If this Thursday it must be postcards, 596

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pier and Bay from East Cliff, Bournemouth (England), ca 1920s

 

This “real photograph” black & white unused postcard features the Pier and Bay of Bournemouth, Dorset, England as seen from the East Cliff.  By examining the automobiles with a magnifying glass, the card has been dated to the 1920s.  The identifier, CM 189, can be seen at the left of the title at the bottom of the picture.  On the reverse along the left edge is written:  “Sun Ray Series” H.T.B.  The card has a divided back and was printed in England.  I found it in a jumble of cards in a box at a local antique mall. 

 

The name Bournemouth reflects its geographic location at the mouth of a small river.  It was first mentioned by the name in 1406 when a large fish, 18 feet or 5.5 meters long, washed up there.  A portion of the fish was collected by a canon from Christchurch Priory and taken as a tithe. 

 

Bournemouth is a coastal town that has become a regional center for leisure, entertainment, culture and recreation.  Lewis Tregonwell founded the town in 1810 with the idea of turning the deserted heath land into a health resort.  In 1841 Bournemouth appears in Augustus Granville’s book, “The Spas of England.”  The publishing of the book resulted in increasing tourism for those seeking medicinal use of seawater and pine-scented air, that helped the town to grow and develop.  Today it is a popular destination for tourists, has notable Victorian architecture, beaches and nightlife.  It attracts over 5 million visitors a year.

 

Until the railway arrived in 1870 the most convenient way to visit the town was by sea.  Hence the need for a pier. With the local parish council reluctant to find the money for construction, an attempt to raise the necessary funds to privately build such a pier began in 1847 but only succeeded in generating enough money to build a small temporary wooden jetty that was eventually replaced by the newer pier seen in upper middle of the photo on the card.  The lack of public funds delayed the completion of the pier seen in the photo until 1880.  

 

During World War II, a raid by German fighter bombers in May 1943 resulted in heavy damage to the town.  The seafront incurred damage when it was fortified against invasion.  The cast iron lampposts and benches were melted down for munitions as was much of the superstructure  from both Bournemouth and Boscombe piers before they could be breached and to prevent possible use by enemy ships.  The large amounts of barbed wire, anti-tank obstacles, and mines that had been added for defense during the war took two years to remove after the war ended.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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