If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 751

  

 

 

 

 

Stanley Park Totems, Vancouver, Canada, ca 1970s

 

This unused Majestic souvenir postcard features a color photograph by Gammarax Studios, of totem poles found in Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  The identifying alpha-numerica code, KS-6875, appears at the bottom of the center line on the reverse.  The card was printed in Canada by Lawson Graphics Pacific Limited and published by Natural Color Productions, Ltd. Richmond, B.C.  At the lower left corner on the reverse is a blurb:  “KM-3A  Totem Poles, Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  Indian carvings on each Totem Pole tell their own enchanting tale.  Each figure, animal, and head depicts some phase of life or belief of the early coast Indians.” 

 

There are ten totem poles at Brockton Point located in the easterly part of Stanley Park.  Four of them were originally brought from Alert Bay and placed at Lumbermen’s Arch in 1924.  Some of the poles were carved in the 1880s.  More poles were purchased in the 1920s and 1930s from the Haida Gwaii and Rivers Inlet.  All were moved to Brockton Point in 1962 when and overhead road at Lumberman’s Arch was built.  Many of the have since been replaced with replicas, the originals now kept in museums for preservation.  The most recent totem pole was carved by a member of the Squamish Nation in 2009.  The Totem Pole Interpretive Center has a gift shop and visitor center near the totem poles.

 

Thanks to Bob for sharing this card from his scrapbook collection.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/totems-and-first-nations-art.aspx

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 750

 

 

 

 

Valentine, ca 1910-1915 signed by A. Heinmüller

 

Happy Valentine’s Day.  This Vintage Valentine illustration by A. Heinmüller is a reproduction by the local printing company, Laughing Elephant.  His signature is difficult to see but is found just under the barrel.  As was typical for this era, there is a poem or verse suitable for the holiday.

 

 

 

Signature of A. Heinmüller

 

The only information currently available is an AI Overview stating that A. Heinmüller was a prolific German illustrator in the early 1900s.  His illustrations appear on holiday postcards for Thanksgiving, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, and Valentine’s Day, etc.  Two companies were listed as publishers for holiday themed cards from 1895 to 1915; International Art Publishing, of Berlin, Germany and New York, founded by Wolf & Co., and, Art Lithographic Publishing Co.  Both were managed by Samuel Garre.   

 

Typical of German postcards of the era, the cards were embossed, lithographed images in bright colors with detailed scenes.  Heinmüller’s illustrations featured children, idealized women, dogs and seasonal holiday themes.  His signature appears as either A. Heinmüller or Heinmüller.  Most of his cards were published between 1907, when the divided back was introduced in the United States, and 1915.  He was a popular illustrator during the golden age of postcards.  The original postcards are collectible and known for their charm.

 

For additional information, see:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:International_Art_Publishing_Co.

https://laughingelephant.com/

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 749

 

 

 

 

Bruges – Entrée du Béguinage – Brugge – Ingang vn het Begijnhof, ca 1920s

This unused postcard has a perforated top edge indicating that it was in a booklet of souvenir cards.  The black and white photograph featured on the card shows the entry way and part of a bridge that leads into a Beguinage or what might be termed a retreat or commune center for women.  The location is identified as Bruges, the largest city in West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium.  The dominant language in the area is Dutch even though the card’s title puts the French title first.  The card has a divided back.  No information blurb or photographer is provided.  There is the number 14 at the lower left corner on the reverse.  That may indicate that it was number 14 in the booklet.  The logo was used in the 1920s and is the means to estimate the date of the picture.  ARFO postcards were based in Bruxelles, Belgium. 

 

 

Logo of ARFO postcards, used in the 1920s

 

Who or what were beguines?  They were religious women who lived in a community but did not take vows or retire from the world.  A superior, called a mistress or prioress, provided guidance.  Sometimes the Beguinage was a single dwelling suitable for a small number of women but some were large complexes with courtyards and several houses.  The community was mostly self-sufficient with a central chapel or church, a brewery, a bakery, and a hospital as well as a farm.  Beguinages originated as early as the 12^th century and existed in cities and towns in the Low Countries until the 18^th century.  Today the only preserved Beguinage in Bruges is Ten Wijngaerde.  The picture on the card is only called the Beguinage of Bruges.  Besides the one in Belgium, there are others in the Netherlands and Luxembourg that are listed by UNESCO as World Heritage sites. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princely_Beguinage_Ten_Wijngaerde,_Bruges

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

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Logo_ARFO_Postcard,_Bruxelles.jpg