If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 661

 

 

 

 

 

Bornholm, Denmark, 1982

 

Published by Colberg Boghandel a/s Rønne, Denmark this week’s used postcard is an Eneret card #1640 and features a cute illustration from the island of Bornholm showing fishermen, herring, and smokehouses.  At the lower right is “Hvor silden går I brede stimer ligger øen med de fleste solskinstimer” that roughly translates to:  Where the herring nets are found in wide shoals lies the island with the most hours of sunshine.”  The card would probably be termed a novelty card because of the cartoon-like picture.

 

Unlike most of the rest of Denmark, which is somewhat flat with low rolling hills, Borholm is a rocky island rising high out of the sea.  The northern part of the island is very rocky while the southern tip has a beach with some of the most fine grained sand found anywhere.  The middle of the island is farmland.  In addition to its round churches, the island is also famous for its herring fishing and smokehouses.  Two smokehouses can be seen at the upper left on the card.  Herring drying are found at the right edge, and the rest of the picture shows the process of fishing, cleaning, preparing the herring, and smoking the fish.  Drying racks can be seen just in back of the two women taking fish out of a basket.  The catch of the day is found on the docks and by the building in the center of the card.  There is even a whimsical black cat who has just finished eating a herring.  The artist’s signature is found along the right side “Bjerno.”

 

Because of its weather and the geology of the island it is known as the “sunshine island.”  The heat from the summer is stored in the rock formations and the weather stays warm until October.  The southern sandy beaches are popular vacation swimming and camping areas.

 

I was surprised and delighted to find that my mother had kept this card we mailed to her while on a trip to Scandinavia in 1982.  My youngest son was 4 years old and quite taken with the picture on the card.  He wanted to send it to his grandma and so he did with some help.  The main reason for visiting Bornholm on that trip was to see where my paternal grandfather, Axel Schrøder, was born and lived as a boy.  Although we were not able to find his exact home, we found the town, got an idea of where the farm was located and what it was like where he grew up. 

 

 Danish stamp, issued 1981

 

The stamp, issued in 1981, has a picture of N.F.S. Gundtvig’s childhood home.  Gundtvig (1783-1872) was a Danish Lutheran pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher and politician who was one of the most influential people in Danish history.  He and his followers are credited with influencing modern Danish national consciousness.  He was a contemporary of Hans Christian Andersen and Søren Kierkegaard; however, his writings are not as well known internationally.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://visitbornholm.com/en/cities-places/selected-places/smokehouses

https://en.wikipedia.org/N._F._S._Gundtvig

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 660

 

 

 

 

 

Skiens Kirke, Norway, 1933

 

On the front bottom margin of this used Eneret:J.H.Koenholdt postcard is:  3655 Skiens Kirke [Skien’s Church] together with the postcard photographer-printer’s name.  The black & white picture is of the red brick parish church located in the town of Skien, Norway.  The card was sent to Petra Lee as a Christmas and New Year greeting from I.C. Lee’s sister, Ingeborg Hvalen, postmarked 30 December 1933.

 

This church was built in 1894 and is shaped like a Latin cross with two towers.  It is 154 ft or 47 m long with the towers 223 ft or 68 m high.  Located on a ridge overlooking the harbor it is impressive.  One of Norway’s largest organs with 5000 pipes is found here.  The primary artistic decorations are in the form of stained-glass windows and painted ornamentation on the walls and ceilings.

 

There was an earlier church here that was partly destroyed by fire in 1777 and restored.  Another fire in 1886 burned the church again and this time it was not salvageable.  Only the baptismal font, the holy vessels, two gilded wooden figures and the altar piece could be saved.  An interim church was erected and used between 1886 and 1894 when the red brick church was finally completed.  The interim church was later converted to a school building, then demolished in 2011.  There have been several maintenance repairs since this church was built, the most recent one involved replacing the brick façade in 2004.

 

 

 

The stamps are ones often seen on letters and cards from the 1930s.  The cancellation mark was clearer than some others, making it easy to date the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 659

 

 

 

 

 

Telemark, Løveidkanalen, 1906

 

This used Eneberettiget postcard, with a black and white photograph dated 1906, shows ships near the Løveid canal, Telemark, Norway, was printed and distributed by Peter Ålstrup Kunsforlag, Kristiania.  The card was mailed to I.C. Lee as a Christmas and New Year greeting from friends Kathrine og Hans Koblad.  This divided back card has a hand-written note dated 16 December 1907 at the upper right on the reverse.  For another more modern view of part of the canal and lock system, see the Thursday postcard #61 from 18 October 2012.

 

The canal links several long lakes in southern Norway connecting the towns of Skien and Dalen.  There are 18 locks in the series and took from 1854 to 1861 to complete.  Today there are river boats that take tourists down the staircase locks.  Originally there were two canals, the Norsjø-Skien, that linked Skien with Norsjø lake and a longer canal, Bandak-Norsjø.  The Bandak-Norsjø Canal which opened in 1892, was built mainly to transport goods and passengers, log floating and to prevent flooding.  It was made a National Cultural Heritage in 2017. 

 

For additional information, see: 

 

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 658

 

 

 

 

 

Cattedrale di San Giusto: Piazzale 1898   Cathedral of San Giusto, Trieste, Italy

[Fototeca Civici Musei di Storia ed Arte di Trieste]

 

My friend who lives in Trieste recently sent some postcards with old vintage photos on them.  This card features the Cathedral of San Giusto, Trieste, Italy and the square in front of it.  This is a modern card with a reproduced photograph from 1898.  The old pictures are like looking through a window into past times.  The faces, poses, and clothing all provide a rare, wonderful glimpse into life as it was.  In the foreground of this one we see a mother carrying a baby and a young girl at her side.  There is a man in uniform standing by the column. 

 

According to my friend the amazing thing is that the buildings and the appearance of scene has not changed except for the addition of automobiles. 

 

At the bottom left corner of the reverse side of the card is:  Comune di Trieste; Museo del Castello di San Giusto; Piazza della Cattedrale, 3 – 3421 Trieste.  There is also this link:  www.castellodisangiustotrieste.it

 

The cathedral is located on the top of a hill overlooking the city.  It is the main Catholic religious building and cathedral in the city of Trieste.  Two older churches, Santa Maria and another dedicated to the martyr San Giusto were incorporated under the same roof by Bishop Rodolfo Pedrazzani between 1301 and 1320 to provide one imposing cathedral.  It has a large rose window, just behind the tree at the right side of the card.  Both the bell tower and the façade of the church contain finds from the Roman period.  As an example, the entrance portal was from an ancient funeral monument.  The bell tower has 5 large bells.  Much of the interior has been demolished and rebuilt as time and use had caused significant damage.  However, some Byzantine apse mosaics have survived.  Following WWI and WWII restorations were necessary to the organ with the sound of the instrument adapted to the taste of the time after WWII.  The organ has three keyboards of 58 notes each.

 With many thanks to my friend who shared the cards and wrote comments on the back of each card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattedrale_di_San_Giusto_(Trieste)

[note:  there is an option for an English translation]

www.castellodisangiustotrieste.it

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 657

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Five Graces” Bandwagon, Barnum & Bailey Circus

 

The Russell News Agency, Inc. distributed this color postcard that features what was known as the Five Graces Bandwagon used by the Barnum & Bailey Circus in parades between 1898 and 1902.  The number 51475 appears at the bottom center on the reverse.  There is a blurb at the top left corner:  “Ringling Museum of the Circus, Sarasota, Florida.  Glorious reminder of the “Golden Age” of American circus is the “Five Graces” Bandwagon.  The oldest, built in 1878, and most widely traveled circus parade vehicle in existence.  The bandwagon, drawn by 40 black horses, led the Barnum and Bailey European parades from 1898-1902.  This wagon is thought to have been built for Adam Forepaugh’s circus and later acquired by P.T. Barnum.

 

In the early days of the circus, around the 1870s, wagons were used to haul all the animals and equipment from town to town.  The wagons were costly to build and weighed approximately 8 tons, requiring 40 horses to pull each wagon.  The wagons were also used in the parades through the towns before the big tent was set up and the shows began.  P.T. Barnum coined the phrase “The Greatest Show on Earth,” and advertised his circus as a Great Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, and Hippodrome.  The wagons carried people, animals, and equipment, such as tents, props, costumes, luggage, musical instruments, food supplies, etc.  One wagon even had a separate glass cage for the snakes. 

 

Forepaugh’s Circus and P.T. Barnum’s Circus were the two largest circuses in the United States during the 1870 and 1880s.  In addition, there were several smaller circuses in the 1800s that eventually went bust or were merged into one of the larger ones.  Forepaugh died in 1890 and his circus joined with Sells Brothers in 1900.  In 1907 the seven Ringling Brothers purchased Barnum and Bailey.  Transition to the much faster and more efficient rail travel began in the 1890s; although, the wagons were still used in parades.

 

The Five Graces Wagon is the oldest surviving example of the circus wagons of that era.  In the 1940s it was fitted out with modern gears and modern tires and appeared in a war bond parade in New York City.  From 1946 to 1948 it was in storage.  Eventually, in 1959, it was moved to the Museum of the American Circus located on the grounds of the John Ringling estate in Sarasota, Florida, where the original style of wheels replaced the upgraded ones, red paint and gold leaf finished the restoration as shown on the card.  

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringling_Bros._and_Barnum_%26_Bailey_Circus

http://circusnospin.blogspot.com/2011/09/five-graces-bandwagon-has-new-home.html

https://www.facebook.com/TheRingling/posts/objectoftheweek-at-theringling-the-five-graces-bandwagon-is-one-of-the-oldest-an/10156088240093989/

https://en.wikipedia.org/Adam_Forepaugh