If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 786

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings at Halloween, 1910

 

Happy Halloween!  The two reproduced postcards shared this week are from the small local company, Laughing Elephant.  Both are dated as having first been printed in 1910.  No information is available about the illustrator or the original company that produced the cards. 

 

The Golden Age of postcards is said to be from about 1900 to 1915 when these cards would have been relatively inexpensive and postage was also a minimal cost.  During those years cards like these were issued for all sorts of holidays.  The various greetings appeared on the cards, things like verses and/or general greetings specific to each holiday.  Today we would probably say “Happy Halloween,” in 1910 one of the cards shared says “Greetings at Halloween.”

 

 Witch with broom sitting on the moon with an owl and pumpkin, 1910

 

There are several symbols typically used for Halloween decorations and greetings.  These two cards have pumpkins, owls, a witch or woman, owls, gremlins, and the moon.  The top card shows a woman with an owl on her head for a hat.  The second card shows a witch sitting next to a large white owl.  Owls have been used even before Halloween became popular as a holiday.  Their hooting calls struck fear into many people, especially at Halloween when the dead were rumored to rise up and walk among the living.  The ability of an owl to turn its head almost completely around and because they are nocturnal, hunting at night, they seemed creepy and odd. 

Pumpkins found on both cards have been symbolic of Halloween since colonial times when Scots and Irish immigrants introduced the custom of carving turnips and later pumpkins to try and scare away undesirable spirits.  

 

Monsters, gremlins and bats sometimes appear on Halloween cards too.  The two gremlins peeking over the pumpkin are meant to be scary and creepy.   Witches riding broomsticks may have come from an old pagan custom where farmers danced with brooms to encourage crop growth.  

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://mondaymandala.com/halloween-symbols/

https://laughingelephant.com

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 785

 

 

 

 

 

60, Rennes, France, Vielle Maison, rue Vasselot (Old House on Vasselot street), ca 1918-1920

 

This is another unused French souvenir postcard from between 1917 and 1920.  The card has a divided back and the typical greenish color often found on cards of this era.  The “P ND and hot.” logo at the lower right on the front and the printer/publisher’s name on the left side margin on the reverse “Aciens Etab. Neudein et cie – imp. Crété Sicc/ Corbeil-Paris.  English:  Formerly Neurdein & Co. – Crété Printing Works, Corbeil-Paris,” help date the card from 1917-18 when the Neurdein photography-postcard company changed ownership, and the 1920s when the new owners retained part of the same name and continued to use Neurdein photographs on the cards.  The number 60 found at the lower left on the front of the card is another indicator that this card was printed and distributed just before or around the 1920s.  There are three individuals in the photo that provide some indication of the size of the building. 

 

The city of Rennes is located in Northwestern France.  More than two thousand years ago it was a small Gallican village named Condate.  Rennes, Nantes, and Vannes were major cities in the ancient Duchy of Brittany.  From the early 1500s until the French Revolution Rennes in 1789 Rennes was an administrative, parliamentary, and garrison city.  In 1720 a fire destroyed the medieval wooden center of the city.  It was partially rebuilt in stone.  The building pictured on the card is one of the few remaining old wooden structures found in the south city center which also has buildings from the 19^th and 20^th centuries. 

 

Automobile manufacturing, telecommunications, the digital sector and agrifood are the main sources of the economy.  Rennes is also known as one of the most festive cities in France.  Arts and culture play important parts and a number of festivals are held there.  It was one of the first cities in France to own its own television channel (1987).  The city has two main universities and has a student population of about 60,000.  An American study abroad program for high school students is held in Rennes.  Students are immersed in French culture and language during a nine month stay. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikiedia.org/wiki/Rennes

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 784

 

 

 

 

 

Washington, D.C. city post office, 1914

 

This used souvenir postcard from the Smithsonian National Postal Museum was sent when my son and his family visited Washington, D.C. this summer.  There is a blurb at the upper left on the back of the card:  “Reproduction postcard of the D.C. city post office after its construction in 1914.  Souvenir postcards like this highlighted community landmarks.”  The title of the card is found at the upper left on the front of the card. 

 

Formerly the City Post Office it is now the Postal Square Building.  There were major renovations from 1929 to 1935 to expand the building and increase mail processing and service capacity.  Architect Daniel Burnham (1846-1912) designed the building in the Beaux-Arts style.  By the 1950s the interior had been modernized and many of the Beaux-Arts features had been removed.  

 

Founded in 1993, the National Postal Museum has postal history exhibits of the United States and other countries.  Admission to the museum is free.  There is a gift shop.  1-9The building featured on the card served as the main post office for Washington, D.C. from 1914 to1986.  It also housed the headquarters for the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics on the top floors until 2024.  Examples of vehicles used to deliver mail throughout the history of the USPS such as planes, trains, a mail carrying stagecoach, and automobiles are found in the museum atrium. 

 

The National Philatelic Collection was established in 1886.  It is one of the world’s largest and most valuable stamp collections with nearly six million postage stamps.  Part of the collection is on display in the museum’s national Stamp Salon.  In 2005 the museum acquired the childhood stamp collection of singer/songwriter John Lennon. 

 

Thank you B for sending the card.

 

For additional information, see:

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

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Philatelic_Collection_(United_States)

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

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 783

  

 

 

 

 

 

Petrified Ginkgo log, Vantage, Washington

[photo:  D. L. Dilley]

 

This is an unused Smith-Western Co. postcard featuring a photograph by D.L. Dilley of a large chunk of a petrified ginkgo log.  The identifying code:  S-74237 is found at the bottom of the center line on the back of the card.  Credit to Dilley is found at the left corner on the back.  At the upper left on the back of the card is the blurb:  “The first Ginkgo log found in the Vantage Washington Area of the Columbia River.  This log is located in the Ginko Petrified Forest Museum Building. 

 

Also sometimes called the maidenhair tree, ginkgo trees are known to have existed since the time of the dinosaurs or earlier in East Asia.  The tree was cultivated in early human history and commonly grown as a landscape plant today.  It is regarded as a living fossil.  It is a tall, long-lived tree with fan shaped leaves. 

 

Just looking at this picture of a piece of petrified wood on the card, it is hard to imagine what the actual tree looked like when it was living.  There is a ginkgo tree Bob and I often pass when taking walks.  I took some pictures of the tree and its distinctive leaves.  Young ginkgo trees are slender and sparsely branched.  As the tree ages it fills out and broadens.  The tree is insect and disease resistant.  Some living ginkgo trees are estimated to be more than 3,500 years old.  Based on the age of many of the houses in the area where this tree is growing, it is probably close to 70 to 80 years old, hence very young for a ginkgo.

 

 

  

Tall young ginkgo tree

 

 

  

Part of the trunk and a thick cluster of leaves

 

 

   

 Ginkgo Leaf

 

The Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park found at Vantage, Washington is a geologic preserve and recreation area on the western shoreline of the Columbia River’s Wanapum Reservoir.  This area was home to the Wanapum tribe of Native Americans.  Fishing and agriculture were what sustained their living.  They carved petroglyphs in the basalt cliffs and may have used some of the petrified material for tools or arrowheads.  The Wanapum people welcomed white strangers during Lewis and Clark’s expeditions during the early 1800s.  Unfortunately, since they did not sign any treaties with the new settlers who arrived later, they retained no federally recognized right to the land.  In 1963 when the Wanapum Dam was completed the water level of the Columbia River rose.  A new Interpretive Center was built and about 60 of the approximately 300 petroglyphs were salvaged from the rising water.  Many of them are now on display at the Interpretive Center.

 

The geologist and teacher at what became Central Washington University, George F. Beck, was asked to organize excavations after highway workers noticed petrified wood in this area in 1927.  In addition to ginkgo several other petrified specimens were found, such as, Douglas fir, walnut, cottonwood, magnolia, madrone, sassafras, yew, redwood, sweetgum, and witch hazel.  A small museum was built by The Civilian Conservation Corps at Vantage and opened to the public in 1938.  Known as a “desert rat,” Frank Walter Bobo who had been digging petrified logs in Yakima and Kittitas Counties, was then commissioned to collect, saw, and polish specimens for the museum.  He was allowed to keep half of the specimens he prepared as partial compensation.  After he passed away his son, Don J. Bobo, inherited his father’s collection of about a ton of petrified wood.  The park has been a U.S. National Natural Landmark since 1965.  Petrified wood was named as the Washington state gem in 1975.

 

Dennis Lee Dilley (1932-2019) was a color photographer and artist whose work can be found on chrome-era postcards across the Pacific Northwest.  His photographs include locations like of the Grand Coulee Dam, the Whitman Mission, and this one from the Ginkgo Petrified Forest.  His works were distributed by the Smith-Western Co., of Tacoma, Washington. 

For additional information, see:

 

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

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

https://www.lindquistmortuary.com/obituaries/dennis-dilley

AI Overview:  D.L. Dilley

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 782

 

 

 

 

 

Two views of Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona, ca 1950s

[Photograph:  R. M. Fronske]

 

Two views from Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona are featured on this unused souvenir postcard.  The blurb at the upper left corner on the reverse says:  “Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona.  These are two scenes to be seen in the beautiful Oak Creek Canyon on U.S. Highway 39, 20 miles south of Flagstaff, Arizona.  35 mm. Kodachrome slide available at 50c from publisher.  Kodachrome by R.M. Fronske.”  At the bottom left on the reverse:  Pub. By R.M. Fronske, Flagstaff, Ariz.  43201.  On center line is “Made Direct From Kodachrome and Ansco Color by Dexter Press, Pearl River, N.Y.”

Oak Creek Canyon is about 12 miles long and its scenic beauty has been described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon.  It is located in the Coconino National Forest with parts designated as part of the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness and is between Flagstaff and Sedona, Arizona.  Flowing along the bottom of the canyon is Oak Creek, a tributary of the Verde River.   The Forest Service operates several campgrounds, picnic areas, and recreation areas within the park.  Oak Creek is open for swimming and fishing. Many hiking trails are also found here.

 

The photographer is identified as R. (Robert) M. Fronske (1915-1998) who was born and lived in Flagstaff.  He graduated from the New York Institute of Photography in New York City and then returned to Flagstaff where he opened his first studio.  He worked as a photographer for more than 40 years, retiring in 1985.  Northern Arizona University Special Collections and Archives Department has 130,000 of his black-and-white and color photographs, including prints and negatives. 

Kodachrome is the brand name used by Eastman Kodak for color film introduced in 1935.  It was one of the first successful color films available.  This type of film was used for both cinematography and still photography for many years.  The transition to digital photography resulted in near bankruptcy for the company.  Although they still provide film, they also offer digital cameras, such as PixPro, and other digital services.

 

The printer Dexter Press was located in Pearl River, New York from 1928 until 1952 when it moved to New York City.  Rounded edges on cards such as this one were popular during the 1950s.  The number 43201 found at the bottom center on the card refers to the year(s) the card was printed.  This number corresponds the range of cards printed in 1951 (40000-59999) and help date the card.  The Dexter Press Achives are now owned by Diane Allman who sells cards at shows and online as the QUEENOFCHROME.  She was the founding editor of “Postcard Collector Magazine.” 

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

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

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

http://azarchivesonline.org/xtf/view?docId=ead/nau/fronske.xml&doc.view=print;chunk.id=0

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

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 781

 

 

 

 

 

The Ballroom, Chateau de Fountainbleau, France

 

Featured on this unused color postcard is the ballroom of the Palace of Fountainebleau, Seine-et-Marne, France.  The divided back card with “Editions Epic, Paris, DRAEGER imp..”, printed on the center line on the back.  There is a blurb at the upper left corner on the back in French and English.  The English version:  “Dates from the end of Francis the first-s reign.  Decorated under Henry the second with fresco-paintings (mythological and allegorical subjects) by Primaticcio and Nicolo dell’Abbate.” 

 

Draeger & Lesieur was a French printing business founded by Charle Daeger in 1886.  After his death in 1899 his wife took over the business and changed the name to Draeger Freres or Draeger Brothers.  In 1907 she joined with an American advertising company, Wallace.  The name was then changed to Wallace & Draeger, one of the first communication agencies.  The company reached its peak between World War I and World War II.  In 1954 Draeger joined the Colbert Committee.  The grandson of Charles Draeger, Claude Draeger, then launched Draeger editions.  He published large format books with works by Braque, Salvador Dali, Magritte and Pablo Picasso.  The Draeger-Dali has sold more than 300,000 copies.  In the 1970s the company was acquired by the Gaillard-Motel family.  They began making wallpaper; however, that did not prevent the company from going bankrupt with the publishing activity ending in the 1980s.  The Draeger printing house archives were dispersed in 1990.  The information about the printing firm helps to guess at a date for the card in the 1950s or 1960s,

 

The Palace of Fountainebleau is located about 34 miles or 55 kilometers southeast of Paris.  It is one of the largest of the French castles.  Several French monarchs used it as a hunting lodge and autumn residence.  The earliest royal residence was under Louis VII in about 1137.  Eventually it gradually transformed into a palace filled with art and decoration.  The ballroom shown on the card was created by King Henry II beginning in 1552.  Art work in the form of frescos and oils were primarily done by two artists:  Italian, Francesco Primaticci, (1504-1570), and Italian artist, Niccolò dell’ Abbate (1512-1571). 

 

In 1981 Fountainebleau was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The name was taken from a natural fresh water spring located in the English garden near the château.  In 1622 Henry Peacham (1578-ca 1644), English poet and writer, wrote it “is the purest and fairest fountaine esteemed in the world…”  Because it was far away from the Paris uprisings during the French Revolution it not suffer any significant damage. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_dell%27Abbate

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

https://www.rhodesianstudycircle.org.uk/draeger-freres/

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 780

 

 

 

 

13 – LYON – Le Sanctuaire de Fourvière et la Ville, vue prise de la Tour Métallique., ca 1918-1920s 

English:  LYON – The Fourvière Sanctuary and the city, view from the Metal Tower

 

This unused Vintage postcard features an aerial view black & white photograph of the Shrine of Notre-Dame (Our Lady) de Fourviére and the surrounding city of Lyon.  The picture was taken from the landmark metal tower of Lyon.  The card has a divided back and the typical greenish color often found on cards of this era.  The P ND and hot. logo at the lower right on the front and the printer/publisher’s name on the left side margin on the reverse “Aciens Etab. Neudein et cie – imp. Crété Sicc/ Corbeil-Paris.  English:  Formerly Neurdein & Co. – Crété Printing Works, Corbeil-Paris,” help date the card from 1917-18 when the Neurdein photography-postcard company changed ownership, and the 1920s when the new owners retained part of the same name and continued to use Neurdein photographs on the cards.  The perforated left edge of the card indicates it was removed from a set of souvenir cards in a booklet.

 

The shire dedicated to Our Lady at Fourvière has existed here since 1170.  It has always been a popular place of pilgrimage.  There have been several instances when the Virgin Mary is credited with saving the city.  As examples, once during a pandemic of bubonic plague that swept Europe in 1643, again during a Cholera epidemic in 1832, and during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871 when the city was saved from invasion.  Each year in December thanks are given to the Virgin for saving the city by lighting candles throughout the city in an event called the Fête des Lumières or Festival of Lights. 

 

Over the centuries the chapel and other parts of the building have been rebuilt with the most recent major work done in 1852 when the former steeple was replaced by a tower with a golden statue of the Virgin Mary. 

 

The metallic tower was built between 1892 and 1894.  There is a noticeable resemblance to the Eiffel Tower that was built about three years later.  In 1914 when there was an Exposition held in Lyon the tower had a restaurant and an elevator to take visitors up to the top.  It was used as an observation tower until 1953.  Today it is a television tower and is not accessible to the public.  It is the highest point in Lyon at 372 meters or 1,220 ft tall.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Notre-Dame_de_Fourvi%C3%A8re

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallic_tower_of_Fourvi%C3%A8re