Thursday, May 15, 2025

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 711

 

 

 

 


 

Giant City State Park, Makanda, Illinois, ca 1950

 

This used Genuine Curteich, “C.T. Photo-Finish” postcard features a black & white photograph of Shady Lane Drive in Giant City State Park, Makanda, Illinois.  The date 5-7-50 is handwritten at the center back above the message.  The photographer is identified as Bill Hedrich of Hedrich-Blessing Photographers.  This card does not have an information blurb; however, the title at the bottom on the front of the card shows the location of Shady Lane, Giant City State Park, Makanda, Illinois.  

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Giant City State Park was established in 1927 on more than 1100 acres acquired near Makanda, in Southern Illinois.  Makanda is a small village of about 550 people and was named after a local Native American chieftain.  A lodge and six cabins were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps [CCC] in 1934-1935 using harvested lumber and locally quarried sandstone.  The CCC also built the furniture for the lodge.  In 1985 the cabins and lodge were added to the National Register of Historic Places.  That same year the original cabins were replaced by replica cabins and several new cabins were added.  The lodge now houses a restaurant and gift shop.  The cabins are available as rentals for visitors to the park.  Today the park spans 4000 acres in Jackson and Union Counties.  It is a popular destination for hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, and rock climbing. 

 

The Hedrich Blessing Photographers company was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1929 by Ken Hedrich and Henry Blessing.  It originally produced architectural photos.  A 50-year (1929-1979) collection of the pictures can be found at the Chicago History Museum.  The University of Chicago also as a collection in its photographic archive.  Although Blessing left the firm in 1931 the business continued to operate under the Hedrich-Blessing name.  Henrich’s two new partners were his brothers, Ed and Bill.  Bill is the person credited with the picture on this week’s card.  Later a third brother, Jack, joined them and was an administrator and the president for about 40 years.  Hedrich-Blessing continued as a family-run business until Jim Hedrich, Ken’s son, retired in 2003.  The studio finally closed in 2017. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makanda,_Illinois

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

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

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