Saturday, April 8, 2017

Traveling with Postcards, Part 2


A couple of years ago I posted some interesting old postcards from my collection. I have a couple hundred, picked up at flea markets and antique shops here and there. I haven't bought any in years, but I still get a kick out of looking through them.

Here are a few more.

First, quite a curiosity -- an old photo of the Moulin Rouge in Paris, mailed in 1905 from (of all places) Trujillo, Peru. I can't read the message. I'm not even sure what language it's in. It was mailed back to Aubusson, France.


This unmailed card has a French caption reading simply "Village -- Vieille Place du Planet." ("Old place on the planet.") No idea where it's from -- Provence, maybe? Apparently it's a rather generic village scene.


Okefenokee Swamp Park, Waycross, Ga. -- August, 1965. Is it my imagination or are those people awfully well dressed to be out on a swamp in a boat?

"Had a 2-hour stay here today. Very warm and humid in here," wrote someone named Chester to a couple in Hawthorne, N.J. "I had shower Sunday and Monday at Charolett and Albany, Georgia. Saw plenty of pecan groves and tapping pine trees for gum. Trip to date very enjoyable. Breakfast this a.m. 88¢ and lunch $1. This is the beginning of 3 rivers, including Swanee."


An unmailed postcard of Gays Restaurant, Clearwater, Fla. The caption: "Your finest restaurant away from home. All foods prepared and supervised under the personal attention of Mildred and Myrtle Gay -- owners and operators."


This one was mailed in 1911 (I think) from Hyères, southeastern France, with a simple message for Mademoiselle Marcelle Goffier: "Milles baisers de ton frere." ("A thousand kisses from your brother.")


Also from 1911, and mailed fron New Haven, Conn. to East Orange, N.J.: "We past by this place Monday on the way home from the fair. -- Chas"


And this one, mailed in 1908 from South London to a Mr. Witham at St. Andrew's in Harrogate -- which appears to have been (and still is) a rehabilitation center for police officers. It may get the prize for fitting the most news about multiple individuals onto one card.

"Dear Sam, glad to hear that you are making a little progress. Vie came down and took Edna out on Sunday afternoon, so we heard latest report. Lucy and myself went to St. George's Harvest. It was splendid. Ella minded Babs and the house. Mother is looking a little better. All the remainder are well. Have you had any football yet? With love from Edna, Lucy and Jack."

11 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Like you I love to look at old postcards - especially those that were actually written upon and posted. Like little beads of amber they seem to capture fragments of the past - another country where we shall never roam.

ellen abbott said...

very cool.

Ms. Moon said...

Such small windows into so much to imagine.

Sharon said...

These are all great. I LOVE YP's comment above. Very poetic and very true! I have a collection of old post cards that belonged to my grandmother. I haven't looked at them in years. I should get those out and reread them.

Sabine said...

Gorgeous, the lot. Thanks for sharing.

jenny_o said...

YP has said it beautifully, and I love old photos for the same reason, no matter if I know the people or places in them or not. These are all so interesting!

Hope your cold is receding.

Red said...

At one time post cards were a big thing. Lots of them were sent.

Alphie Soup said...

More! More! I love those old postcards - and the messages, especially the first card with the writing and stamp on the front.(?)

Alphie

Caethryn said...

The first one says something like "Do you accept post cards? I collect fantasies. And ___." I can't figure out the last word. Intriging!

Steve Reed said...

Intriguing indeed! Now that you've translated it, Caethryn, I can kind of make out the message too, and I see the last line is a question. Maybe, "And then?" Or something like that.

The Bug said...

After your set-up, I started giggling about one sentence into that last message - so funny!