The General Federation of Women's Clubs Is Buying This House

Uncirculated
Published circa 1922

Postcard Caption

The General Federation of Women's Clubs is Buying This House as Permanent Headquarters at 1734 N. Street NW Washington, D.C. / Permanent headquarters are a visible symbol of strength. They constitute a place where Club women can always get help. Most significant of all they maintain Continuity of Effort and Organization while administrations come and go. / It is hoped that every Club will be glad to help, little or much, according to its means. / Contributions may be sent through your State Director, checks to be made to the Treasurer, Mrs. Florence C. Floore, Cleburne, Texas. / Special Committee on Headquarters / Mrs. W.S. Jennings....Vice-Pres. / 1845 Main St., Jacksonville, Fla. / Mrs. Wallace T. Perham... Vice-Pres. / Glendive, Montana.

The General Federation of Women's Club (GFWC) purchased this house in 1922, so the postcard must have been mailed only a year or two before that. In 1991, the building was named a National Historic Landmark.

In 1868, journalist Jane Cunningham Croly wasn't allowed to attend a dinner at an all-male press club in honor of Charles Dickens. Subsequently, she created a women's club, Sorosis. In 1809, Croly invited a number of women's clubs throughout the country to attend a ratification convention in New York City. Out of that meeting, the GFWC was created.

Since then, it has supported women volunteers. As noted on their website, "GFWC members volunteered more than 4.5 million hours on nearly 100,000 projects, and donated more than $24 million in both monetary and in-kind donations" in 2013.

One of the earliest campaigns supported by the GFWC strove to end child labor. They've worked to help pass the Pure Food and Drug Act (1906), promote child nutrition and safety, fund libraries, support passage of the ERA, and more. Jane Addams and Eleanor Roosevelt were both active GFWC members.

Today, the GFWC publishes a Club Manual with a section on Fundraising and Development. I wonder how they would conduct the capital campaign today!

General Federation of Women's Clubs Headquarters by Almonroth
Licensed Under CC-BY-3

One Hundred Years Ago: Wonder If It Is As Warm There as Here

Postmarked 7 July 1912
New York, New York

Postcard Caption:

Metropolitan Life Insurance Building, New York

Postcard Message:

Dear Sister: Wonder if it is warm there as here. Had a card from mother said you were doing fine so glad, write me as soon as you are well and feel like writing. Love, L---

Here's a view of the MetLife Tower from June 2010. According to the Interweb, MetLife moved out of the complex in 2005. The tower is currently under development as a hotel.

Your Aunt Fannie Will Mail It

Postmarked 19 June 1947
Dallas, Texas

Postcard Caption:

Magnolia Building, Dallas, Texas 

Postcard Message: 

While waiting on my bus out will drop you a card. I bought you birthday present addressed it and your Aunt Fannie will mail it for me. Write and tell me if you get it. / Love, Mother / Address in care of Ed Gann 2537 / Cleveland Kan City Mo.

The building, designed by architect Sir Alfred Blossom in the early 1920s, originally served as headquarters for Magnolia Petroleum and is now the site of a hotel. The Dallas Architecture website provides this bit of history: 

In 1934, Magnolia Petroleum Company erected a large "oil derrick" on the roof that supported two 30 by 50 foot red neon signs that were in the image of Pegasus, the flying red horse, that was the corporate logo for Magnolia. Mobil, as a part of Exxon Mobil Corp. still uses the logo today. The two red horses were located 14 feet apart and revolved when placed on the building. In addition to the sign, the penthouses were illuminated at night. For many years the sign was the highest element within blocks, but by 1974 it had quit revolving. However, the Pegasus sign had become a Dallas icon. In 1977, Mobil moved their headquarters out downtown and the sign and building were given to the City of Dallas. Over the years, the skyscraper had become outdated and in 1997 the sign was turned off.

Here's a different postcard of the Magnolia Building posted by the Dallas Historical Society.

Glad to See You Won

Postmarked 4 June 1911
Buffalo, New York

Postcard Caption:

Ellicot Square Building, Buffalo, N.Y.

Postcard Message:

H-- Bill: Glad to see you won the 10 bucks. Have a good job up here. N. --

When completed in 1896, Ellicot Square Building was the largest office building in the world. Of course, that record lasted just over a decade with all of the growth and construction of the time. Today, the facility is still used for retail and office space.


View Larger Map

Casts, Bronzes, and Marbles

Uncirculated

Postcard Caption:

Art Museum, Forest Park, St. Louis, MO. Located on Art Hill, Forest Park. Built during the World's Fair as a permanent building. Lovers of art will enjoy viewing the comprehensive collection of the works of the great artists of the world. Casts, bronzes, and marbles, perhaps the best in existence, form one of its most beautiful and interesting collections.

Saint Louis Art Museum Website 

High in the Sky Blue

Postmarked 30 March 1907 
Chicago, Illinois

Postcard Caption:

The Mongomery Ward & Co. Building | Chicago
One of the Largest Commercial Buildings in the World 

Postcard Message:

Right Here's where we were. High in the sky blue and while thinking of friends we both think of you. / Mr and Mrs. J. L. Prince

Civic Auditorium | Ardmore, Oklahoma

Uncirculated
Published by J.R. Pennington (~1960)

According to the Visit Ardmore website:

Heritage Hall, formerly known as Ardmore Civic Auditorium, is an Art Deco structure located in the heart of downtown Ardmore. This landmark underwent renovation several years ago, and has now become a favorite venue for concerts and downtown gatherings.

Here's a picture of the building today:



I really only have two memories of events at this building. In one, I was with either my friends (likely) or family (less so) attending a pancake breakfast. I was also there my senior year in high school to attend the graduation ceremony for Plainview High School. I went to Ardmore High, but I had friends graduating from PHS.

I Lit Upon This Steeple Top

Postmarked 3 July 1909
Chicago, Illinois

Postcard Caption:

Montgomery Ward Building, Chicago, Ill.

Postcard Message:

BACK: Spent a couple of hours in top of this tower today. Am having a fine time. / Lovingly, Elizabeth

FRONT: On the second of July / While touring to the sky, / I lit upon this steeple top/ to write a line/ and let... / ... it..../ ......drop.....

The Montgomery Ward Complex by the National Park Service

The Snow Melted Fast

Postmarked 23 February 1945
Rochester, New York

Message:

Dear Mary - / Many thanks for the view of Grace -- Bridge, a great structure, no doubt. Spring-like day here today and the snow melted fast. Come again soon. / Earl F. Nicht / 83 Clifton St, Rochester N.Y.

The Powers Building was completed in 1868, and was the first building in upstate New York to have a passenger elevator (then known as a "vertical railroad." Daniel Powers didn't want any other building in Rochester to be as tall as his, so later construction added four floors and an observation tower.

Powers Building Website

The building today:


View Larger Map

Ardmore, Oklahoma: Simpson Building

Uncirculated
C.T. American Art (~1920s)

The building is now called the Colston Building. When I was home before Christmas, I took a few photos of how it looks today:







The building exterior features a plaque with a narrative of its history:

Built in 1918, the Simpson Building was Ardmore’s first attempt at building a skyscraper office building. B.A. Simpson, P.C. Dings, and Roy M. Johnson, all of Ardmore, financed the building’s construction.

The building’s first floor façade was lined with white tiling, with the remainder of the building constructed with red bricks. The floors were finished in Ohio flint tiling, with wainscoting of Carthage grey marble. Wood finish on the first floor was of mahogany, with finishes on upper floors of light oak. Base molding throughout the building was made from Vermont black marble.

Each floor was divided into 22 offices. Tenants of these offices were furnished ice water from the basement where ice was made by special machinery. A vacuum machine, also in the basement, was connected by a system of pipes to every room in the building to remove dust and litter. The building originally generated its own electricity and had a coal-fired boiler, which heated the entire building.

Original occupants of the first floor were the Guaranty Bank on the corner and the Myers and Boyd Drug Store on the east side. Since 1918, four other banks have occupied the Guaranty space, and three drugstores the Myers and Boyd space.

The first tenant’s office was selected from the blue prints. This was the firm of Dolman and Dyer, Attorneys at Law, whose descendants still practice law from offices located in this building.

In the late 1920’s the International Independent Oil Producers was organized in this building.

The building was purchased by Quintin Little and Carrie Lou Little in 1949, who renamed it the Little Building. The Little family did extensive interior remodeling and utility upgrade in 1968 – 1969. Subsequently, in 1975, the building was acquired by The Colston Corporation, with stockholders being Bob Colston and Thomas C. Jobe. The building was later renamed the Colston Building.

Ohio Bell Telephone Building

Uncirculated

The building, now called the AT&T Building, was completed in the early 1930s and is one of the tallest buildings in Dayton. How it looks today:


View Larger Map

Lionel Meserole's Father Is Dead

Postmarked 14 December 1910
Binghamton, New York

Message:

12/14/10 / Dear Sister Vera / Your card received yesterday. Very glad indeed to hear from you. Received a letter from home. All were usually well excepting colds. Don't know when our people will be up. I am going down town this afternoon. Lionel Meserole's Father is dead. Ethel S. (Dora S. E-sister) has a little son. Mr. Newcombes are moving. They had a sale yesterday. Come over Friday or Saturday eve. Lovingly, D--- / Would like to see your proofs.

Custom House, Boston

Uncirculated
Published by Tichnor (~1920s?)

I can't find a reliable source for information about this building. The interweb says that Andrew Jackson authorized construction of the building in the 1830s. By the early 1900s, the space was too small to meet the demands caused by expanded shipping, and the tower was built. When the U.S. customs department moved in the 1980s, the government declared the building "surplus property." Although the City of Boston purchased it, it remained vacant until Marriott purchased it in the mid 1990s. One reason the building remained vacant for so long was the small square footage of the tower floors.

Marriott's Custom House

The Chicago Stadium

Uncirculated
Issued by Curteich, 1941

Chicago Stadium History

Built in 1929, the Chicago Stadium, also known as the "Madhouse on Madison," hosted boxing matches, hockey (the Blackhawks), basketball (the Bulls), music, political conventions, and all other types of events.

The building was demolished in 1995, and now the site serves as a parking lot for the more modern United Center.


View Larger Map

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