If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 309

Place du Carrousel, ca 1951

There are certain photographers and postcard publishers that I often look for when searching for new cards to add to the collection.  Yvon is one such photographer who also published postcards.  It was a surprise and a delight to find this used black & white Yvon card in a local antique mall.  The picture is of La Place due Carrousel in Paris and it is part of the collection of photographs known as Paris . . . En Flanant.  The message is dated October 24, 1951.  To see some other postcards by Yvon that have appeared in the blog, use the Search option with the key word Yvon.

This public square is located in Paris directly between the Louvre Palace and the Tuileries Garden at the eastern edge. At the western end of the gardens is the Place de la Concorde.  Louis XIV used this space for equine military drills in 1662, hence the name “carrousel” for a type of military dressage. 

During the 1700s the Tuiliers Palace occupied part of the square.  During the French Revolution in June 1792 King Louis XVI and his family were held under surveillance in that palace and later in August of 1792 the guillotine was erected in this square where it stayed until May 1793.  During the time between May and August of that year 35 people were executed there before the guillotined was moved to Place de la Concorde.  Thousands of people, including the King and Queen, were eventually executed using the guillotine during the Reign of Terror.

The Tuileries Palace was looted and damaged in 1848 and in 1871 orders were given to torch the remains of palace.  Incendiaries such as petroleum, liquid tar and turpentine were used.  The fire lasted 48 hours and completely consumed the palace.  The ruins stood for another eleven years and were finally demolished and removed in 1883.  Once the ground was cleared the area was again used as a public square. 

In August 1793 a wooden pyramid was constructed where the guillotine had stood in the Place du Carrousel as a tribute to Jean-Paul Marat (1743-1793), a French political theorist, physician and scientist who became a radical journalist advocating basic rights for the poorest during the Revolution.  Today the famous glass pyramid, designed by I.M. Pei, is in front of the Louvre and serves as the main entrance into the museum.  At first I wondered if the glass pyramid might be a more permanent monument to Marat but it turned out to not have a connection. The glass pyramid replaces the older entrance in order to accommodate the large numbers of visitors coming to the museum.

Another prominent features of the square is the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.  It was built between 1806 and 1808 to commemorate Napoleon’s victories and is about half the size of the more famous and larger Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile.  It is still imposing; however, at 63 ft (19 m) high, 75 ft (23 m) wide and 24 ft (7.3 m) deep.  The arch has bas-reliefs, statuary, and Corinthian columns.  A statue of Peace riding in a chariot is perched atop the center of the arch.  Like several other small arches this one is a derivative of the Roman triumphal arches. 

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_du_Carrousel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe_du_Carrousel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillotine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Paul_Marat

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 308

 King Alfred's Statue, Winchester

This sepia toned real photo postcard is unused with a divided back.  The card is attributed to F. Frith & Co. Ltd. Reigate, England.  The card has an identifying number at the lower right of 43677A. 

Francis Frith (1822-1898) a successful grocer and printer became interested in photography and started a photographic studio in Liverpool in 1850.  He was also one of the founding members of the Liverpool Photographic Society in 1853.  He traveled to the Middle East several times including at least once to Egypt with large cameras, 16” X 20.”  He used a wet plate or collodion process that was a new major technical achievement especially in hot and dusty environments to develop his photos. 

During his travels he kept a journal of the difficulties encountered and noted some people wanted to see photographs of other parts of the world and with a goal in mind to provide such pictures he eventually established Francis Frith & Co. in 1859.  Once back in England with his photographic studio running he embarked on a project to take pictures of all the towns and villages in the United Kingdom.  At first he took all the photos himself but as his success increased he hired people to help and eventually started the postcard company.  It only took a few years before over two thousand shops throughout the U.K. were selling postcards printed by his company.  He married Mary Ann Rosling and they had five children.  After his death in 1898 his family continued the firm until it was sold in 1968 and then closed in 1971.  

The statue featured in the picture on the card is of King Alfred the Great (849-899) by Hamo Thornycroft, erected in Winchester in 1902.   William Hamo Thornycroft was born 1850 and died in 1925.  His father, mother and grandfather were all sculptors.  He is responsible for some of London’s well-known statues and a leading artist of the New Sculpture movement. 

Since no portraits of the king exist this rendition is solely the artist’s interpretation.  King Alfred’s aims for his country were to rid the land of pagan Norsemen and to advance Christianity among his subjects.  The piece has a symbolic cross on the hilt of the sword and the shield at his side is a reminder that he was the protector of his people.  He is standing on a half hewn monolith that rests upon a grass mound to represent the age in which he lived.  The statue is 2 ½  times larger than life-size and stands 40 feet tall.  The pedestal weighs 40 tons. 

   For additional information, see:

http://www.speel.me.uk/sculptplaces/winchesteralfred.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_the_Great
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamo_Thornycroft
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Frith
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collodion_process

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 307

View of Monaco from Monte-Carlo, 1908

The message on this used, divided back postcard is dated 4 March 1908.   An interesting thing about this date is the date of the painting on the front of the card.  Hugh H. Cameron (1835-1918), a Scottish artist, has dated his painting January 1908 making this card almost an instant printing.  It was possible and popular at that time for individuals to have postcards made from their own photographs or a painting.  That together with the message “with the author’s compliments, Hotel Bristol” suggests it is not too improbable that Cameron may have had the card made to send to a friend, Guy Repton, staying in nearby Cannes at the Hotel Bellevue. 

Running along the left margin on the reverse is an identifying number, 10480 together with the name of the publisher/printer, Locq, Mathorel & Ch. Bernard, Paris.  Many of the examples of cards produced by this company are paintings of animals, flowers, scenes such as this one, and people. 

 Green, Louis II profile stamp, 1908

Although difficult to discern because of the cancellation marks, the stamp shows the profile of Prince Louis II the grandfather of Prince Rainier III and great-grandfather of the current Prince, Albert II, and a female figure sitting on the number value of the stamp on the right side next to the checkered coat of arms and palm leaves decorating the left side.  

 Monaco stamp with the International Circus cancellation, 2017

The small principality of Monaco has used postmarks since 1704 and used French and Sardinian stamps until 1885 at which time the principality began to issue its own stamps.  Due to interest in stamp collecting a Stamp Issuing Office was created in 1937.  Prince Rainier III, a noted stamp collector, was quoted as saying that stamps were “the best ambassador of a country.”  His collection forms the basis of Monaco’s Museum of Stamps and Coins.  Stamps from Monaco are popular with collectors and provide another source of revenue for the principality.  The rates are tied to the French postal rates.  By chance I discovered this postcard with its stamp in a local antique mall shortly after receiving a letter that included a new issue stamp from Monaco sent by a friend.  The new stamp shows the coat of arms composed of a red and white diamond pattern and a cancellation mark that announces the annual international circus festival held in Monte Carlo.  

 Principality of Monaco, aerial view, 1939

 

Logo for Edition “La Cigogne” (The Stork)

 Early 1930s, blue Peace Stamp, French

The first card showed Monte Carlo from the sea looking toward the city.  This second used postcard numbered 1463 has a divided back and is titled “Principalite de Monaco – Vue Générale prise de la Turbie” provides a different view of the city.  It is a black & white, real photo, aerial view by Edition “La Cigogne” (The Stork), 15 Rue St.-Francois-de-Paule, Nice, with an early 1930s blue French Peace stamp postmarked of 30 – 5 1939 or 30 May 1939.   Like some other postcards this one has a company logo on the reverse, not in the center but at the lower left.  

Trivia:  The House of Grimaldi has ruled Monaco since 1297.  The only times since then that Monaco was not under the House of Grimaldi was when the French annexed it during the French Revolution and during World War II when it was under Italian control before being liberated.  In 1419 the Grimaldi family purchased Monaco from the Crown of Aragon and solidified their rule.  In 1612 Honoré II began calling himself Prince of Monaco.  In 1630 he had to ask the French for protection against the Spanish and Monaco then became a vassal of the French kings.  After 1814 the Grimaldi family returned to the throne.  There was a revolution in 1910 that forced adoption of a constitution in 1911 turning Monaco into a constitutional monarchy, at least on paper.  It has become known as a tax haven for the wealthy.  Similar to Las Vegas and Nevada, Monte Carlo and Monaco have had great success with the gambling industry.  French, Italian, English and Monégasque are all languages widely spoken in Monaco.  Prince Rainier III married the American actress Grace Kelly in 1956.  The current ruler, Prince Albert II, the son of Prince Rainier, has a son and daughter, twins, assuring the continuation of the Grimaldi line for at least one more generation.  Included in the links below is one to the family tree of the House of Grimaldi.

For more information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaco
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postage_stamps_and_postal_history_of_Monaco
http://wopa-stamps.com/index.php?controller=country&action=stampRelatedIssue&id=26815
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.corpusetampois.com/cpa-es-cigogne.html&prev=search
https://artuk.org/discover/artists/cameron-hugh-18351918
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_II,_Prince_of_Monaco
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Grimaldi

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 306

 Kongens Nytorv og Nyhavn, København, Danmark, 1905

This postcard was sent from Copenhagen, Denmark as a Christmas and New Year’s greeting with the handwritten date of 18 December 1905 and postmarked at Fort Doge, Iowa when it arrived on 3 January 1906.  The scene depicted on the card is of Nyhavn or New Harbor and Kongens Nytorv or The King’s New Square.  Today they could hardly be called “new” as both were designed and build in the 17th century.   The used undivided back card, does have an identification code, C.R. No. 116, but does not have publisher or printer information.  The card has sparkly glitter glued strips on the roofs and across the bottom section of the harbor plus the equivalent of “Merry Christmas” stamped in red at the top center of the image.  

Because the undivided back was to be used only for the name and address of the person receiving the card any message had to be written on the front of the card usually over part of the picture.  As can been seen there is a small margin at the bottom of the card where a message could be and was written.  In this case the message also spilled over to the sky portion at the top and partly into the street. The picture is interesting too, since it shows horse drawn wagons or carriages lined up and what looks like electrified trolley cars with tracks. 

Nyhavn, seen at the upper middle on the card is lined with brightly colored buildings the oldest townhouse dates from 1681.  King Christian V had the harbor built by Swedish prisoners of war from the Dano-Swedish War 1658-1660.  It was the gateway from the sea to the old inner city and the Kongens Torv.  Ships unloaded cargo and fish here.  As the ocean going ships got larger the harbor was used more for small vessel freight.  Gradually ship traffic disappeared and the harbor was mostly deserted.  Looking carefully at the postcard it is possible to see the first temporary foot bridge built across Nyhavn in 1875.  That bridge was replaced in 1912 with the bridge currently used today. 

The Nyhavn Society was founded in the 1960s with the aim of revitalizing the area.  The quay was changed to a pedestrian only area and a veteran ship and museum harbor was established.  Old carefully restored ships, now part of the Danish National Museum, can be viewed there.  Since that time it has become a popular spot for tourists.

Trivia:  The Danish author Hans Christian Andersen lived at No. 67 from 1845 to 1864 and then at No. 18 from 1871 to 1875.  The second house now has an Andersen themed gift shop.  There is a Memorial Anchor at the end of Nyhavn commemorating Danish officers and sailors who served during World War II. 

Kongens Nytorv is a public square located at the end of the pedestrian only area.  It was another project of Christian V in 1670 as a major extension to the fortified city.  The square was cobblestoned with a garden inspired by what was done in Paris earlier.  Facing the square are the Royal Danish Theatre (1874); Charlottenborg Palace (1671) now the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts; Thott Palace (1683) now the French Embassy; Hotel D’Angleterre; and Magasin du Nord a department store.  Although the square and gardens were originally built in the mid to late 1600s they were rebuilt by Frederik V in 1747 and served as a ceremony ground for the King’s troops until 1908 when the square was re-shaped back to its original design.  The statue of Louis XIII of France at the Place de Vosges inspired a similar statue placed in the square of Christian V that is the oldest equestrian statue in Scandinavia (1688).  It was originally made of gilded lead but in 1939 it was recast in bronze.


For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongens_Nytorv
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyhavn

Silver Falls and Grove of the Patriarchs, 2017

Silver Falls, Ohanapecosh, Mt. Rainier National Park

This past week we went to Mt. Rainier National Park for the first time this hiking season.  Many of the trails in the park still have too much snow and are not yet open for hiking.  However, the hike to Silver Falls and Grove of the Patriarchs is lower elevation and mostly free of snow.  There are campsites and an information ranger station as well as the hiking trails.  No dirt road with bumps and dust to contend with and a nice restroom at the trailhead with running water and flush toilets. 

We hiked to Silver Falls and then continued on to Grove of the Patriarchs encountering only about 12 other hikers on the Silver Falls portion of the trail going in and on the way back we counted an additional 46.  There were probably at least 200 people on the Grove of the Patriarchs section.  There is another nice restroom there and a large parking area.  No dogs are allowed in the park and a Forest Service pass is required. 

Unbelievable blue-green water color from glacial runoff 

Mist catching sunlight making a rainbow

The falls are spectacular this time of year, very full of fast, roaring, beautiful blue-green water with spray catching the light and making rainbows.  If one goes past the falls and on to the Grove the trail winds up, crosses the street, and then continues on for another almost 1 mile. 

 Suspension bridge over the river

There is a suspension bridge over the river with a recommendation that only one person at a time should cross over.  There were long lines on both sides of the river of people waiting to cross.  Neither of us had ever seen so many people on that trail.  The difficulty was not that the bridge could not hold more than one person but that more people on the bridge at a time made it sway and ripple so walking was a bit unsteady.  

 Huge trees, some over 1,000 years old and 200 or more feet tall

Bob and I went a short distance apart and after we had crossed several other people figured out that they could cross more than one at a time if they were careful not to rock the bridge too much.  The line moved a little faster after that.  There is a loop trail through the old trees and some benches where we sat and had a lunch.  After wandering through the big trees, some over 1,000 years old, we re-crossed the bridge and continued a little further on the trail. 

Our hike ended up about 6 miles round trip with approximately a 500 ft elevation gain.  There were plenty of families with young children on the Grove trail and a few on the Silver Falls portion. 

Candystick

 Tiger lily

Blue violet

 Twayblade

Bunchberry

 Rose

 Three-leaved Anemone

 Coralroot

The first Beargrass of the season

We had some unexpected finds, such as candysticks, a tiger lily, coralroot, and a three-leaved anemone (something we had never encountered before).   

A sad note, my trusty little Canon power-shot elph 100 was not focusing, as it should.  I had noticed for a while that the pictures were not as sharp has they had been and dark spots were showing up on the pictures.  We took it in to a camera shop the next day.  The verdict, dust in the lens hence the dark spots and no way to fix it.  The camera was done after 5 years and 32,000 pictures.  I picked up an almost identical newer version Canon power-shot elph 190 and hope it will last as long and work as well.  The photos from Silver Falls are still with the old camera, some close ups of the flowers did not turn out as well as hoped.  

 There were several of these wooden bridges over creeks

 One downed tree that required a climb over

 Bridge over Laughing Water creek

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 305

The Forest at The Hague, by Louis Apol

This week’s postcard is unused, has an undivided back dating it to around 1907 or possibly earlier, and shows a winter forest scene.  The identification number, 1276, is found in the right margin, as is the publisher/printer name of Abrahamson & van Straaten of Amsterdam.  This card was found in a box of jumbled cards at a local antique mall.  Below is a copy of the original painting, now in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.   

The Forest at The Hague, painting by Louis Apol

[Google image]

Many postcards have works of art for the picture, as does this one titled in English “The forest at the Hague.”  The Dutch artist, Louis Apol, full name Lodewijk Frederik Hendrik Apol, was born in The Hague in 1850 and died there in 1936.  He was one of The Hague School that consisted of a group of artists who lived and worked in The Hague between 1860 and 1890.  Apol’s talent was noticed early and his father hired teachers to give his son private lessons.  In 1868 he received a scholarship from King Willem III.  Most of his paintings are winter scenes and with few exceptions do not include figures.  In 1880 he was part of an expedition to Spitsbergen in the Polar Sea.  Impressions from that journey served as inspiration for the rest of his life. 

 The Hague School was also known as the Gray School because members of the group generally used somber colors.  The French Barbizon school influenced the works.  Many of the paintings are landscapes, winter scenes, woodlands, and some of national history.  The name “Hague School” came about because a critic, Jacob van Santen Kolff, described the works as “a new way of seeing and depicting things,” “intent to convey mood, tone takes precedence over color,” “almost exclusive preference to so called ‘bad weather’ effects,” and a “gray mood.”  Although looking at the original painting in color, it is not exclusively a gray but also has subtle tones of blue, brown and orange.

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hague_School
https://en.wikipedia.org/Louis_Apol

Wallace Falls, 2017

The sign at the beginning of the Woody Trail to Wallace Falls

We hiked here 2 or 3 years ago but at that time I only made it to the middle falls viewing area.  This time we made it to the upper falls.  It was a misty rainy type of day.  As a consequence we got a little damp but on the plus side that meant that the last steep part was not so bad since it was a cool and comfortable temperature.  We went all the way up and then came back to the covered picnic tables to eat lunch since that seemed drier and nicer than sitting in the rain on a wet bench.

This is a very popular trail near the town of Gold Bar about one hour driving time from Seattle, depending on traffic, with a paved road and an ample parking area.  The Discover Pass is required.  There is a “deluxe” restroom as far as trail heads go, with flush toilets and hot & cold running water.  We counted 134 hikers and 11 dogs.  A first for us, all the dogs were leashed and under control.  There are lots of stairs on this trail and the last upper section is rough with plenty of roots and rocks as well as a steep grade.  Bob rated this trail was a moderate difficulty for me.  The round trip was 5.5 miles with a 1400 ft elevation gain.  Once at the top there are two additional waterfalls that cannot be seen from lower down.  Several chipmunks to entertain us, especially at the picnic area.  Birdsong but the birds were hard to spot in the trees.  There were not many flowers; however, we did find some coral root in bloom.  My camera did not like the blurry, misty rain limiting the types of pictures taken that day.

 The first views of the river from the trail . . .

 Dense undergrowth of ferns, moss and small shrubs with the trees . . .

 Guard rails and stairs to various view points along the way . . .

 We are going to the top of the large falls in the distance . . .

 Views from the lower falls view point and the middle falls view point . . .

 Valley view point . . . too misty to see the valley . . .

The end is near, the upper falls are just ahead . . .

 Looking down on the falls we could see from below . . .

 The two falls not visible from lower down . . .

 Bob, looking a bit soggy, on the bridge over the river . . .

 Sign at the bottom explaining why the trail is named the Woody Trail . . .