HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

MAY 2021 bring new hope!!!

 From my vintage postcard collection!

Postcard Post: Little Rock, Ark

Two things caught my eye about this card.  First, the way the card is split on the back, it isn't a half and half split.  Second, the abbreviation for Arkansas and Washington.  I have noticed may times Washington abbreviated as Wash.

When did they split the back  

The State School for the Blind in Little Rock Arkansas was founded in 1859. The original campus was in Clark County and moved in to Little Rock in 1868.  I do not know the date the above picture of the school. I do believe they moved from the site in 1939.  The school is still open,  to find out the history of the school click HERE.  For information about the school click HERE!

Mailed November 36, 1907 from Little Rock Ark to Pullman, Wash.

On the back: I received your photo & card today. Am so glad to have them. Many thanks. I think the girls dormitory is very pretty. This is my place of abode. This doesn't show much of the buildings, but is a good view of the front. Will write you when I find time. C.W.

Back to the reasons I wanted to share this card... when did the two letter abbreviation state start being used.  Back in 1874 the US Post Office recognized common abbreviations for states.  Like ARK for Arkansas and WASH for Washington, even though they preferred it to be written out.  In 1963 when the 5 digit zip code was introduced the 2 digit state was introduced to make room the new zip codes.  There has been only one change to the 2 digit codes, that was in 1969, Nebraska was NB and changed to NE... to avoid confusion with New Brunswick in Canada.     

The second reason the card intrigued me, was the way the back is divided. Around 1907 was when for the first time the sender was allowed to write more than the address on the back of the card. By the looks of it they were not allowed much room!

 

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - all postcards shared on Postcard Friendship Friday are from my private collection

White City Denver Colorado ~ Postcard

I was recently looking through vintage postcards at a local store and came across this one. The caption reads "Shooting the Chutes, White City, Denver Colo".  Having lived in Denver for several years it intrigued me as I had never heard of White City.  I brought the card home and did some research.  I found out that the park still stands at the same site 109 years later.  The rides have changed over the years, none of the original rides are around.  MORE amazing I used to go to Lakeside Amusement Park when I lived there! This is how I learn so much about the past through postcards. 

"Lakeside Amusement Park is a family-owned amusement park in Lakeside, Colorado, adjacent to Denver. Originally named White City, it was opened in 1908 as a popular amusement resort adjacent to Lake Rhoda by the Denver Tramway, making it a trolley park. The amusement park was soon sold to Denver brewer Adolph Zang. Eventually the name was changed to Lakeside Amusement Park, but the local populace kept referring to it by its original name for its glittering original display of over 100,000 lights. Today it is one of only thirteen trolley parks operating and one of the oldest amusement parks in the United States, and the oldest still running in Colorado." ~Wikipedia 

"Trolley parks in the United States, started in the 19th century, were picnic and recreation areas along or at the ends of streetcar lines in most of the larger cities. These were precursors to amusement parks. Trolley parks were often created by the streetcar companies to give people a reason to use their services on weekends." ~ Wikipedia

Read more about Lakeside Amusement Park HERE

Read more about Trolley Parks HERE  

I am sharing this post with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Happy New Year!

WELCOME 2020!

A few vintage postcards to celebrate the NEW YEAR!

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Vintage Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A vintage postcard from my collection!

Council Crest Oregon Postcard

Today I spent hours looking at vintage postcards at a local Stamp & Coin store.  I was shopping for cards to give my father-in-law for Christmas.  Sometimes I come across interesting cards that make me want to find out more about the story behind them.  The Council Crest postcard below is one of them.  Old amusement parks have interested me for years.  From the picture Council Crest looked like it had a roller coaster and a merry-go-round, with little cable cars. More intriguing are the mountains in the background.  Mt Rainier, Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood.  Living in the PNW I had never heard of Council Crest Amusement Park.  So I went in search of the story!

Postcard was mailed in 1909 from Oregon to Wisconsin

Council Crest still exists today, but the amusement park is long gone.  The city in the background is Portland. Where the amusement park once stood is the highest point in Portland. The park as it today was established in 1937. Today visitors can drive up to the park, it is no longer serviced by streetcars. 

"Streetcar service to the site began on September 20, 1906, when the Portland Railway, Light and Power Company (PRL&P) opened a newly constructed streetcar loop that extended the "Portland Heights" line (later renamed the "Council Crest" line) to the summit of the hill. Soon after, in 1907, an amusement park built by PRL&P was opened, and it featured a merry-go-round, miniature railway, Ferris wheel and other entertainments, served exclusively by the streetcar line. Named Council Crest Amusement Park, it closed in 1929, and the city acquired the property in 1937. The amusement park's wooden observation tower was torn down in 1941 and replaced by a steel water-storage tower."  From Wikepedia

The inscription on the back appears to be written in English and another language. 

You can find out more about Council Crest here:

Council Crest Dreamland of the Northwest

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Vintage Postcard - Swans

I could not pass up this postcard.  The swans are so beautiful.

Chillon Castle is built on an island in Lake Geneva. The earliest written history of the castle is 1150.  Today the castle is open for tours. 

Postcards from the Past!

I love vintage postcards and have an ever expanding collection. When I see postcards of swans I have to buy them!  They are gentle reminders of my mom who passed away over five years ago!  She loved swans.  Here is a beauty mailed in 1917, over one hundred years ago. 

Mailed Feb 1917 to Mr. Bernard Elbus(sp) or Mt. Sterling Ill.

Message: Would it be convenient for you come out Wednesday or 

Thursday evening of this week. M.M.

I am sharing these postcards with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - all postcards shared on Postcard Friendship Friday are from my private collection unless noted.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful for family, health, happiness and home!

First pilgrim house (replica) in Plymouth. Postcard never mailed.

Vintage Thanksgiving postcard!

Celebrating the 4th of July!

From my postcard collection Patriotic Postcards! 

Have a safe week!

 

I am sharing these postcards with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - all postcards shared on Postcard Friendship Friday are from my private collection unless noted. 

Summer at Coney Island!

Summer is here!  

It is time to think about visiting amusement parks!!!

Coney Island NY amusement parks were in existence since the early 1800's.  Between 1880 and WWII it was the largest amusement park in the United States.  The first roller coaster was built there in 1884. Over the years it's popularity has declined and was closed.  In 2010 the new Luna Park Coney Island opened.  

This postcard was mailed in 1906!

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - postcards are from my private collection unless noted.

Happy Easter!!!

Wishing all a joyous Easter. 

A few cards from my Easter collection of postcards. 

Sent in 1906 see back below.  Before 1907 the back of a postcard or "Private Mailing Card" was only for the address of the recipient.  All correspondence was on the front of the card in the white space provided.

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!
Note - all postcards are from my private collection unless noted.

Erin Go Bragh!

I love St. Patrick's Day postcards.  This one is covered with Irish clover!  What a sweet face on the young girl with a crown of clover!

 

 

Message:  Dear Aunt, Will be to see you some day next week. With love, Nellie 

 

 

Mailed to Mrs. Tom Larkin, 20 Reed St, Local

Postmarked in San Francisco, CA on March 17, 1916

 

Did you see it is "LOCAL".  In the past I have seen "City" "Rural" and "Town".  I guess the postmasters knew everyone back then!

 

 There is more to this postcard!  Look at the cancellation over the stamp.  Panama-California International Exhibition at San Diego.  The Panama–California Exposition was an exposition held in San Diego, California, between January 1, 1915, and January 1, 1917. 

"Slogan cancels, which may contain a pictorial image, first appeared in the 1890s to advertise the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. The USPS uses slogans extensively." From Hamilton Philatelic

 

Did you know there are societies dedicated to the study of Machine Postal Markings, the Machine Inventors, Patents, and more? 

 

 

 

 

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - all postcards are from my private collection unless noted.

 

Happy Birthday President Washington

Happy Birthday George!

 

 

Back of the postcard!

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - all postcard is from my private collection

Winter Lady Postcard!

 Since we are expecting snow I thought this postcard would be appropriate.

Since the sender could not put a note on the back they wrote their message around the edges of the card.  I am not able to research the publisher of the card as it has no markings. I am assuming it was printed in Germany since many of the early postcards were printed there and it says Postkarte (German for postcard) on the back. 

 

 

 

This was mailed from Berlin W to North America before 1907 when the post office changed postcards to a divided back.  I love the beautiful cursive writing.

 

 

The following is a bit of history on Postcards found on the Metro Postcard site: 

"1902 Rural free delivery becomes a standard service throughout the United States. Up until this point those living in rural areas had to travel to large towns to pick up their mail or pay a private company to deliver it for an additional fee. This policy greatly increased the market for postcards.

The world’s first divided back postcard is issued in Great Britain, who is soon followed by France and Germany. This led to a sharp increase in card sales overseas.

 

1907 To keep in step with Europe, the United States released new postal regulations on March 3, 1907 that divided the back of postcards in half, the left side for a message, the right for postage and address. This date is often referred to as the birth of the modern postcard for it created the same format we use today. The most obvious affect of this new measure is that it allowed an image to take up the entire front of a card.

 

The sale of postcards becomes a craze as they are sold in record amounts. Perhaps up to half their number are being purchased by collectors, and many clubs are formed for the sole purpose of exchanging cards. Many different types of businesses also begin publishing cards to cash in on this phenomena, which result in a wide variety of results from many different printing techniques. This marks the height of what is often referred to as the Golden Age of Postcards."

 

 

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - postcards are from my private collection

 

Happy Birthday President Lincoln

Celebrate Lincoln's day!

February 12, 1809

 

 

 

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - postcards are from my private collection

Cupid is Busy! Valentine

I found this to be an interesting Valentine! Traveling Cupid!

Front lower left: 2-200

Front lower right: Copy Right 1907(?) by W. S. Heal

(the last digit of the year is not legible due to the cancellation)

 

 

 

Mailed from Ault Colorado to Denver Colorado in 1908!

 

Dear Friend, Does the world still move, you would not know from this place.

 

 

 

I am sharing this postcard with Postcard Friendship Friday!

Note - all postcards shared on Postcard Friendship Friday are from my private collection