00.003-05:00

They say never discuss religion or politics. Here I go, breaking the rule. This linen-era postcard from the American Legion makes the point that teaching your child religion will prevent all kinds of personal and societal ills. Is this card ironic and campy, or still right on in 2011? Discuss!

The back of the card goes on to say:

"The Altars of God are the Hope of a Nation, The principles of religion alone
can avert spiritual, moral and economic bankruptcy. Going to church regularly
will make for happier homes and a better community life."

After the Fire

2011-02-17T20:18:00.009-05:00

Here's a view of Old Orchard Beach, Maine, postmarked on the back August 17,1907. It's a great view of the Fiske Hotel with a ferris wheel on the beach as well. The message says,

"Mr. Wallace and I was out here last to see the ruins of the big fire."

The fire the writer was talking about was the one on August 15, just two days prior. That fire destroyed the Fiske Hotel shown in the postcard, as well as 17 other hotels, 60 cottages, and an estimated 110 businesses. Voyeurs from miles around, just like our writer, came to see the ruins.

More about the fire, with lots of postcards, here: http://www.oldorchardbeachfd.org/THE%20GREAT%20FIRE%20AT%20OLD%20ORCHARD.htm

Fiddling Around

2011-02-10T19:34:00.002-05:00

The owners of this Natchez, Mississippi motor court weren't fiddlin' around when they decided to name their place the "Stradivari." The shape of the sign says it all, although violins have a longer neck in proportion to the body than the one here. Anyway, we have to give them some credit for their creativity in branding!

A Postcard Mystery

2011-02-03T20:23:00.004-05:00

/ /

Here's a view of the Kalamazoo, Michigan Courthouse, postmarked 1907. The message from the sender writes a short message to Ralph, ending with the cryptic sentence: "I am awfully glad Mary kept her promise." OK, help me solve the mystery. What was the promise Mary kept?

It's Solid State!

2011-02-03T20:14:00.002-05:00

Here's a postcard advertising the 500 MC Frequency Meter. If you were stuck with the job of marketing these, I wouldn't blame you for accompanying the hardware with a little software like Miss Sexy either.

Otherwise, you'd be relegated to presenting just the facts alone, which include "No. 2 in a Series from CMC," "Leader in Solid State Digital Instrumentation," "Only 15 vacuum tubes," and "Rugged Mudlar Construction."

Voice Mail Circa 1975

2011-01-28T21:57:00.006-05:00

Here's the latest innovation...Your Complete 24-hour electronic message center. All you have to do is put the machine next to the phone, so that the plastic arm is pressing down on the switchhook, and put the receiver in the machine. Then put a carnation near the phone since it's not beautiful enough on its own, and no one would be interested in it unless it was more aesthetically pleasing. Well, maybe we should just read the actual back of this advertising postcard from the 70's, to really understand this new technology:

"Telephone your own Telephone To Find out who called while your were out; To Change the message you want your callers to receive. No more missed phone calls - Your telephone is always answered courteously in your own voice - Every phone message, sales order, etc. accurately and confidentially recorded -- 24 hour customer telephone service possible with RSVP - Save on secretarial help - Own your own RSVP for less than the cost of an answering service - VOICE-ACTIVATED! The RSVP Secretary will continue to record your caller's messages as long as they continue to speak...and will hand up ONLY and the END of the message - RSVP is completely portable -- no direct wire connections -- no line charges."

I love these chrome advertisements for office equipment. I have a number of new ones to post in the near future, including dictaphones, filing systems, and desks!

Old Orchard Beach in the Future

2011-01-13T20:43:00.002-05:00

Old Orchard is a coastal resort town in Maine. A summer vacation destination since the 1800's, it has a 7-mile long beach, hotels and an amusement park frequented by New Englanders and Canadians. I grew up in Portland, about 30 minutes away, so collecting postcards depicting Old Orchard is a passion.

After a very long search, I finally found the Old Orchard in the Future card from 1907. It's deemed to be rare by Daniel E. Blaney, the author of the Arcadia Publishing book "Old Orchard Beach" and the president of the Old Orchard Beach Historical Society, who states in the book that this card is the most sought after card by collectors. He says that he knows of only four copies to exist, of which he owns three. Presented above is copy No. 5 !

Morse Motel (or is that REmorse?)

2011-01-03T19:59:00.003-05:00

The Morse Motel was right there on Highway 51 in Cairo, Illinois. It looks like the kind of place that might be named the "REMorse" Motel, for all the folks who shacked up there and felt guilty afterwards.

In any event, the message on the back is a great one: "Almost 400 miles. Good roads. Sunshine most all the way. Grass is green. 51 degrees. Candy gone by noon. Oranges gone by 3:30. Ate Brownies after Supper. Watching Red Skelton from our bed. Earl and Tess. Report this card to Alice."

TV City Motel

2010-12-17T17:16:00.003-05:00

This great linen postcard extols the virtues of the T V City Motel on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Looks like a great place, and with free tickets to shows, who could ask for more? Well, you could ask for being across the street from the World's Largest Bowling Alley, and you'd get that too!

50,000 Employees

2010-12-03T14:04:00.003-05:00

The largest group photo I've ever seen -- 50,000 employees of the Ford Motor Company. Can you beat that?

Big Fish

2010-10-22T17:15:00.003-04:00

Here's the big fish hole at the "Wacky Golf" miniature golf course in Myrtle Beach, SC.

The back reads, "The entire family can enjoy a new and delightful game of carpet golf in an unusual setting." If you want to know more than you ever need to about the history of miniature golf, here's a great link: http://www.terrastories.com/bearings/miniature-golf

Seniors and Drugs

2010-10-08T20:41:00.003-04:00

This one is unintentionally funny (the best kind!) It's the interior of the West Mall, in Phoenix, Arizona.

According to the back, the spacious enclosed Mall, 1,000 feet long, offers a constant comfortable temperature, winter and summer. Park style benches and lush landscaping afford the shoppers rest and relaxation during their visits to the center.

The funny part is the hoarde of senior citizens loitering around outside the Pharmacy. They're probably its biggest customers, and they want to stay close by!

The Winnie Vee

2010-10-08T20:37:00.002-04:00

An awesome linen motel card. All the better because the back says that the Winnie Vee has "the state's finest tile baths."

Wonder Cave

2010-10-08T20:18:00.004-04:00

You're HERE...THIS IS IT! The Texas Wonder Cave is a natural cavern formed by an earthquake a long time ago.

This roadside attraction still exists today, with several rides and of course a tour of the cave. Check out the rave (and not-so-rave) reviews:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g56618-d1069606-r80214572-Wonder_World_Park-San_Marcos_Texas.html#REVIEWS

L'Shana Tova -- Happy New Year

2010-09-10T20:40:00.005-04:00

The Jewish New Year high holidays are here...Rosh Hashanah has just passed, and Yom Kippur begins at sundown next Friday night. May it be a year of happiness, growth, tolerance and peace.

The greeting cards above were published somewhere around 1900-1920 by the Williamsburg Art Company. Each has the Hebrew inscription "L'Shana Tova Tikatavu" which roughly translates into "May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year." The other wording on the postcards is in the Yiddish language, however I have translations for only a few of the over 100 different cards in my collection. Any Yiddish speakers out there want to translate?

Paramount Soda Shop

2010-08-13T19:25:00.002-04:00

A great linen postcard with a full-on view of the Paramount Soda Shop, with some obvious photo cropping around the edges.

Here's what the back says: "To every Guest who comes through our doors we say "Welcome." It is our pleasure to serve you with quality food products..."

No Heat

2010-08-06T21:46:00.003-04:00

This real photo postcard is of a street in Bingham, Maine. The owner of the postcard did not write any message on the back or mail the card, but he (or she) did take time to denote the two hotels in town, along with an indication of "My Room - No Heat." Maine can be very cold in the winter, so who can blame him for complaining?

The Morrison Hotel, Chicago, Until 1965

2010-07-29T20:14:00.002-04:00

This postcard shows the Morrison Hotel of Chicago, with a nice "x" marks the spot showing "our room."

The hotel was 46 stories high and stood 506 feet above the sidewalk, and every room had a bath, circulating ice water, and grille-protected servidor until 1965, when it became the largest building ever to have been demolished up to that date.

Tel Aviv Beach, circa 1971

2010-07-22T18:24:00.002-04:00

Here's a nice view of the beach in Tel Aviv, Israel, from 1971. I'm posting it in honor of our son, who just returned from there this week after volunteering in a free health clinic for 5 months (and living a 15 minute walk from the beach!).

The back of this postcard has a very interesting message written by the sender, who was apparently non-Jewish but observant about the atmosphere in the country several years after the Six Day War in 1967. She says "there is a wonderful feeling of optimism here, despite the war, for the Israeli knows where he is going -- so different from the Western world!.." Regardless of our religious or political views, this "real" artifact of social history is intriguing!

Beautiful Post Offices of the Past

2010-07-15T18:45:00.004-04:00

The United States Post Office building in Augusta, Maine, was designed by Mifflin Bell. Built of masonry and granite, it is a rare example of Victorian-era architecture in Maine. When first opened in 1890, the Portland Transcript called 295 Water Street “one of the most picturesque public buildings that the government has bestowed upon any city in the Union.” Built of Hallowell granite and complete with a corner tower, Roman arches, a winding staircase, and 32,000 square feet of space, it was built in response to the growth of Augusta’s publishing industry. It served as the city’s main post office until the 1960s. The original building, a classic example of American architectural style Richardsonian Romanesque, was altered in 1910, making the tower the center point, then again in the mid-twentieth century, adding a south wing. Now known as The Olde Federal Building, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Traffic on the Turnpike

2010-07-08T21:21:00.003-04:00

The Turnpike ride at HersheyPark, Hershey, Pennsylvannia. The traffic is at the tollbooth, waiting to get on the ride --a half-mile tour in a little sports car.

Drive safely!

Summer Time on the Beach

2010-06-30T19:58:00.002-04:00

The "newest, most beautiful Oceanfront Motel" in Miami Beach. Ready for vacation?

Youngun's in the Hot Tub

2010-06-18T17:20:00.003-04:00

Here's a postcard advertising the Desert Holiday Motel in Desert Hot Springs, CA. There's nothing like a picture of senior citizens uncomfortably close to each other in a hot tub to help sell the wonders of this resort!

Big Ol' Buffalo

2010-06-14T21:07:00.002-04:00

The Jamestown Buffalo was erected in 1959, the brainchild of the Jamestown, North Dakota Chamber of Commerce. It's 46 feet long and 26 feet high. The statue is unchallenged as the World's Largest buffalo. According to the the "RealND project" (RealND.com), every year thousands of motorists stop to visit this most famous buffalo - taking home fond memories and a one-of-a-kind photo opportunity.

XIT Ranch Motel, Dalhart, Texas

2010-06-06T14:35:00.003-04:00

According to the back, only three blocks to downtown! Inidividually controlled, refrigerated air, tiled showers, wall-to-wall carpeting, room television and controlled heat. AAA approved.

Note how the all-important TV was incorporated into the sign.

The XIT Ranch was a real cattle ranch in the Texas panhandle, operating from 1885 to 1912. It was 3 million acres big, and it was given by the state of Texas to landowners who owned the spot in Austin where the state wanted to build its capitol, as a trade.

The Pit - Revere Beach

2010-05-21T17:34:00.005-04:00

This photograph is from inside the "Nautical Gardens" area of the amusement park at Revere Beach, Massachusetts. Postmarked in 1911, the postcard shows a turntable, which rotated and as it increased in speed threw people off to the edges. A viewer's gallery allowed people to watch as others tried to stay on. Many of these fun-house buildings at amusement parks were made entirely of wood and suffered many fires that burned them to the ground. Additionally, they may not have been especially safe, but in those days people just took the bumps and bruises in stride, pre-our litigious society.

Oh oh! Look what happened to the Pit, on August 28th, 1918 (as reported in the Lewiston, Maine Daily Sun.....

Post Office - Waterville, Maine

2010-05-17T20:27:00.004-04:00

This beautiful post office, designed by Treasury Architect James Knox Taylor, was built in 1911. The building was placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and was sold at auction in 1980 for $112,000. It is now occupied by several businesses including the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce and Mainely Brews Tavern.

Mother's Day

2010-05-07T20:18:00.004-04:00

Handwritten on the back of this postcard made at home: "My dear Mother, around 1909/10"

Happy Mother's Day!

Big Guy with Axe

2010-05-07T20:04:00.003-04:00

This mammoth statue of the mythological, legendary giant Paul Bunyon is in Bangor, Maine. It pays tribute to the men that made this most northerly section of the country (and my home state) famous for its lumber industry.

Other statues of Paul Bunyan were erected in Bemidji, Minnesota, Rumford, Maine, Brainerd, Minnesota, Westwood, California, Del Norte County, California, St. Ignace, Michigan, Ossineke, Michigan, Enchanted Forest Water Safari, New York, and in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, and Minoqua, Wisconsin.

Making a Family Portrait

2010-04-20T20:12:00.004-04:00

This family portrait includes everyone, even the dog. This card is an outstanding example of how you could "do it yourself," by taking a photograph and then developing it on postcard stock yourself. The firsthand account of the message writer, misspellings and all, tells the story:

"Dear Nephew, Received your card Monday, was glad to here from you. Hope your papa is well again. We got home OK Sunday. Hope you did. We have 84 little chick's. Now don't get scard at these pictures, i did this work, it was my first work. Floyd was busy and I was ancious to see the pictures so i did this work. i got them to dark. I did not print many because they are not good will print more later + send you + your mama some more later we are quite busy."

There is no postmark and the card wasn't mailed, so we don't know when it is from. We get a clue from looking at the box where the stamp would go, however. We can see it's AZO paper, which was an early Kodak paper product. When all the triangles are pointing up in the corners, we know the paper was produced from 1904-1918, a good indicator of age.

Weechi Wachee Springs

2010-04-13T21:33:00.004-04:00

This roadside attraction about an hour north of Tampa, Florida began operating in 1947. The main feature of the park, which included a natural spring, was the Mermaid Theater, featuring lovely ladies who frolicked underwater, using special air hoses to breath. The place was at its most popular in the 50's and 60's when elaborately staged underwater shows regularly played to sold out crowds.

Today, the park is run as a state park, and there's water slides and flume ride. And the mermaids live on, since mermaids live forever.

Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7irb4xqtBQ&feature=related

Another Fine Dining Establishment

2010-04-02T15:33:00.003-04:00

In Bowling Green, KY, have lunch at Mayhew's, advertised on the back as Bowling Green's "Newest and Finest Restaurant, specializing in Broiled Steaks, Chops, and Fine Sea Foods."

(Sorry about the lack of recent posts. I was on vacation for two weeks!)

A Pair O' Ramas

2010-03-09T20:42:00.004-05:00

In order to make anything sound catchier in the 50's and 60's marketers could just add the suffix "-rama" to it, and all of a suddent it sounded much cooler. The top postcard is the Bowl-a-Rama Bowling Lanes in South Portland, Maine. A cinderblock building with an empty parking lot is much more inviting with -Rama tacked onto the end.

The bottom postcard is a barge-based exhibit by the New York Trap Rock Corporation, one of the country's largest producers of crushed stone. Yep, there's no way you can generate interest in the wonder of crushed stone unless you throw in a little -Rama to liven it up!

Groovy, Baby, Groovy!

2010-03-01T21:27:00.002-05:00

A postcard Austin Powers would have sent. The groovy 1960's border clashes completely with the stately architecture of the Tower Bridge, which opened in 1894, but it certainly helps date this postcard!

Let's Eat Out!

2010-02-25T18:00:00.006-05:00

The Rex Restaurant in this vintage 1950's chrome postcard looks very inviting! The back promises "Superlative American and Italian Foods" and a seating capacity of 400. Looks like business is good in at this attractively landscaped eatery, located "on the Moorehead Strip," Morehead City, North Carolina.

Hartford, CT

2010-02-21T08:26:00.008-05:00

Hartford, Connecticut, back in the days of the linen postcard. A lot has happened since this bucolic view existed -- a waterfront park including an amphitheater and stage has been added, along with a large convention center and science museum. The white Traveler's tower and adjacent brick buildings provide the continuity between these two views.

Piano Sale

2010-02-18T20:14:00.008-05:00

The back says:

DO YOU KNOW WHY
a piano is such a wonderful musical possession, acknowledged the world over to be the "basic musical instrument"?

It is because piano music enriches the lives of both player and listener -- and because the piano is an instrument that most people will play throughout their lifetimes.

Please call and let us make an appointment to talk this over with you. We know we can work out all the details.

And the following notation was handwritten in:

"Our exciting sales are still on and also we have a special on an Ebony used Acrosonic spinet."

The card is postmarked 1958, when all across the suburbs living rooms were filling up with pianos so the baby boomers could take lessons. The spinets, which are the shortest type of vertical pianos, like the one in the image, were the bottom of the barrel when it came to quality. They had poor tone, generally were cheaply constructed and were notoriously hard to service. Nevertheless, they were a part of many of our childhoods, in part due to the successful marketing campaigns of those times.

Corny as these postcard ads were (I'll post more later), there's some truth in my case. I still play the piano almost every day, often just for ten minutes, but it's rooted in a Danish Modern style Story & Clark spinet that found its way into the living room of my childhood home, in a subdivision built in the 'burbs in the early 60's!

Happy Jewish New Year!

2010-02-14T13:06:00.005-05:00

I know it's really the Chinese New Year, but I have over 100 Jewish New Year postcards in my collection, and I wanted to start getting some of them onto the blog! Nearly all of them are from the Williamsburg Art publishing company, and all are about 100 years old. Each says in Hebrew, "L'Shanah Tova Tikatavu" which roughly means "May you be inscribed in the book of life for a good year." They all contain a short message in Yiddish as well, however I don't have translations for most of them. In this one, note the early telephone, still a novelty at the time this postcard was published.

The First Day of the NYC Subway

2010-02-08T18:31:00.006-05:00

An outstanding handwritten message on this postcard. The New York City subway system opened on October 27, 1904, and Ruth wrote to her friend Jane about riding on it the very next day. The text reads, "We rode on the subway today and it was jam(m)ed. It only opened last night, so of course there would be a crowd." She goes on to say, "Why don't you answer my letters? We went down to the Docks and saw the big steamer in there and went all through it. We also went to the aquarium down at Castle Garden. Give my love to your mother and all the rest. Yours, lovingly." The postmark on the other side is October 29th, 1904.

We don't know Ruth, but we can imagine how excited she was about the new subway! Read more about opening day here: http://www.nycsubway.org/articles/dayone_index.html

The postcard image itself is of the Brooklyn Bridge station. If you walk up the steps from street level to the station on the left, that's the terminus of the Brooklyn Bridge, where you caught the streetcar to go to Brooklyn. The building in the center of the image is the Pulitzer building, demolished in 1955 so that more automobiles could get over the Brooklyn Bridge.

Hotel Fiske, Old Orchard Beach

2010-02-06T16:02:00.003-05:00

The Hotel Fiske at Old Orchard Beach, Maine opened in 1882 and burned to the ground in 1907, along with 16 other hotels and 60 cottages. This card was mailed in 1903. I have many more postcards of Old Orchard Beach to follow.

2010-02-04T20:47:00.008-05:00

The largest hotel ballroom in the world at the time, seating 2,000 persons for banquets and over 3,000 for meetings. This was Sheraton Hall in the Sheraton-Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. Free Reservations by Reservatron reserves and confirms your hotel room in 4 seconds!

It's now the Washington Marriott Wardman Park, and if you go to their website you can see that the balconies are still in place, but the mural is gone, as is the swanky atmosphere created by evening gowns and a grand piano.

2010-02-04T20:42:00.009-05:00

The first in a series of ugly restaurants. This one is in Scranton, PA. The back of the postcard claims it's one of Pennsylvania's Finest Restaurants -- not so obvious from the exterior.

Union Station, Portland, Maine

2010-02-02T13:45:00.005-05:00

Union station opened in June of 1888 and was torn down in 1961 to make way for a shopping plaza. The furor over the razing of the station marked the beginning of the Greater Portland Landmarks organization and the preservation of historic buildings in Portland.

The Monona Band

2010-02-02T13:23:00.007-05:00

There are two Mononas in the United States, one in Wisconsin and one in Iowa. Your guess is as good as mine as to where these fine gentlemen are from. The exclamation point on the bass drum is nice touch!

2010-01-31T19:51:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I have been an active postcard collector for over 10 years. I've amassed many cards on a number of different topics, and it's time to share.

I've always tried to figure out for myself why postcard collecting is so fascinating. Partly, it's the thrill of the hunt, partly it's the idea that I'm taking care of original, historical artifacts that are worthy of preservation. With the postcards that show the places I've lived or visited, it's the reminiscence of past times along with the bittersweet notion that you can remember but you can't go back.

Postcards are appealing because they go beyond the original intention of someone sending a quick message to someone else, along with a picture. Over time, the pictures document the culture, the styles, the sociology of the age, and the messages on the other side document what was important to people, what they were like, and the spirit of the times. Some of the most fascinating images to me are the ones that over time have become ironic -- a brand new car model that to us looks ugly and dated, or a motel proudly advertised that would be your absolute last choice today.

What you'll find here will mostly be weighted towards my collecting areas of interest. They include the following places:

Portland, Maine
Old Orchard Beach
Manchester, New Hampshire
The Berlin Turnpike in Connecticut
New York City

and the following other topics:

Amusement Parks and Roller Coasters
World's Fairs
Offices and Office Equipment
Music -- Advertising and Band Photos
Hotels, Motels, Diners and Roadside Attractions

Every card is from my personal collection. I'll comment on the images as I include them, and I invite your comments as well. I'll shoot for at least one new entry a week, and we'll see how it goes.

Max