If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 777

  

 

 

 

 

 

Versailles, France -- Palais du Grand-Trianon, Chambre de la Reine d’Angleterre, ca. early 1900s

[Translation:  Versailles, France – Grand Trianon Palace, Queen’s Bedroom (of England).] 

 

This unused, divided back postcard only has the title on the front of the card, no photographer, publisher, printer or identification code is on the front or the reverse of the card.  The card looks similar to others dating from the early 1900s.  Featured on this Vintage postcard is a photograph of what is mislabeled the Versailles Bedroom of the Queen [of England]; however, it does not look quite like the Queen’s bedroom as it is today.  There have been renovations and restorations since the card was published.  Much was destroyed during the French Revolution (1789-1799).  What is displayed now is thought to be close to what it looked like before the Revolution.

 

Since these chambers were reserved for the use of the reigning queens of France, it appears the title on the card was mislabeled as for the Queen of England.  Three French Queens used the room:  Marie-Therese the wife of Louis XIV; Marie Leszczynska, wife of Louis XV; and Marie-Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI. 

 

 

 

 

Throughout the castle there are information placards explaining each display.

 

 

A view of the upper part of the bed.

 

When I visited Versailles in 2012, I took a few pictures.  Versailles is an extremely popular tourist destination.  There were crowds of people in all the rooms and it was nearly impossible to get good pictures without people standing in front of something interesting.  Doors concealed by tapestries lead to small spaces or rooms.  These doors allowed the Queen to move discreetly to other areas of the castle.  They also allowed the King discreet access to the Queen's quarters.  Marie-Antoinette was said to have escaped through one of the secret doors during the French Revolution when Versailles was stormed by mobs of people. 

 

Visitors are issued ear-buds and a self-tour recording that provides historical information about each of the rooms. 

 

The Queen would have spent most of her time in her quarters, even receiving guests.  Trivia fact, the Queen’s bed was wider than the King’s bed since he joined her in her quarters.  This was also the room where births took place in public.  A total of nineteen children were born in these quarters. 

 

 

  

The ceiling decorations were created for Marie-Therese, wife of Louis XIV.

 

During the French Revolution the Queen’s bedroom was completely emptied of furniture and décor.  Replicas of the balustrade, the bed, and replacement period furniture help make the room look like it did when the Queens lived here.  

 

 

   

The Hall of Mirrors.  This picture provides a glimpse of how many people are walking through the castle at any moment.

 

For more information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles

https://en.wikipedia.org/Grand-appartement_de_la-reine

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_apartment_at_Versailles

https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/palace/queen-apartments#the-queens-bedchamber

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 776

 

 

 

 

 

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, Bushnell Park, Hartford, Connecticut

 

A color photograph of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in Bushnell Park, Hartford, Connecticut is featured on this unused Dexter Press Inc. postcard.  Dexter Press is located in West Nyack, New York.  The card was published by NATCO as a Natural Color Cards Co., Ridgefield Park, N.J. 07660.  The code 60-B appears at the lower left corner on the reverse.  At the upper left corner on the reverse is a blurb:  “Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch.  Erected in 1856, on the edge of Bushnell Park, Hartford, Conn.  Both two letter abbreviations for U.S. states and postal zip codes began in 1963.  Because the publisher’s address includes a postal Zip code, and the state is abbreviated as Conn. Instead of CT, we can estimate the date of the card to be in close to 1963. This was confirmed when I checked the Dexter Press Inventory numbers.  Series 60-B was printed in 1963.  Dexter started using a high gloss finish seen on this card with a color picture also around 1960.

 

The Memorial Arch honors the 4,000 Hartford citizens who served in the American Civil War.  That total includes 400 who gave their lives for the Union cause.  It was the first permanent memorial arch to be built in America.  Notice the difference in the date on the blurb, 1856, and the actual conception and completion dates of 1879 and 1886.  George Keller, architect desined the arch.  The Gothic arch is flanked by two Norman Towers.  Spanning the arch is a classical frieze was designed by Samuel James Kitson.  It has statues telling the story of the war.  General Ulysses S. Grant is surveying his troops and Marines leaping from a boat to rush Confederate troops.  The central female figure represents the City of Hartford and is surrounded by her citizens welcoming the soldiers home after the war ends.  The Navy is represented by an anchor, the Artillery by a crossed cannon, crossed sabers for the Cavalry, and crossed rifles for the Infantry.  Other statues on the arch include a mason, a carpenter, a blacksmith, and a farmer.

 

Built in 1868 Bushnell Park is the second oldest publicly funded park in the United States.  In 1970 the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldiers_and_Sailors_Memorial_Arch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bushnell_Park

https://postcardhistory.net/2021/10/dating-dexter-press-postcards/

 

 

Calypso LaDottie Zoometta

  

 

 

 

 

 

Calypso LaDottie Zoometta

 

As most of you know, we lost Persephone aka TBS, (The Bride of Satan), our very old cat about two and a half years ago.  We knew we would eventually get another cat and were just waiting for the right time.  We got our new kitty about three months ago.  We were looking for a cat between about 1 or 2 years old to about 7 or 8 years old.  Then I saw this one on our second trip to the shelter and fell in love with her immediately.  We got her from the Seattle Humane Society.  They have a very high rate of placement and are a super place to get a pet.  A good place to make donations to as well since they provide excellent care to these animals in transition to their forever homes.  

 

   

This kitty had been transferred from another shelter but had not been in either shelter very long.  She had only been in the Seattle shelter for about a day or a day and half.  They did not have any history notes about her origins.  Her health record was good.  They gave her all the necessary required shots; she was spayed and microchipped. Ready to go.  It was estimated that she was 10 or 11 months old; therefore, about adult size.  We were advised to take her to our own vet within two weeks.  Our vet said she was younger than the estimate from the shelter. She needed to stay on kitten food for a while longer.  The large size of her paws was noted, her ears, blocky face and body shape, longer hind legs than front legs, plus her general personality all seem to point to one of the larger breeds.  She is a tabby mix but has a substantial amount of either Maine Coon or Siberian Forest cat in her genes.  She is alert, curious, friendly, funny, and has stolen our hearts.

 

  

When we first got her…

 

  

We thought she was a small full-grown cat.  But we were wrong.  She is still a kitten.  A large kitten, but a kitten none-the-less. 

 

  

Now, three months later, and two pounds heavier, she has grown up … almost… we are not sure… still lots of kitten behavior…how big will she get?  The fur on her tail is really long, and the rest of her fur is changing to longer as well.

 

 

  

She has fit right into our daily schedule.  She is indoor only.  We hope to keep her that way.  Even though we live in a large city, we have coyotes and eagles in the area and cars.  We also often get raccoons and deer in our garden.  Our street abuts a city bike & walking trail and is less used by cars than most city streets but could still be dangerous. 

 

She takes her duties seriously.  No laundry without supervision.  Folding clean clothes and making beds offer plenty of opportunities to scramble into socks, towels, and under sheets and the blanket.  Meal times require extra supervisory time.  Treats are mandatory.  Toys must be interesting.  High jumps to high places for better views of what is going on in the house are a necessity.  No matter how many expensive toys and scratching surfaces we present for her approval, she persists in selecting only the ones she likes.  Often that is something questionable in terms of suitability.  Small toys find their way into the bathtub during the night.  She makes many funny variable sounds from tiny chirps to full blown MEOWs.  Breakfast time, complete with loud purring and romping on the bed, and the silly humans still mostly asleep, is 5 am as far as she is concerned.  A little too early for us.

 

Supervising meal time…

 

  

C:  "For me?  Is it ready yet?"

 

 

  

C. "Are you sure you are fixing the food correctly?  Add some more, I’m very hungry."

 

 

C:  "Where’s the meat or fish?  Are you following the cooking directions?"

B.  "It’s vegetarian, you are a cat."

 

  

C:  "Let me make sure it’s not for me.  I think this needs a sniff & taste test."

 

  

B:  "All gone.  You don’t like vegetarian meals."

C:  "Let me just check and make sure.  Bleah."

 

   

Verdict, not fit for cats.  The cookies are also the wrong kind. 

 

Note:  While we, the humans, are not vegetarians, we try to have a vegetarian meal during the week.  She is not a fan.  We try not to feed her from the table.

 

What’s with her long name?

 

We named her Calypso after both the tiny orchid that grows in the forests here and for the Greek nymph in the Odessey.  She has an orange dot on her forehead and she can at times be naughty, hence LaDottie.  Often, she gets the zoomies and goes so fast, bouncing off furniture and skidding on the hardwood floors, she becomes Zoometta.  She is still learning her name and what down means when she gets on the counters or the dining table.  She knows up, up, up, when she is downstairs means hurry up the steps and you will get a treat.  Bob is trying the same trick with down, down from the counters and table but having mixed results.

 

 

 

My computer chair with the new occupant  

  

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 775

 

 

 

 

 

Épernay – Pont sur la Marne – Magenta et la Villa

[Title in English: Épernay – Marne Bridge – Magenta and the Villa]

 

This unused Vintage postcard has a divided back with Catala Frères, Paris printed on the reverse center line.  Featured on the card is a black & white photograph of the bridge between Épernay and Magenta, both small communities in the Marne department in northeastern France. 

 

The bridge at the upper center area of the picture is the Pont sur Marne.  Épernay was occupied by the German army during World War I.  A large number of troops were stationed there.  It was also a transit point and an important hospital center.  Proximity to the front lines meant the town was bombed many times.  About two-thirds of the town of Épernay was destroyed including the bridge pictured on the card when the Germans retreated.  Today a newer bridge spans the Marne River.  The village of Magenta can be seen on the right side of the bridge. 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magenta,_Marne

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89pernay

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 774

  

 

 

 

 

Parc de Versailles, Le Bassin d’Apollon [Palace of Versailles, The Apollo Fountain], ca early 1900s

 

This is an unused Vintage postcard featuring a black & white photograph of the Apollo Fountain found in the gardens of Versailles, France.  The card has a divided back.  No information about the postcard company, the photographer, or the distributor appears on the card.  The title is found at the bottom center on the front of the card.  The view on the card is looking toward the palace. 

 

When I visited Versailles in 2012, I took a picture of this fountain from the other side.  On that day the fountain was not turned on making it easier to see Apollo and his horse drawn chariot rising from the sea.  It is always fun to find vintage cards from places I have visited.  In the background of the card there is a crowd of perhaps hundreds of people beginning from the palace all the way forward to near the fountain.

 

 

 

  

Fountain of Apollo, 2012

 

The pond, called The Pond of Swans, was originally dug in 1639, when King Louis XIII ruled, then later it was enlarged in 1671 by his successor, King Louis XIV.  King Louis XIV was also known as the Sun King and thus associated with Apollo, the sun god.   The fountain was constructed between 1668 and 1671.  The east-west orientation of the pond and the fountain represent Apollo rising in his chariot as the sun lights the day, riding across the world, west, to the sunset, to rise again the next dawn.  The dawn theme was popular during this era and also appears painted on some European palace ceilings.  

 

 

Gates at Versailles
 

Plenty of gold is found both on the outside and the inside of the palace.  Versailles is a popular tourist destination.  Despite the thousands of visitors, the grounds and palace are kept in beautiful condition.  The gold leaf is redone not on a schedule but when it shows wear and can sometimes last for many years before it needs replacing.  It had been recently redone when we visited in 2012.  The sun theme associated with King Louis XIV is also found on the ornate golden gate into the grounds of Versailles.  

 

 

Looking toward the center of the palace and the gold clock face

 

 

A small section of the exterior of the palace with the gold clock face.  Looking carefully, it is possible to see the sun, for the Sun King, in the middle of the clock dial on the palace.  The 5 June 2012, "Paris -- Picture Gallery," has more pictures of the exterior and interior of Versailles.  Use the search option for Versailles.

 

 

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassin_d%27Apollon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens_of_Versailles

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 773

  

 

 

 

 

The Rothéneuf Church, Saint Malo, France

 

This unused Vintage postcard with a divided back features a black & white photograph of the Rothéneuf Church, Saint-Malo, France.  At tue upper left on the front of the card can be found the number 4814, the title: “Rothéneuf – L’Englise” or The Rothéneuf Church, and the initials G.F.  At the bottom left corner is:   “Collection Germain – T. Guérin, successeru, St. Malo.”  No additional information is found on the reverse of the card.   

 

Today this would be categorized as an historical card as it shows not only the church but the people dressed in clothing of the era the picture was taken.  Men’s clothing does not change too much but women’s and children’s clothing can help date the picture to the early 1900s or slightly before.  Note:  previous Thursday postcards, numbered 586, 589, 605, 745 and 747, can be found by using the search bar and Saint Malo. 

 

The village of Rothénneuf is located northeast of Saint Malo on the coast.  It is a seaside resort that is most famous for its rock sculptures (see the postcard #605 from 27 April 2023).  The card was found in a shoebox jumble in a local antique mall.

 

Trivia:  The navigator and explorer, Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) who is credited with the discovery of the St. Lawrence River in Canada was born in Rothéneuf.  He also spent his final years there.  His Rothéneuf estate has been turned into a museum.  It is known that he made maps and wrote accounts of his voyages but they no longer exist. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roth%C3%A9neuf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackques_Cartier

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcard, 772

 

 

 

 

 

The Cross at Saint-Servan, Brittany, France ca early 1900s

 

This unused Vintage postcard is numbered 88, and attributed to the postcard/photography studio of Lévy Fils, Paris.  Typical of French postcards of this era the reverse has a slight greenish tint to it.  The back is divided and labeled for Correspondence on the left and Addressee on the right.  Because of the greenish coloration and the divided back the card can be dated to the early 1900s.  The town of Saint-Servan or St. Servan is located in Brittany, western France, about 2 miles from the Saint-Malo ferry port. 

 

The House of the Cross at Saint-Sevan is where Saint Jeanne Jugan performed their charitable works for the Little Sisters of the Poor.  Today Catholic pilgrims can visit this site.   Who was Saint Jeanne Jugan?  She was a French Catholic nun who was born in 1792 and died in 1879.  She is primarily known for dedicating her life to the neediest of the elderly poor.  The daughter of a fisherman she worked as a shepherdess while young and later as a kitchen maid for the Viscountess de la Chou.  The viscountess took Jugan with her when she visited the sick and poor.  Although Jugan had opportunities to marry, she declined proposals and told her mother that God was calling her to a work with elderly sick women.  Her work began in 1839 with service to one blind woman who was also partially paralyzed who had no one to care for her.  Later Jugan rented a room to provide housing for a dozen elderly people.  That beginning morphed into acquiring an unused convent building that could house 40 people. 

 

Eventually Jugan founded the Little Sisters of the Poor.  About this time additional young women joined Jugan in her mission of service.  The sisters would go door-to-door daily asking for food, clothing, and money for the women in their care.  By 1850 over 100 women had joined the congregation.  Sadly, Jugan was forced out of her leadership by Abbott Auguste Le Pailleur, the priest who had been appointed Superior General of the congregation.  He assigned her to do nothing but begging on the street until she was sent into retirement. 

 

The Little Sisters started In France but by 1851 had expanded to England and five communities were in the United States.  By 1879 there were 2,400 Little Sisters across Europe and North America.  Members of the community make vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, and hospitality.  They wear traditional habits, either all-white or black with gray veils.

 

Jugan was canonized a saint in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Sevan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Jugan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Sisters_of_the_Poor