Sleepy Hollow

No, not that Sleepy Hollow! This Sleepy Hollow was part of Roadside America, the largest known miniature village in existence. The village is still in operation today in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. I wouldn't count on seeing this model, though!



Uncirculated
Issued 1920s-1940s

Speaking of Grandma

Here is grandma, circa 1947, on a real photo postcard. Isn't she a looker? She's still as glamorous today!



Uncirculated

To learn more about real photo postcards (RPPC), visit this page on the 2 Buds website!

Thanks to Beth at The Best Hearts Are Crunchy for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday!

Ardmore High School | Ardmore, Oklahoma

In 1915, Ardmore High School began conducting classes in a beautiful new building on North Washington. In the 1940s, my grandpa and, a few years later, my grandma went to school there and graduated from AHS.



Uncirculated
Issued by E.C. Kropp Co.

By the time I entered the Ardmore Public Schools, the High School had moved to a new building, and the Middle School was promoted to the Washington Street building. In the 1980s, I spent seventh and eighth grades there, though I don't think I ever used the front entrance - we usually entered from the recretation area out back.

I sent my research associate (my mother) to get a current picture of the building. I'm not sure what the building is used for now - or who owns it; several years ago the middle school moved to a new facility. My mother said that it is in sad shape, with little maintenance and lots of peeling paint.

Ute Pass, Colorado

Postmarked 28 July 1911
Colorado Springs, CO

Other postcards of the time show almost the same image, but the buggy is gone and Rainbow Falls is shown at a different time of year.

Ute Pass Historical Society

"Say" by V Colby

Postmarked 9 May 1910
Battle Creek, MI

While I am a little intrigued at the message - what decorations was Miss Emma after? - I acquired this postcard because it's one of the sad dogs by V. Colby. I'm very fascinated by the strange captions he paired with his illustrations, mostly of puppies (many pugs), but also cats.

You can see another V. Colby pug card, "I guess no one loves me," at The Daily Postcard blog.

Pikes Peak in Winter

Postmarked 26 July 1960
Colorado Springs, CO

I picked this postcard for today because it was postmarked exactly fifty years ago from the Boy Scout Jamboree! Also, it's funny, from the sweet message to the nerdy man on the postcard front. I can't imagine a young man using pink ink - this must have faded from red.

Silver Lake | Rochester, Minnesota

Postmarked 25 July 1947
Rochester, MN

There is a Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and the recipient was undoubtedly a patient there. I wonder what treatments he was taking - and if he ever got to go hang out by the lake. A picture of the current Rochester skyline is here.

Rochester Parks and Recreation

Ida Noyes Hall | University of Chicago

I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago. Ida Noyes was the site of many events and student group meetings.



Postmarked 12.5.1920
Chicago, IL

I took some pictures of the building when I was in Hyde Park last August. It hasn't changed much, though there is much more ivy growing along its walls.

Moonlight Over Puget Sound, Washington

Postmarked 23 July 1917
Bellingham, Washington

I think this is a very beautiful postcard - I love night views on linen. Magnificent!

Most postcards don't really have much in the way of content in the message - George always writes on postcards, "It's beautiful. Wish you were here" because that is what his grandfather always wrote. What else is there to say? Not enough room for intimate confessions or intricate arguments. This postcard, though, shows a glimpse of life at the time, as the author asks the recipient if he were drafted [into service for WWII] and mentions that her brother is also in the draft.

Thanks to Beth at The Best Hearts Are Crunchy for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday!

Battle of Atlanta

The Battle of Atlanta occurred on July 22, 1864, with General Sherman commanding the Union troops and General Hood commanding the Confederate soldiers. According the the National Park Service, over 12,000 men died in the battle.



Uncirculated
Issued by Curteich (1930s)

About the Battle

Private Mailing Cards

This is not one of the prettiest cards in my collection--and it's even damaged--but it is one of only two Private Mailing Cards I have. In the United States, beginning in 1876, the Postal Service printed cards that could be sent through the mail at a rate of one cent. Any cards not printed by the USPS were charged the two cent letter rate.

As the idea of postcards became more popular and as mass printing became economically feasible, Congress authorized Private Mailing cards in 1898. The 1906 World Almanac and Encyclopedia outlines the regulations affecting these cards:

Because the Postal Service was fearful of losing business, they weren't too keen on making it easy for private companies to take away one of their revenue sources. However, in December 1901, the government relaxed the restrictions, allowing the use of the word "postcard" on pieces not provided by the USPS.

Until 1907, only the address could be printed on the back side of the card, whether they be private mailing cards or postcards. Any message had to appear on the front, around or over the image.

After You

Uncirculated
Issued by Bamforth, 1909

About Bamforth

Real Jolly Time

Postmarked 30 June 1914
Portland, Oregon



Uncirculated

Union Oil printed several series of postcards in the early 20th Century; this one is from the 1955 series, although the photograph is a reprint from an earlier line. The postcards were distributed through their gas stations in the United States. I wish gas stations would do that today!

Both of these postcards show the beautiful Oregon mountain, Mount Hood, which is over 11,000 feet, and is the largest mountain in Oregon.

Please Write, Mary

Postmarked 18 July 1906

Elmira, NY

The reformatory was for young men, so it's likely Miss Mary was simply a visitor to Elmira, New York! An amateur historian writes that the Reformatory was one of the town's most popular postcard subjects in the early 1900s. The prison exists today as the Elmira Correctional Facility.

Wikipedia Entry

The Jail Tree | Wickenburg, Arizona

Postmarked 28 February 1953
Glendale, AZ

Here it is today, courtesy the Wiceknburg town website:

An independent website, www.wickenburg-az.com, posted letters from residents who have conflicting memories about the tree.

The Original Texas Steer

Postmarked 5 June 1909
Fort Worth, Texas

I am curious about this postcard - why did the sender leave the message blank (though I have seen that done before) and what kind of joke is behind addressing the postcard to the "Prince of Wales"?

I can't find any information on this postcard online, but the image appears in Fort Worth in Vintage Postcards by Quentin McGown (p. 24). Let's pretend this has nothing to do with the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Thanks to Beth at The Best Hearts Are Crunchy for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday!

Boating on Beautiful Kentucky Lake

Uncirculated
Curteich, Issued 1950

Or should it be boating on Kentucky Lake with beauties? Searching for information on this postcard, I found a black and white chrome version that is available on cardcow.com. When George and I went to New Hampshire with Diane and Shae, we took a boat tour in a cigarette boat that reminds me a lot of the type of boat on this postcard.

KentuckyLake.com explains the importance of the lake:

Kentucky Dam creates the largest manmade lake in the eastern United States. It backs up the Tennessee River for 184 miles and creates a lake that stretches south across the western tip of Kentucky and nearly the entire width of Tennessee. At maximum normal operating level, Kentucky Lake covers 160,300 acres.

More important than the project's size are the jobs it performs. Kentucky Dam is the spigot that TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) uses to help control floods on the lower Ohio and Mississippi rivers; it is the gateway to the Tennessee River waterway and is a major generating plant in the TVA power system

Of course, it also provides opportunities for recreation and is home to the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, multiple state parks, national wildlife areas, and more.

Visitor Guide

One Hundred Years Ago...Waiting and Hoping

Postmarked July 11, 1910
Denver, CO

This isn't the prettiest or most interesting postcard I've encountered, but it is one hundred years old! I am intrigued by the message:

Wish you would write a little oftener, a little more at length, and a little more legibly! You know I am getting old and my eyes are farm from strong! I am still waiting and hoping -- just now most things look hard and unpromising -- but it must go on! Such is life! I wish I were the owner of a few trees like this! --Alfred

Woman and Dog | Waverly, New York

Uncirculated

I cannot find too many details to go along with this postcard, which I like primarily because it has a dog! Here's what I do know. The dog is cute! Waverly, New York is near the Pennsylvania border.


View Larger Map

There is a park called "Waverly Glen" which is adjacent to "Two Rivers State Park." It's possible the photograph on this postcard was taken at either location. Based on the dress the woman is wearing, it looks like the photo was probably taken in the late 1900s/early 1910s.

Podgy Pug Pups

Postmarked 30 May 1908 (?)
Davenport, NY

This is one of my favorite vintage postcards. I love pugs and have my own pug-mix, Walter. It is interesting that the pug puppies in this photo postcard look more like a mix than the purebred pugs of today. Today's full-blood pugs have more of a smushed nose.

Here's a baby picture of Walter and his litter mates who were born after their pregnant mom went into rescue.

New Blog Name?

What's your preference?

• Cartes postales d'Aimee
• J'ai vu ce jour
• It's beautiful here
• Wish you were here
• I saw this today
• The postman loves me

The problem with the last name, which I like, is that I think the postman hates me. I make him do an awful lot of work!

Marina City | Chicago, Illinois

For July 11, I have chosen some buildings that look similar to the number 11. I love these buildings, and I love the perspective of the photograph in this postcard. I took a less exciting picture of the "corn cob" buildings when I was in Chicago in August 2009.



Uncirculated
(c) 1982

Marina City, Chicago

Happy Birthday

Today is my birthday, so I am featuring some birthday postcards from 1909!



Written, but Uncirculated (~1909)



Postmarked 12 March 1909
Fayetteville, NY



Postmarked 16 March 1909
?, PA

Manitou Springs, Colorado

A different view of Manitou Springs:



Postmarked 30 June 1960
Colorado Springs, CO

Thanks to Beth at The Best Hearts are Crunchy for hosting PFF!

Stamps to the Rescue

I'm digressing a bit from the main subject of this blog, postcards, to offer a plug for the animal rescue first class stamps currently available from the US postal service. Not only do these adorable stamps help raise awareness about all the shelter pets in the country; the Halo pet food company donates food to shelters in conjunction with the campaign.

In addition to purchasing stamps, you can get the images on notecards, coffee mugs, and prints.

Shop Here!

Spa Beach | St. Petersburg, Florida

Given Ithaca's recent weather, the beach in this postcard looks inviting. The ladies on the beach seem to be having fun!



Uncirculated

Sadly, the back of this postcard has been damaged. It looks like it was taped, either to a wall or album. Based on the message "paste one cent stamp here" this is likely from before 1952.

The Kind of Farm that Pays

A terrapin farm isn't any better than any other kind of animal agriculture, but the dog is cute!

Postmarked 31 March 1916
Savannah, GA

My Postcard Blog Name

¡Ay, caramba! The name of this blog is boring, but I can't think of a better name that isn't already in use. What are your ideas? Remember, this is a family friendly blog!

Vista of Williams Canon

It is hot and humid in Ithaca this week, so the serene view in this postcard is very welcoming. I also tend to like views framed by windows, and it's not something I've seen often in view postcards.

Uncirculated
1980

Williams Canyon Project

We Are In No Hurry

Postmarked 23 May 1906
Los Angeles, CA

Independence Day

In honor of the Fourth of July, here is a selection of postcards featuring Washington DC landmarks. Happy birthday, USA!









Uncirculated
1960s-1970s(?)

Greetings from Florida

The Florida pelicans and other animals in the gulf are not happy now. Over a thousand birds, almost five hundred sea turtles, and around fifty marine mammals have perished as a result of the BP oil spill. I chose this postcard in their memory and with the hope that the deaths end soon.



Uncirculated
One auction site dates this as 1950s-1970s.

Want to help the wildlife affected by the BP oil spill? Most animal organizations are actively engaged in the recovery efforts utilizing their expertise, some addressing problems we can't even imagine. If you have a favorite animal welfare group, visit their website to see what they are doing in the Gulf. If you are not sure where to start, see this post on Yahoo!Green.

Newburgh, New York

Postmarked 1906(?)

Washington's headquarters in Newburgh, New York, used during the last sixteen months of the Revolutionary War, is still open for visitor tours who want to see the grounds and view the historic artifacts on display. According to the Palisades Park Conservancy, the site near the Hudson River was purchased by New York state in 1850 and was the first land purchased in the United States for historic conservation.

Havolene Thermometer

I loved this postcard, so even though it has some damage, I had to pick it up when I saw it at Pastimes, an antique store in Dewitt Mall.



Uncirculated
(c) 1933

In trying to find more information about the Havolene Thermometer online, I really only learned that a lot of these postcards are out there! Miniature thermometers, the same shape as the tower, were also available, but I don't know if they were for sale or if they were promotional items. In fact, the only details I could find online came from a virtual exhibit capturing the essence of the exhibition. The site describes the Havoline Thermometer exhibit as follows:

A great 200-foot tower can be seen from many sections of the Fair and the numerals on its three faces can be easily read. It is a thermometer, perhaps the largest the world has ever seen. The numerals are ten feet high, and the graduated temperature columns are made of neon tubing, electrically regulated by a master thermometer. The Indian Refining Company dedicated it as a "Monument to Chicago's Climate." In a building at the base of the tower the company presents an exhibit of oil refining equipment and products.