If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 523

 

 

 

 

 

Salisbury Cathredral, Wiltshire, England

 

This Walter Scott Colour Series unused postcard features a photograph of the exterior of Salisburg Cathredal in Wiltshire, England.  The identifier C.E. 129 appears at the center line on the reverse of the card.  It is another card shared by friends.

 

Formally known as the Cathredal Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Salisbury Cathredal is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England.  The building is regarded as a leading example of Early English Gothic architecture.  The main part of the building took 38 years to complete from 1220 to 1258.  Land for the building was donated by Richard Poore.  A statue of Poore holding a model of the cathedral is found on the west front of the cathedral.  Construction funds came from donations by canons and vicars of southwest England who were asked to donate a fixed annual sum until the building was completed.  Much of the freestone for the cathedral came from the Teffont Evias Quarry.  Due to the high water table the foundation is only 4 ft (1.2m) deep. 

 

The spire measures 404 ft (123 m) high, was built in 1320, and has been the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom since 1561.  Tours are offered in which the interior of the hollow spire, with ancient wooden scaffolding, can be seen.  The cathedral has a clock that dates from about 1386.  The clock has no face, but rings the time every 15 minutes on bells.  The clock was originally placed in a bell tower that has since been demolished.  The clock was put in storage and forgotten until 1928 when it was found in an attic of the cathedral.  In 1956 it was restored to working order with more repairs made in 2007.  The chapter house has one of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta. 

 

 

 

Nave, Salisbury Cathedral

 

This second unused card is also a Walter Scott, Colour Series, postcard.  On this card the Nave of Salisbury Cathedral is featured.  On reverse on the center line is CE 134.  The picture shows the unusally tall and narrow nave with light grey Chilmark stone for the walls and dark Purbeck marble for the columns.  There are three levels:  a tall pointed arcade, an open gallery, and a small clerestory.  The tomb of William Longespée, half brother of King John and illegitimate son of Henry II, is located here.  Longespée was the first person buried in the cathedral.  A modern font was installed in 2008.  The new font has a cruciform shape, “a 10 foot wide vessel filled to its brim with water, designed so the water overflows in filaments through each corner into bronze gratings embedded in the cathedral’s stone floor.”

 Thanks again to K and J for sharing the cards.

For additional information, see:

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

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 522

 

 

 

 

Tower Bridge, North Side, London

 

Two unused postcards to share this week from the collection sent by friends.  The cards have different views of the Tower Bridge, London, England.  The card above was distributed by Thomas & Benacci Ltd. of London.  At the lower left corner on the reverse is Lo 15.

 

The Tower Bridge, designed by Horace Jones and engineered by John Wolfe Barry, was built between 1886 and 1894.  The bridge crosses the Thames River close to the Tower of London.  It is one of five bridges in London owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust founded in 1282.  This bridge has become a London landmark and is sometimes confused with London Bridge located about ½ mile upstream.  The length is 800 ft or 240 m and it has two 213 ft (65 m) towers that are connected at the upper level by walkways.  About 40,000 crossing occur each day.  The bridge deck is accessible to both vehicles and foot traffic.  Today the high-level walkways and Victorian engine rooms are part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition.  Originally the operating mechanism of the bridge was powered hydraulically.  In the 1970s the operating system was converted to an electro-hydraulic system. 

 

 

 

Tower Bridge, London

 

This second postcard is a Capital Souvenirs distributed card.  The information blurb at the lower left corner on the reverse says: “Tower Bridge, London.  Tower Bridge was completed in 1894.  The opening of the two drawbridges allow the passage of large ships.  They each weigh 1,000 tons.  A bell rings before they open and road traffic is halted.  A tug is always in readiness nearby for emergencies.”  The upper level walkways can be seen in the photograph.

 Thank you to K and J for sending the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 521

 

 

 

 

 

Trafalgar Square, London, ca 1950s

 

This Thomas & Benacci Ltd. postcard has a photograph of Trafalgar Square in London, England.  It is another unused souvenir card from the collection shared by friends.  “Lo 7” is found at the lower left corner on the reverse.

 

Located in Westminster, the square was established in the early 19^th century in an area formerly known as Charing Cross.  The square’s name commemorates the British naval victory of Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars on 21 October 1805.  The 169 ft (52 m) Nelson’s Column in the center of the square has four lion guards as can be seen on the card.  At the top of the column is a statue of Horatio Nelson, who commanded the British Navy at the Battle of Trafalgar.  Buildings facing the square include the National Gallery, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Canada House and South Africa House.  There are other statues and sculptures in the square.  Two fountains designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens between 1937 and 1939 flank the column.  The fountains use water pumped from two wells. 

 

This site has been a significant landmark since the 1200s.  Distances measured rom Charing Cross have served as location markers for centuries.  The square is used for community gatherings and political demonstrations.  A Christmas tree donated by Norway since 1947 is on display in the Square for 12 days.  Annual New Year’s Eve celebrations are held in the Square.

 

The photograph, taken ca 1950s, shows a large flock of feral pigeons for which the square was famous.  The flock grew to the size of approximately 35,000 birds and was deemed a health hazard.  In 2001 the sale of bird seed in the square stopped and other measures were adopted to discourage the pigeons.  This was followed by bylaws to ban feeding of pigeons in the square.  Finally in 2007 The Westminster City Council passed further bylaws banning feeding the birds in paved areas.  The Nelson statue was repaired from years of damage from pigeon droppings.  Another interesting trivia fact stems from building work on the square’s south side in the early 1950s.  Among the findings at that time were the remains of cave lions, rhinoceroses, straight-tusked elephants, and hippopotami. 

 

 Once again, thank you to K and J for sharing the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 520

 

 

 

 

 

London, Pagentry

 

This unused postcard with a photograph showing the guards in London, England wearing bearskin hats and another guard standing with sword, was printed in Italy and distributed by Thomas & Benacci Ltd. of London.  At the lower left corner of the reverse is “Lo 32.”  The caption titles the card:  "London, Pagentry."  Thomas & Benacci is a company specializing in souvenirs, such as postcards, magnets, plates, and other items.  This card was one in a large collection shared by friends.

 

A bearskin is a tall fur cap usually part of a ceremonial military uniform.  Cloth caps worn in during the 1600s were sometimes trimmed with fur.  In the 1700s British, French, and Spanish armies began with high fur hats.  The caps weigh 1.5 lbs or 0.68 kg, are 11 inches (280 mm) tall at the front and 16 inches (410 mm) at the rear.  It may sound silly to us today, but originally the tall caps were designed to make the soldiers look taller and bigger and meant to intimidate the opposing forces.  The bearskin caps proved difficult to maintain in good condition and were retired from active service in the 1800s.  They are used today by guardsmen, bands, and pipers.  Canadian black bear fur is used for the standard bearskin while an officer’s cap is made from the Canadian brown bear that has thicker fur.  Officer’s caps are dyed black.  It takes an entire bear skin to made each cap.  When properly maintained the caps last for decades.  Scottish pipers also wear bearskin caps and/or feather bonnets made from Ostrich feathers dyed black.  Several countries use bearskin caps.  In the United States military drum majors are authorized to wear bearskin caps.  In Sweden bearskin is no longer made from real bearskin, nylon is used instead.  

 

The standing guard is holding a ceremonial sword and a helmet topped by white a white tassel.  He is also wearing the traditional red coat and riding boots with spurs.

 

The red coat or scarlet tunic, although not exclusively worn, is still used by the British Army and Royal Marines.  It is mostly used as a full dress and mess dress uniform today.  Yeomen of the Guard and Yeomen Warders, both formed in 1485, have worn uniforms in Tudor red and gold.  The use of a conspicuous color such as red was useful in the days of the musket since the weapon had limited range and accuracy and produced clouds of smoke.  The bright color coat helped distinguish between friend and foe on the battlefield.  Vegetable dyes were used until the 1800s and with time the bright red would become closer to a ruddy-brown and would therefore not standout as much.  Also in formal battles the soldiers were deployed in columns and lines so a single soldier was not likely to become a target by himself.

 

 Thank you to J and K for sharing the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_coat_(military_uniform)

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

 

If this Thursday it must be postcards, 519

 

 

 

 

 

Near Voss, Norway, ca 1950

 

Another Normann postcard from Dick Thompson’s Scrapbook, this one has a photograph of the countryside near Voss.  The title and the number 11-54-31 appear at the lower left.  Normann’s signature logo is at the lower right.

 

It is possible to see that every inch of arable land is used no matter how steep it may be.  A tourist hotel is in the background but not easily seen in the photograph.  When Dick traveled to Norway in the 1950s, he stayed here for a few days.  Voss is on the rail route between Oslo and Bergen.  There are many scenic places and waterfalls along that route.  Trains and tourist buses often stop at Voss and Flåm so that tourists can take pictures.  One of the sights along the way is the magnificent waterfall, Tvindefossen.  The falls attract thousands of visitors per year.  When we visited Norway in 2014, my cousin and her husband drove us down the western coast of Norway from Ørsta to Hornnes.  Along the way we had the pleasure of stopping to see Tvindefossen as well as several other waterfalls.  

 

 

Tvindefossen, 2014.  Tourist buses can be seen at the right near the fencing.

 

 

Tvindefossen, closer view, 2014
 

There is a parking area for cars and buses.  A path allows visitors to walk up to the foot of the falls, where it is possible to enjoy the cool breeze and light mist coming from the falls.  

 

Voss is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, forests, lakes, and rivers.  It is a popular tourist area and is notable as a center for skiing, water sports, skydiving, paragliding and adventure sports.  The Voss Museum has outdoor displays of old farmsteads as well as an indoor displays from traditional farm life.

 

For more information, see:

 

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

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