If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 716

 

 

 

 

 

La Cattedrale di San Giusto, anteriore al 1840 [Saint Justus, Trieste Cathedral, exterior ca 1840]

 

This is another postcard of three cards from a booklet set that was sent by my friend who lives in Italy.  There is no blurb on the reverse, only the title at the upper left corner.  On the reverse center line: “… Tipografia Villaggio del Fancliullo – Trieste” [printing or publishing house, Villaggio del Fancliullo, Trieste].  The featured illustration on the card looks as if it may be a watercolor painting.  Once again the picture includes people dressed in the clothing of yesteryear that provides us a glimpse of what it might been like in the mid 1800s.

 

This cathedral is one of the historical monuments in Trieste.  My friend says that even though the city has completely changed since the 13^th century, some buildings from that era are still standing including this one. 

 

The first religious building was constructed on this site in the 6^th century using part of an existing Roman structure.  Remains of the original mosaic flooring has been integrated into a modern floor.  Also, markings from the original Christian building can still be seen on the outer walls.  Between the 9^th and 11^th centuries two basilicas were erected on the ruins of the old church.  One was dedicated to Our Lady of Assumption and the second was dedicated to Saint Justus (San Giusto).  Then in the 14^th century more changes were made when one nave was demolished and the two basilicas were then joined.  This resulted in the construction of a asymmetrical façade, a Gothic rose window, and a new bell tower.  Romanesque debris stones were used in some of the remodeling.  In the 1930s archaeological excavations exposed more of the remains of the Roman forum and civic building.  Two lower-floor columns have been reconstructed.  

 

 

I found it fascinating and interesting that items from previous buildings were incorporated, saved, or reconstructed to enhance and preserve the history of the site and the building.  As always, thank you to my friend for sharing the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedial.org/wiki/Trieste_Cathedral

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 713

 

 

 

 

 

San Giacomo [St. James], Trieste, Italy, 1854

 

This is one postcard in a booklet set.  It features a painting of San Giacomo, or St. James, church and part of the surrounding area.  My friend who lives in Trieste recently sent this card and two others from the set.  The only information about the picture is printed on the back of the card at the upper left:  “Nuova Chiesa di s. Giacomo in Trieste, 1854.”  My friend’s note on the card provided some additional information.  He says in part:  “This hill was a good place to see afar and protect the town from raids.  The neighborhood is very old around the cathedral. … It is a very urbanized quarter [now] so all the trees and field have disappeared, alas.  But it is quite lively, with foreign communities from the Balkans and it is a popular neighborhood, not yet gentrified or overwhelmed by tourism.”

 

Notice the detail on the church, the people’s clothing, the horse and wagon, and the hint of the landscape in the background.  The square in front of the church is called Campo San Giacomo.  The church was built between 1851 and 1854.  It seems likely that this picture on the card is representative of the way the church and square appeared when the church was new.  Today this part of the city, near the center of Trieste, is the most populous and houses about one quarter of the city inhabitants.  The neighborhood has every service from supermarkets, bars, taverns, restaurants, to schools.  There is also a “washhouse” that can be visited where a permanent exhibit tells the story of the washerwomen.  This same building is also a venue that can be used free of charge as a meeting place for citizen events and hosting cultural associations.

As always, thank you M for sending the card!

For additional information, see:

 

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Giacomo_(Trieste)  [select translate option for English]

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 698

  

 

 

 

Vintage Valentine card, ca World War I era

 

This used postcard was sent to Miss Eunice McCoy of Duck, Wisconsin from her friend, Elaine.  The stamp is partly torn off and unfortunately it had part of the cancellation mark on it, making it difficult to place the year.  However, from the uniforms and the shoes the girl is wearing it appears to have been printed around the time of World War I, 1914-1918.  The card has a divided back, the number 501 and a trade mark at the upper left corner on the reverse.

 

 

Trade Mark logo 

The card came to me inside a handmade, collage valentine by my granddaughter, M a couple of years ago.  She found the postcard, knew I collect them and kindly sent it.  I am sharing her card too, since I like it very much and it is quite lovely as well.  Thanks M for both cards.

 

 

 

M's homemade collage Valentine

 Happy Valentine's Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 692

 

 

 

 

 

 “Declaration of Independence,” painting by John Trumbull

 

This unused postcard was found in a jumble box of cards in a local antique mart.  It has the code:  R-45533 to the left of the dividing line on the reverse.  Along the left margin the publisher is identified as:  B.S. Reynolds & Co. of Washington, D.C.  In the area designated for the stamp is the notation:  “Place stamp here.  One Cent for United States and Island Possessions, Cuba, Canada and Mexico.  Two cents for foreign.”  These postal rates were used between 1914 and 1922.  

 

There is a blurb at the upper left corner on the reverse:  “Declaration of Independence, U.S. Capitol.  Painting by John Trumbull, in the Rotunda of the Capitol, Washington.  John Hancock, President of the Congress, is seated at the table, and in front of him stand the Committee of Five—Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert L. Livingston.”  Note:  while the blurb identifies Robert Livingston as Robert L. Livingston, other sources show him as Robert R. Livingston.

 

John Trumbull, the artist of this famous painting, was born 1756 and died 1843.  As a veteran of the Revolutionary War, he was most well-known for painting historical events of that era.  Four of his paintings can be found in the United States Capitol rotunda.  The Declaration of Independence painting on the postcard can also be found on the reverse of the current $2.00 bill.  In addition to group pictures, such as the one on the card, he also painted portraits. 

 

Three of the members of the Committee of Five, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, are very famous figures in American history.  The two others, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston, are generally less known.  On 11 June 1776 the committee was appointed to draft a statement to outline why the Colonies were seceding from the British Empire.  They were allotted 3 weeks to work on the statement.  The final version was published as a broadside on 4 July 1776, and the committee dissolved on 5 July 1776. 

 

Roger Sherman (1721-1793), is the only member of the committee who signed all 4 the U.S. state papers, the Continental Association, The Declaration, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.  He also proposed the Connecticut Compromise.  Although he did not have formal education he became an early American statesman, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States.  Despite not having formal legal training he was encouraged to read for the bar exam and was subsequently admitted to the bar of Litchfield, Connecticut in 1754.  He became justice of the peace in 1762, a judge, elected to the Governor’s Council of Connecticut General Assembly, a judge of the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, and Justice of the Superior Court of Connecticut.  He was also appointed treasurer of Yale College and received an honorary Master of Arts degree.  He was married twice and had a total of 15 children, 13 of whom survived to adulthood.  He was elected mayor of New Haven in 1784 and held that office until his death at age 72 in 1793.

 

Robert Livingston, 1746-1813, was also an American lawyer, politician, a diplomat from New York, and a Founding Father of the United States.  He helped draft the Declaration of Independence, but was recalled to the state of New York before he could sign it.  Livingston was appointed the recorder of New York City for a short time.  His association with the anti-colonial Whig Party caused him to be replaced a few months later.  He held the position of New York state Chancellor for 25 years.  He was the one who administered the oath of office to George Washington when he became the first U.S. president, on 30 April 1789.  Livingston was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1801.  From 1801 to 1804 he was the U.S. Minister to France and negotiated the Louisiana Purchase.  He was a Freemason. He was married to Mary Stevens (1751-1814) and they had two children. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

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

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_R._Livingston

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 691

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year, illustration by Frances Brundage, 1910

 

The two postcards shared this week feature reproductions of Vintage cards printed by Laughing Elephant, a small local company.  The card above dates from 1910 and the second card, found below, is dated 1930.

 

The first card provides the illustrator’s signature as Frances Brundage at the lower left, and a printed name with the date of the card, 1910, at the lower right corner on the front of the card.  Frances Isabelle Lockwood Brundage was born in 1854 and died in 1937.  Most of her illustrations include endearing children and can be found on postcards, valentines, paper dolls, and calendars originally published by Raphael Tuck & Sons, Samuel Gabriel Company, and Saalfield Publishing.  She also illustrated children’s classics, such as, novels by Louisa May Alcott, Johanna Spyri, and Robert Louis Stevenson.  A prolific artist she was still producing as many as 20 books when she was in her late sixties.  Her work is said to be highly collectible. 

 

Frances received training in art from her father, Rembrandt Lockwood, who was an architect, a wood engraver, and artist.  She began her professional career as an illustration sometime between the ages of 17 and her early 20s.  There are conflicting reports that her father abandoned the family when she was about 17 and that forced her to go to work as an artist.  However, census records show him still living with the family up until she was in her early 20s.  She married William Tyson Brundage in 1886.  They had one child who died before age 2.  Frances and her husband worked on some projects together. 

 

 

A Very Happy New Year, illustrator unknown, 1930

 

This brightly colored card with a message poem is dated 1930.  The illustrator is unknown, but the artwork is typical of the style in the 1930s. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://laughingelephant.com/

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 690

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas greeting card illustrated by Helen Marion Burnside, early 1900s

 

Merry Christmas!

 

These three Victorian Vintage postcards are reproductions by Laughing Elephant, a small printing company in Seattle that preserves and reprints vintage illustrations.  The card above has the signature of H. M. Burnside [1841-1923].  She was famous not only for her illustrations but also for the verses she included on the cards.  Over 6,000 of her verses were put on Christmas cards and 150 of her songs were put to music.  She aspired to become a musician when she was young but she became deaf as a result of scarlet fever and chose to write verse and became a talented artist at a young age.  She also wrote several children’s books.

 

 

Christmas greeting with an illustration by James Brundage

 

Not all the early 1900s postcards have the name of the illustrator or their signature but this one was signed by James Brundage. 

 

 

 

Christmas greeting with an illustration by E.A.S.

 

This third card dates from the same era as the other two but has only the initials of the illustrator. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/library-rnid/2017/10/06/helen-marion-burnside-r-a-carried-the-radiance-of-her-very-soul-in-her-face/

 

https://laughingelephant.com

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 683

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Halloween

 

These three cards shared this week and are numbered H14, H15, and A16.  They all have examples of symbols used at Halloween. They are unused Halloween postcards printed by Laughing Elephant.com and are reproductions of a vintage illustrations from around 1910.  The card above has the code:  H 16 with an N inside a triangle and a copyright symbol at the lower left side.  The illustrator is not identified but the style dates all three the cards to the early 1900s when greeting cards for all or most holidays were popular.

 

This second card has the code:  H 15

 

 

 

And the third card has the code:  H 14

 

Halloween is also known as All Hallows’ Eve and All Saints Eve.  It is celebrated across the globe and observed in many countries, including the United States, on 31 October.  Many Halloween traditions appear to have been influenced by Celtic harvest festivals such as the Gaelic Samhain.  While some believe it stems from pagan roots many others think it might stem from an early Christian holiday called All Hallows’ Day when a vigil was kept in remembrance of the deceased.  Modern day Halloween activities include things like trick-or-treating, parties with apple bobbing, carving pumpkins to make Jack-o-Lanterns, divination and other games, dressing up in costumes, playing pranks, visiting “haunted houses,” or watching scary movies.  

 

 Jack-o-Lanterns were used as a symbol on All Hallows’ Eve long ago in Ireland.  Since there were no pumpkins in Ireland at the time this tradition began, turnips were used instead.  An old Irish folk tale has a man named Stingy Jack who made both God and the Devil angry, and was therefore not welcome in either heaven or hell because of it.  He was forced to roam the earth with only the turnip jack-o-lantern to light his way.   People would put Jack-o-Lanterns around their homes to keep Stingy Jack from coming to their house on the night that the vigil was kept for the dead.  

 

"Wise women" who in earlier times were known to be helpful with healing illnesses, were feared under Christianity, becoming known as "witches," and considered as symbols of evil and sorcery.   Bats were associated with the myth of vampires.  They were considered spooky because they might transform into a vampire and suck the blood of animals and humans. 

 

Druids believed that evil humans could turn themselves into cats.  Black cats were especially vulnerable since the color black was a symbol of evil and death.  Owls were also thought to be associated with witches and therefore evil.  The sharp call of a Screech Owl made people think of witches flying overhead. 

 

Ordinary playing cards are symbolic of various things too.  Red for warmth and light, black for cold and the powers of darkness.  The four suits:  the spade is in the shape of a leaf; the heart becomes the center of life; the diamond, represents the feminine, and the club the masculine. 

 

Cards are also representations of luck, good or bad as in “the hand that fate dealt.”  The 52 cards in a deck equal the 52 weeks in a year; the 13 cards in each suit equal the lunar months in a year.  All kinds of playing cards, and special divining cards, like Tarot cards, were also used for telling fortunes. 

 

Brooms were thought to be able to sweep away the evil.  It is not clear why witches use brooms to fly around; however, it may stem from pagan times when rural farmers would dance around astride pitchforks and brooms during a full moon to encourage the growth of their crops.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://www.history.com/news/why-witches-fly-on-brooms

https://kinghalloween.com/halloween-symbols/

https://safepaw.com/from-bats-to-black-cats-the-real-stories-behind-halloweens-furry-icons/

https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/edmonton_archives/halloween-icons#:~:text=Some%20believe%20owls%20and%20bats,Dracula%20was%20published%20in%201897.

https://public.websites.umich.edu/~umfandsf/symbolismproject/symbolism.html/C/cards.html

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcard, 680

 

 

 

 

 

 

House of Giulio Romano, Mantua, Lombardy, Italy

[painting by Ettore Roesler Franz]

 

The unused postcard, featuring a painting of the house of Giulio Romano (c. 1499-1546), is identified as a product of Casa Bestettie e Tumminelli, Milano-Roma along the left margin on the reverse.  At the top center on the reverse is “Roma Sparita, Acquarelli di F. Roesler.”  At the bottom of the center line on the reverse is E.V.R., Serie II – N. 34.  At the lower left is “Casa di Giulio Romano. 

 

The watercolor painting is by the Italian painter and photographer, (Ettore) Roesler Franz (1848-1915).  It was part of a series consisting of 120 pictures titled “Roma Sparita” or Vanished Rome, that featured watercolor paintings depicting parts of Rome that were in danger of disappearing.  Today many of these places have vanished or changed making the pictures a valuable historical record.  The paintings were completed between 1878 and 1896.   In 1875 Franz along with Nazzareno Cipriani developed a plan and created what became the Association of Watercolorists and included 8 other artists as founding members.  Among his clients were the Empress Maria Feodorovna, Kings Victor Emmanuel II and Umbert I, and Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse. 

 

Giulio Romano was born around 1499 and died in 1546.  He was an Italian painter and architect.  He started out as one of Raphael’s assistants, and became an important member of Raphael’s studio.  His drawings are said to be a significant contribution to the spread of 16^th century Italian style art and are treasured by collectors.  However, it is his architectural work that has had more influence.  He designed his own house in 1540 and completed it in 1541-42.  The exterior of the original building was described as having a fantastic façade all worked in colorful stucco.  At the time of the Franz painting on the card in the late 1800s the building had already been remodeled and expanded from six bays to 8 and would have been quite different than it was in the 1500s.  The central hall with its original fireplace and frescoes have been preserved.  The ground floor has shops with the main floor contains what was Romano’s home. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_di_Giulio_Romano

[Note: there is a translation option]

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

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 672

 

 

 

 

 

Boeing 314 Clipper

 

This is the second postcard purchased at the Seattle Museum of Flight.  Featured on the card is the Boeing 314 Clipper introduced in 1938.  The card is a reproduced vintage illustration by Foundimage.com and has NV 388 at the lower right corner on the reverse. 

 

This plane was developed by Boeing around the same time as the Stratoliner, found on last week's postcard.  The 314 Clipper has been described as an American long-range flying boat made between 1938-1941.  It was one of the largest aircraft and had sufficient range to cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  Twelve of these planes were built, nine were flown by Pan American World Airways (Pan Am).  British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and the United States Navy also used these planes. 

 

Looking to expand, Pan Am requested a trans-Pacific airplane and Boeing’s bid was accepted.  Originally Pan Am ordered six planes, then later ordered six more improved planes with increased engine power and room for 77 passengers.  Because of World War II some passenger air routes were unable to continue service, hence Pan Am agreed to sell three of the six under construction to the United Kingdom.  The BOAC planes were primarily intended for flights between the UK and West Africa.  Also, Pan Am’s Clipper fleet was pressed into US military service during WWII ferrying people and equipment to the Pacific and European fronts. 

 

A bit of trivia:  Each passenger was allowed up to 77 pounds of baggage free.  Extra weight over the limit was charged $3.25 a pound.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_314_Clipper

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 671

 

 

Tourism advertisement postcard

 

Today’s unused postcard is one of two cards that were found and purchased at the Museum of Flight in Seattle a few years ago.  It is a Foundimage.com product and features a vintage advertisement for the travel industry.  The destination shown on the card is Equatorial Africa.  The airplane shown on the card is a Boeing 307 Stratoliner or Strato-Clipper, introduced in 1940 and used by Pan American Airways, and also used by the USAAF as a C-75.  TR-48 appears at the lower right corner on the reverse.  There is no blurb or other information on this divided back card.

 

This plane had the first pressurized cabin, a cruising speed of 200 mph at 20,000 ft.  By contrast, a competitor, the Douglas DC-3, went 160 mph at 8,000 ft.  For commercial service the four-engine prop plane had a crew of five or six people:  two pilots, a flight engineer, two flight attendants, and a navigator (optional).  The plane held 33 passengers, later increased to 38, and finally to 60. Only ten of these planes were built.

 

During the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s traveling by air was much different than today.  It was still somewhat of a novelty.  Passengers had more legroom, and aisles were wider too.  There were no First class and economy seats, all seats were in one cabin.  It was a glamorous experience for only for the relatively wealthy.  There were “postcards from the sky” to send to friends and family.  Multi-course meals were served with “white linen, silver cutlery and fine china dinnerware were the order of the day.” 

 

Exotic destinations like that of Equatorial Africa, which is roughly the equatorial region of the sub-Saharan Africa along the Equator, and the tropical African rain-forest area, were advertised to entice the world traveler.  The poster art on the card shows elephants and palm trees.  This type of travel would also have been something that would be beyond the plans and budgets of the average person.

 

The region called French Equatorial Africa consisted of the French colonial territories of Gabon, French Congo, Ubangi-Shari, and Chad from 1910 to 1958.  These territories became new republics in 1959 as the Union of Central African Republics and then later fully independent in 1960. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://www.galerie123.com/en/poster-history/travel-poster/

https://imagesofvenice.com/history-of-travel-posters/

https://simpleflying.com/the-golden-age-of-flying-guide/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_307_Stratoliner

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

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 666

 

 

 

 

 

Jacqueline sentada [Jacqueline seated], Paris, 1954 by Picasso

[photo by Rafael Lobato]

 

This week’s postcard features the painting by Pablo Picasso titled “Jacqueline sentada” or in English, “Jacqueline seated.”  The card is unused and was purchased at the Seattle Art Museum when there was a Picasso exhibit a few years ago.  The card is a product of the Picasso Museum.  The original painting is part of the collection of the Museo Picasso in Málaga, Spain.  The photograph of the painting is attributed to Rafael Lobato. 

 

Jacqueline Roque Picasso (1927-1986) is best known as the second wife and muse of Pablo Picasso.  She was 26 and he was 72 when they met in 1953.  They married in 1961 and had been married for 11 years at the time of his death in 1973.  Picasso painted more than 400 portraits of Jacqueline.  This painting with exaggerated features is recognizable as a symbol of his late paintings.  She is shown in a serene pose which is suggests tranquility and love.  One report said this work represented Picasso’s love and devotion of her. 

 

The photographer, Rafael Sanz Lobato (1932-2015), got his first camera at age 22.  He learned how to develop and print his own pictures.  In 1964 he joined the Royal Photographic Society of Madrid.  He is known as a post-war photographer who produced exceptional documentary photos that earned him Spain’s National Photography Award in 2011. 

 

The museum is located in the city of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain where Picasso was born.  It opened in 2003 with a collection of 285 pieces of his works donated by his family.  In 2009 this collection merged with another and became the Fundación Museo Picasso Málaga.  The building that houses the museum is the Buenavista Palace and was originally build in the 1500s for Diego de Cazalla.  It was declared a National Monument in 1939 and had been an arts museum from 1961 to 1997.  It was purchased with the intention of converting it to a museum featuring Picasso’s works. 

 

For additional information, see:

https://celebracionpicasso.es/en/noticia/piece-week-jacqueline-seated

https://en.wikipedia/wiki/Jacqueline_Rogue

https://on.spainculture.us/50-fotografias-con-historia/rafael-sanz-lobato/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_Picasso_M%C3%A1laga

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 664

 

 

 

 

 

“Enten” [Ducks], painting by Alexander Max Koester (1864-1932)

 

At first, I thought these were swans but a closer look, plus the title, identified them as ducks.  This is an unused color postcard featuring an oil painting by Alexander Max Koester.  The identifying code:  SC 13026 is found at the lower left corner on the reverse.  There is also a blurb at the upper right corner on the reverse:  Charles and Emma Frye Art Museum, Terry at Cherry, Seattle, Washington.  “Enten” (Ducks) (oil) is by Alexander Max Koester (pronounced Case-t’r) (German:   1864-1932).  In the Frye Collection of 230 European and American paintings, emphasis is on Vienna and Munich masters of the nineteenth century.” 

 

Koester was a German landscape and animal painter who specialized in scenes with ducks.  His parents wanted him to take an apprenticeship in pharmacy which he did; however, after completing his training there he chose to enroll in the Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe, where he studied with Karl Hoff and Claus Meyer.  While an art student he supported himself by painting portraits. 

 

In 1893 Koester married Isabella Kantioler.  Isabella’s father had a colony of ducks and Koester became interested in them.  He began learning about them including studying their anatomy and behavior.  He became an expert on duck breeds and breeding while at the same time painting portraits of them.  His paintings became very popular.  Even though he was offered a position at the art school in Darmstadt he declined preferring to do free-lance work instead.  Most of his works are in private collections.

 

For additional information, see: 

 

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