If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 734

  

 

 

 

Ketchikan, Alaska, 2025

 

This is another postcard from our Alaska cruise in July.  It features a partial view of Creek Street.  This card and a few others were purchased onboard the cruise ship.  

 

 Creek Street has two sides, both on pilings

 

 

Dolly's House, once a brothel now a tourist attraction

 

On the previous trip to Alaska Bob and I had walked down to the totem heritage center and then back along to Creek Street via the Married Man’s trail.  This time we walked down to the Rock sculpture and on the main streets to connect with Creek Street.  

 

 The Rock sculpture group

 

 

 Plaque on the sculpture 

 

 

The Rock is a collaborative sculpture that features aspects of the culture of this part of Alaska.  Everyone from native peoples, to lumberjacks, fishermen, and miners, are represented.  Several artists worked together to create the entire grouping.

 

 

 

Ketchikan Creek at the end of Creek Street
 

 

Ketchikan is named after Ketchikan Creek.  It is the earliest incorporated city in Alaska (1900) and is located in the southeasternmost part of Alaska.  Creek Street is built over the river on stilts or pilings as a way to get around laws concerning brothels and saloons.  Since the buildings are not technically on the land, they were exempt from the laws.  Today there are many shops along the boardwalk “street” and many artisans have works for sale.  

 

  

 

Ketchkikan is full of steep hillsides up the surrounding mountains.  I won’t complain about our stairs after seeing how many the people who live in this house have to go up.

 

 

 

Ketchikan is known as the “Rain Capital of Alaska.  A giant rain gauge is found in the downtown area near the visitor center.

 

 

 

Also near the Visitor Center is this helpful map with points of interest

 

 

On our walk to Creek Street we came upon this very tall totem pole 

 

 

 Once on Creek Street we encountered a large group of people looking up into the trees.  One look up and we saw why.  This bald eagle was sitting up there looking down on all the tourists.

 

  

 

Saxman Village Totem Park, Ketchikan, Alaska. 2024

[Photo by Mark Kelley*] 

 

This second postcard features the Saxman Village Totem Park.  It is part of the Images of Alaska series by Mark Kelley.  The card was printed in Canada and has PC2312 at the upper left corner on the reverse as part of the blurb.  The blurb reads:  “Saxman Village Totem Park.  Ketchikan is the totem pole capital of the world.  Saxman Village Totem Park, south of downtown, features the most standing totem poles, 25 poles, in one location in the world.”  This is one place that we would like to visit someday.  It is just far enough away from where the ship docks that we could not walk to it.  There is an option to sign up for an excursion trip, for a large fee, that includes a bus ride to the site, a meal, and a program.  It would take all of the shore time and not allow us to meander around and look at other things in the city, so we opted not to do that.

 

 A last view of Ketchikan from our room aboard the ship

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchikan,_Alaska

 

* To see more photographs by Mark Kelley:   https://www.markkelley.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 733

 

 

 

 

 

Sitka, Alaska, 2025

 

I picked up several postcards when we took an Alaska cruise in July.  This card features a view of small islands near the town of Sitka.  The card was purchased on the ship and I sent the original to my friend who lives in Italy.  The cards were printed in Canada and part of a set with pictures of Alaska. 

 

The cruise ships do not dock right in the town of Sitka but there are free shuttle buses that go from the dock to the town.  The bus ride is about 15 or 20 minutes and passengers are dropped off near the shopping area.  There are several buses and they run continuously every few minutes making it convenient to shop, walk, take an excursion, or just meander around. 

 

Last time we were here we walked to the Pioneer Home and the Pioneer Cemetery to find information about Adolph Landaas the younger brother of Maggie Landaas Lorig and Petra Landaas Lee.  Adolph had been part of the Alaska Gold Rush.  He lived in Fairbanks until his retirement years when he moved to the Pioneer Home in Sitka.  We also walked to the National Park but only looked at the things close to the entrance.  This time we wanted to walk through the park where there are beautiful totem poles all along a trail through the woods.  We did not walk the entire loop but went far enough to see many of the poles.  In one case we watched a crew cleaning a pole.  

 

 

 

Sign at the entrance to the park

 

 

 

One of the many totem poles in the park

 

 

 We thought this was interesting.  A crew was cleaning one of the totem poles using soap and water.  The men were in the cherry picker basket and could be raised or lowered as needed to do the cleaning.

 

 

 This pole was roped off and either unpainted natural wood or was getting a new coat of paint.  

 

 

Close up look at one of the carvings 

 

 

Here and there we found placards similar to this one that provided information about the poles and general history.

 

 

When we returned to the area near the bus stop, we looked in a few shops and bought a couple of items.  Then we went inside Saint Michael’s church, also known as the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel.  It is a cathedral of the Russian Orthodox church.  When we were here before it was closed.   We had heard it was amazing inside.  And it is.  The walls are almost entirely covered with religious icons, there are candles, lots of decorative gold gilt, and is not very large inside.  It was relatively crowded when we were there but quiet.  Apparently, cookies and cocoa are sometimes sold in the basement of the church but we did not investigate the lower level.  

 

St. Michael's is a cathedral of the Orthodox Church in the America Diocese of Alaska. The church is in the Russian Orthodox architectural style.  The old cathedral was built between 1844 and 1848 from logs of native wood and lasted about 100 years.  Some of the icons were salvaged from the 1813 wreck of the Neva.   After the cathedral was destroyed in an accidental fire in 1966 it was rebuilt.   A National Historic Landmark since 1962, it is notable as an important example of the Russian influence in Southeast Alaska.  Items retrieved and restored after the fire included treasured icons, a chandelier, the royal doors, and some silk and brocade vestments.  The handmade bells and the clock in the bell tower were lost as was a large library with books in Russian, Tlingit, and Aleut languages.  

 

 

 

View of St. Michael's Cathedral from the back

 

 

The entrance to St. Michael's.  As can be seen it is a popular place for tourists to visit.

 

 

This is the view when entering 

 

Closer view of the gold doors and interior

 

 

 

There are icons on the walls, on stands, and everywhere.  

 

 

Candles 
 

 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitka,_Alaska

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Michael%27s_Cathedral_(Sitka,_Alaska)

 

 

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 732

 

 

 

 

 

Reims – Eglise Sainte-Clotilde, Marne, France

 

This unused Vintage postcard features a black & white photograph by Neurdein et Cie, Paris.  The number, 95, and the title are found at the bottom on the front of the card.  The Neurdein logo, P(ND)hot. is at the lower right corner on the front and the name is also found on the left margin on the reverse side.  The card has a divided back and many other vintage French postcards, this one is green colored on the reverse. 

 

The Bascilica of Saint Clotilde of Reims was erected under the direction of Pope Leo XIII in 1896 and is located in the Sainte-Anne district of Reims.  Clotilde is found spelled in several different ways.  She was born ca 474 and died in Tours, France, in 545.  She married the first king of the Franks, Clovis I, in 492 or 493.  She convinced her husband to convert to Christianity and as a result the Franks we Catholics for centuries.  After the death of her husband, Clotilde spent the rest of her life near the tomb of Saint Martin of Tours.  She led a devote life, and gave everything she had to poor and built churches, monasteries, and convents.  She is often depicted as either a praying queen or as a nun.  She is known as the patron saint of the lame in Normandy and the patron saint of Les Andelys and has been “invoked against sudden death and iniquitous husbands.”

 

Reims is a city in the French department of Marne.  It was founded by the Gauls and became a major city in the Roman Empire.  It was the traditional site of the coronation of the kings of France. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

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

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_Sainte-Clotilde_de_Reims

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 731

 

 

 

 

 

Épernay, France, ca early 1900s

 

This postcard produced by Catala Freres, Paris, features a black & white photograph of people enjoying a city park.  The identifying number 78 and the title:  Épernay -- Le Jard et le Kosque, are found at the upper center of the card.  Edition:  A. Rabat is printed at the lower right.  This is an unused, divided back card and was found in a jumble of cards at an antique mall.  France began issuing divided back postcards in 1904.  Judging from the clothing of the women, we can estimate that the picture was taken around that time.  On the reverse center line is:  Catala Frères.  Often the publisher or distributor is found along the center line. 

 

 It is always a treat to find pictures on old postcards that show ordinary people dressed in the styles of the day and doing everyday activities.  A lady has a parasol, a man reading a letter or newspaper, children here and there.  One can imagine that the kiosk may have been a place where musicians performed on summer evenings.  Like some of the gardens or parks around palaces, this one also has statuary.  

 

Berthaud Frères had a photo studio in Paris.  The business expanded during the golden era of postcards into eight cities in France and was active from 1889 to 1908.  Catala Frères succeeded Berthaud as owners but kept the same main address.  It is not known exactly when Catala took over, but it was sometime during the first decade of the 20^th century.

 

Épernay is a community about 80 miles or 130 km north-east of Paris.  The town is on the left bank of the Marne River.  From the 5^th until the 10^th century Épernay belonged to the archbishops of Reims.  After that it become a possession of the counts of Champagne.  It suffered heavy damage during the Hundred Years’ War and was burned in 1544 by Francis I.  In 1642 it became part of the duchy assigned to the duc de Bouillon. 

 

The oldest quarter of the town has narrow, irregular streets.  As the town spread the surrounding suburbs are modern and spacious.  This area is especially known for champagne wines.  These are bottled and stored in large cellars built into the chalk rock on which the town is built.  Other major industries include brewing, sugar refining, and the production of hats and caps.  There are rail connections to Paris, Strasbourg, Reims, Metz, Nancy, and several regional destinations.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89pernay

https://rthcards.co.uk/pclogos/data/BFPARIS/BFPARIS_01.html