If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 651

 

 

 

 

 

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, in the village of Shottery, Warwickshire, England, about 1 mile or 1.6 km west of Stratford-upon-Avon.

 

Like the two previous Thursday postcards, this card also has a tinted black & white photograph and blurb at the upper left on the reverse.  It has a divided back but no identifying letters or numbers or credit to a photographer.  All three cards appear to have been published or printed by the same company.  The blurb on this card:  “Ann Hathaway’s Cottage, Stratford, England.—The house of Shakespeare.  This is a very beautiful photograph reproduction of the celebrated spot and it contains many relics of Shakespeare, and is visited by all lovers of Shakespeare who ever get within a day’s ride of this celebrated place.”

 

The oldest portion of the house is dated 1463.  Originally it was a three-roomed building on one floor.  Known as Hewlands Farm during the time of Shakespeare it had more than 90 acres or 36 hectares of land associated with it making it much larger than the term cottage implies.  Ann’s grandfather, John Hathaway was the first Hathaway to live there in 1542. 

 

After Ann’s father, Richard, died in 1581, her brother, Bartholomew, took over the ownership and began to expand the building beginning in 1610.  Eventually it ended up as a 12-room farmhouse.  Notice the multiple chimneys on the card.  The largest one was used for cooking, the others help spread heat evenly through the house during the winter. 

 

The house was passed down in the family until 1846 when financial difficulties forced them to sell it.  It was occupied by tenants until it was acquired by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in 1892.  The Trust removed later additions and alterations.  There was a fire in 1969 but the Trust was able to restore the building which is now open to the public as museum. 

 

The cottage gardens were redone in 1920 by the horticulturist Ellen Willmott.  Many of the plants found in the garden were mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays.  Three flower beds near the cottage entrance are named Miss Willmott’s garden.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Hathaway%27s_Cottage

If this is Thursday it must be postcads, 650

 

 

 

 

 

The Round Tower, Windsor Castle, England

 

Featured on this postcard is a tinted black & white photograph of the Round Tower of Windsor Castle.  The card has a divided back, does not have identifying letters or numbers but does have a blurb located at the upper left on the reverse.  The blurb:  “The Round Tower, Windsor Castle.—Windsor Castle is in a beautiful valley a few miles outside of London, and is one of the most historical spots of Europe, being the scene of many historical events that transpired in British history in over four hundred years.”

 

The royal residence, Windsor Castle, is located in the English county of Berkshire.  The castle was built in the 11^th century by William the Conqueror and is the longest occupied palace in Europe.  The current owner is King Charles III.  There is limited access to the public.

 

King Henry II ruled beginning in 1154.  Between 1165 and 1179 he repaired and added to the existing castle; replaced the wooden palisade with a stone wall; replaced a stone keep and chemise wall.  To relieve pressure on the mound, he moved walls from the edge of the motte and added foundations along the south side to provide more support.  He also remodeled the inside the castle including the royal living quarters.  The Round Tower seen on the card was built by Henry II and remodeled in the 19^th century. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 636

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ballingdon Bridge, Sudbury, England, ca 1911-1920s

 

This black & white, used, postcard has a cancelation but no complete date.  It features a photograph of Ballingdon Bridge in Sudbury, Suffolk, England.  J. G. Payn is identified as the printer at the lower left corner on the front of the card.  The card has a divided back and a green halfpenny stamp with the profile of King George V.  Most used postcards have had the stamps removed by stamp collectors.  As can be seen, the dark cancellation mark on this one dominates the stamp.  Maybe that is why it was left on the card.

 

 

l

 

Halfpenny stamp

 

 

The Ballingdon Bridge crosses over the River Stour.  The village of Ballingdon grew up adjacent to the bridge and is now in the parish of Sudbury.  The bridge dates back to the 13^th century or possibly earlier.  The bridge is still the only crossing of the river for several miles.  The River Stour is 47 miles or 76 km long and forms most of the boundary between Suffolk on the north and Essex on the south.  In 1705 this river was one of the first improved waterways in England with mandated navigation rights. 

 

 Ballingdon Hall, a large house, was moved half a mile up Ballingdon Hill in 1972 when a housing development was being built near its original site.  The event was watched by 10,000 people.  There is a link below to a short YouTube video by Tim Leggett showing part of the move.  Coincidentally, the postcard is addressed to a Miss Leggett, Bridge House, Three Bridges, Sussex.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Stour,_Suffolk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xM3XzFjoq4

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 633

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malmesbury Abbey, Wiltshire, England, ca 1902-1903

 

Malmesbury Abbey located in Wiltshire, England is the featured black & white photograph on this postcard with the publisher R. Wilkinson & Co., Trowbridge, identified at the lower right corner.  The back is divided but has the printed note:  “This space as well as the back [photo side] may be used for Inland communications.  Post Office Regulation.”  

 

 Since divided back postcards were allowed in England beginning in 1902, it can be guessed that this card dates from about late 1902 or 1903.  Later editions would no longer need to inform the sender that it was legal to write on the same side of the card as the name and address of the recipient.

 

Malmesbury Abbey is a religious house dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  It was first founded as a Benedictine monastery about 676 by the nephew of King Ine of Wessex, Aldhelm.  The town, also called Malmesbury, grew up around the Abbey which continued to expand during the time of Alfred the Great.   

 

The Abbey achieved a reputation for academic learning.  The Abbey shown on the card was completed by 1180.  It had a spire of 431 ft or 131 m.  King Henry VIII closed the abbey in 1539 as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries.  The building and the land the abbey owned equaled about 23,000 acres or 93 km and was home to 20 parishes.  It was sold to a rich merchant named, William Stumpe.  Stumpe returned the Abbey to the town for use as a church but also filled the buildings with looms for his cloth-weaving business.   

 

The west tower collapsed in 1550 and demolished three bays of the nave.  During the English Civil War, 1642-1646,  Malmesbury suffered extensive damage.  Less than half of the original building stands today.  In 1949 it was designated as a Grade I building.  Historic England added it to their Heritage at Risk Register in 2022.  Today part of it still functions as the parish church of Malmesbury.    

 

R. Wilkinson & Co. of Trowbridge was one of a couple of large businesses that produced postcards during the late 1800s and early 1900s when postcards were at the height of popularity. 

 

For more information, see:

 

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

https://wshc.org.uk/blog/item/sitting-pretty-with-picture-postcards.html

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 631

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dunster, High Street and Yarn Market, Somerset, England

 

This unused black & white photo postcard features High Street and the Yarn Market in Dunster, Somerset, England.  On 31 August 2023 the Thursday postcard #622 featured some old cottages that I think are at the end of the road in this picture.  The Yarn Market is the octagonal building at the right center on this card.  The card is a F. Frith & Co. publication with the number 88719 at the lower left corn of the photo.  This card was among several others in an old shoebox in a local antique pavilion. 

 

Dunster had become a center for woollen and clothing production as early as 1222.  At the time the Yarn Market was built trade, particularly in wool and cloth, was the major economy for the community.  The building has an overhanging tiled roof that provides shelter from the rain.  The Yarn Market was built probably around 1609 by the Luttrell family, local lords of the manor, and was designated a scheduled monument in 1925, then also listed as a Grade 1 building in 1969. 

During the first English Civil War, 1642-1646, the building was damaged by cannon fire that can still be seen to this day.  

 

Dunster Castle, home of the Luttrells, can be seen atop the hillside at the center of the card.  Originally there was a timber castle on this site built by William Mohun just after the Norman conquest in the 11^th century.  The stone motte was built in the 12^th century.  In the 14^th century the de Mohuns sold the castle to the Luttrell family. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://bewareoftherug.blogspot.com/search?q=Dunster

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

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 624

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gate House, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England

 

This Francis Frith unused black & white postcard features a photograph of the Gate House at Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, England.  The identifier KLW.4 is seen at the lower left corner and the name of postcard company Frith is found at the lower right corner.  This card was one several I found in a jumble of cards in an old shoe-box at an antique pavilion.  It is not dated and does not have a divided back.  The quality of the print looks too recent to have been made prior to 1900, so this card may be a reprint of an older photo.

 

Francis Frith (1822-1898) was an English photographer who traveled extensively, sometimes to exotic places, with very large cameras (16” x 20”) on at least one of his trips.  Sometimes working in hot stifling tents, he used the collodion process.  For readers interested in this process, there is a link included with a video from the George Eastman Museum.  

 

 Originally apprenticed in the cutlery trade, Frith later became a grocer and then a printer.  In the 1850s he became interested in photography and was one of the founding members of the Liverpool Photographic Society.  He reproduced many of his photographs in illustrated books which became quite popular.  In addition to taking scenic pictures during travels to foreign places, he was one of the first photographers to establish himself as a retailer of scenic photos on a large scale.   

 

After his marriage to Mary Ann Rosling in 1860, Frith began a project to photograph every town and village in the United Kingdom, focusing on historical and interesting sites.  It was during this period; he began publishing his own images and founded F. Frith & Co.  The father of 5 children, two daughters and three sons, his sons, and later a grandson, took over the business following his death in 1898 at age 75.  The company was the vanguard of postcard development after the divided back was allowed in Britain in 1902.  The divided back allowed for a full-sized picture on one side of the card with spaces for a message and the name and address of the recipient.  The company was active until it finally closed in 1971.

 

The Kenilworth Castle is located in the town of Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England and managed by English Heritage.  The castle was founded in the 1120s during the Norman conquest of England. Construction, additions, and renovations, were done over several centuries.  Historically, Kenilworth was subjected to what is thought to be the longest siege, 6 months, in 1266, and formed a base for the Lancastrian operations in the War of the Roses. 

 

The picture on the card shows the Gate House built on the north side of the base court.  It replaced an older gatehouse and provided an entrance from the direction of Coventry.  The exterior battlements, and towers reflect architectural styles popular a century or so earlier.  The interior has wood paneling and is a more contemporary Elizabethan style.  The gatehouse is one of the few parts of the castle that still remain intact.  Another building that survived is the stables built in the 1550s, constructed mostly of stone and found on the east side of the base court.  Gardens fill much of the right-hand curt.   

 

The castle passed out of private hands in 1958 when it was gifted to the town of Kenilworth.  English Heritage has managed the property since 1984.  Attempts to restore the gardens to more closely resemble the original were made between 2005 and 2009 at a great cost and criticism since not enough archaeological information was available to accurately complete the work.  In 2008 new plans were submitted to re-create the look of the castle including a lake that could be used for boating and waterside recreations.  Since 2017 an exhibition “Speed and Power:  John Siddley, Pioneer of the Motor Age” has been on display.  Also, in 2020 an episode of Antiques Roadshow was filmed at the castle.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://en.wikpedia.org/wiki/Kenilworth

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

https://www.francisfrith.com/us/pages/frith-postcards

 

Link to video:

https://smarthistory.org/the-collodion-5-of-12/

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note:  Fans of Beth Brower's fictional "The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion" may recognize Kenilworth.

If this Thursday it must be postcards, 596

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pier and Bay from East Cliff, Bournemouth (England), ca 1920s

 

This “real photograph” black & white unused postcard features the Pier and Bay of Bournemouth, Dorset, England as seen from the East Cliff.  By examining the automobiles with a magnifying glass, the card has been dated to the 1920s.  The identifier, CM 189, can be seen at the left of the title at the bottom of the picture.  On the reverse along the left edge is written:  “Sun Ray Series” H.T.B.  The card has a divided back and was printed in England.  I found it in a jumble of cards in a box at a local antique mall. 

 

The name Bournemouth reflects its geographic location at the mouth of a small river.  It was first mentioned by the name in 1406 when a large fish, 18 feet or 5.5 meters long, washed up there.  A portion of the fish was collected by a canon from Christchurch Priory and taken as a tithe. 

 

Bournemouth is a coastal town that has become a regional center for leisure, entertainment, culture and recreation.  Lewis Tregonwell founded the town in 1810 with the idea of turning the deserted heath land into a health resort.  In 1841 Bournemouth appears in Augustus Granville’s book, “The Spas of England.”  The publishing of the book resulted in increasing tourism for those seeking medicinal use of seawater and pine-scented air, that helped the town to grow and develop.  Today it is a popular destination for tourists, has notable Victorian architecture, beaches and nightlife.  It attracts over 5 million visitors a year.

 

Until the railway arrived in 1870 the most convenient way to visit the town was by sea.  Hence the need for a pier. With the local parish council reluctant to find the money for construction, an attempt to raise the necessary funds to privately build such a pier began in 1847 but only succeeded in generating enough money to build a small temporary wooden jetty that was eventually replaced by the newer pier seen in upper middle of the photo on the card.  The lack of public funds delayed the completion of the pier seen in the photo until 1880.  

 

During World War II, a raid by German fighter bombers in May 1943 resulted in heavy damage to the town.  The seafront incurred damage when it was fortified against invasion.  The cast iron lampposts and benches were melted down for munitions as was much of the superstructure  from both Bournemouth and Boscombe piers before they could be breached and to prevent possible use by enemy ships.  The large amounts of barbed wire, anti-tank obstacles, and mines that had been added for defense during the war took two years to remove after the war ended.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 595

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frome, Somerset, England, ca 1942

 

This unused “Photo Brown” postcard published by Valentine & Sons Ltd. Dundee and London, has multiple views of Frome.  This type of multi-view card is still popular today.  Looking closely at the picture identified as Market Place, upper right corner, one can see vehicles that appear to date from the 1920s.  However, it is possible to date this card as a World War II card published no earlier than 1942 because it has a quote from British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill on the reverse.  Several British postcards issued during the war years had various quotes by Churchill.  This quote:  “Let us all strive without failing in faith or in duty.” Was from a speech delivered in 1940.  Cards bearing Churchill quotes began to be distributed in 1942. 

 

The card has the number G2325 at the lower right corner on the front.  Each inset is identified beginning at the top left:  Adderwell; center:  Nunney Castle and Parish Church; upper right:  Market Place; lower right:  St John the Baptist church Via Crucis – Way of the Cross; lower left:  Willow Vale. 

 

High Altar, St John the Baptist Church, Frome, England

 

This second unused postcard has the handwritten title “St John Baptist, Frome – The High Altar” at the lower left and R.S. Ashby. Frome, at the lower right on the front of the card.  It features a black & white picture of the beautiful and magnificently decorated high altar in the church.  No publisher or distributor or other information is found on either side of the postcard. 

 

Frome is a town in eastern Somerset, England about 13 miles south of Bath.  The town was built on high ground near the Mendip Hills and centers on the River Frome.  People have lived communally here since ancient days.  The Romans built a road just south of Frome that connected what is now Salisbury, Southhampton and Hamworthy near Poole.  It is thought that this was to facilitate export trade of silver and lead from the mines in the Mendips.  A huge cache of over 50,000 Roman coins found in a in a jar in a field near Frome in 2010 were excavated by archaeologists and some are on display in the British Museum. 

 

At one time Frome was one of the largest towns in Somerset.  In the late 1400s and early to mid 1500s the manufacture of woolen cloth was the principal industry.  Later other associated crafts, such as wool dyeing; fellmongering, the removal of animal hair to make leather out of hides; spinning, and weaving, employed almost half the heads of households.  The industrial revolution brought mechanization, needed less skilled workers, and caused a downturn in trade ending in the closure of many mills since lighter cloth could be produced cheaper elsewhere.  Industry diversified into metal working and printing, although these have also declined.  Many of the buildings are listed as historical.  “In 2014 it was named by The Times as the “sixth coolest town” in Britain.” (Wikipedia.org).  Frome has also been listed as among the 15 best places for weekend breaks from London.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St_John_the_Baptist,_Frome

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 441

Cloisters, Windsor Castle, England

This Valentine’s Series postcard has the original company logo allowing a date estimate of the early 1900s before the end of World War I.  The logo was changed just before the 1920's to include a V in the background and the word “Famous” was deleted following the war.  The card has a divided back moving the date from 1908 to 1920.   A code number of 3297X (JK) can be found at the lower left corner. 
 

Valentine & Sons original logo

John Valentine founded the lithographic printing firm of Valentine & Sons, sometimes seen as Valentine’s Co. Ltd., in Dundee, Scotland in 1825.  The company incorporated photo prints and stereo-views produced by his son, James, who was an early pioneer in photography. By 1896 the company was printing postcards with black and white real photo images and also some hand colored collotype cards.  This card appears to have a tinted photograph.  While most of the cards published by the company had landscapes they also reproduced artist drawn illustration in the early 1900s.

A cloister is a covered walk running along the walls of buildings usually forming a quadrangle.  The picture on the postcard shows only a part of the cloister at Windsor Castle.  It serves to provide an architectural barrier that separates the enclosed area from the outside world and is often associated with a monastery especially if it is associated with a cathedral. 

King Edward IV built the Cloisters at Windsor Castle between 1478 and 1481 they were later restored in 1871 by Sir Gilbert Scott in 1871.  They are called the Horseshoe Cloisters and connect to other buildings that form Windsor Castle rather than being a complete wall around the entire Castle grounds.  Today they are the home to the Chapel’s Lay Clerks. 

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloister
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_Castle
https://www.rct.uk/collection/2140276/the-cloisters-windsor-castle
http://www.metropostcard.com/publishersv.html

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 279

Father Christmas & child, ca early 1900s

"Hoping you had a Merry Xmas and will have a Happy New Year" the message on this postcard seemed appropriate for the Thursday following Christmas.  The card shared this week was published by E.A. Schwerdtfeger & Co. London F.C. and New York and was printed at their factory in Berlin, Germany.  The card does not have a stamp or cancellation mark but has a message so it may have been hand delivered or included with a gift. The company logo, EAS, is centered on the reverse within a heart shape.  I have estimated the date to be between 1910 and 1915 based on the divided back (1908), the addition of New York for the company (1910), and the way the child is dressed in the picture but it could be a few years later.

E.A. Schwerdtfeger & Co. was established in 1894 and although the Berlin factory suffered severe damage during World War II they reopened and became one of Germany's largest greeting card companies.  Prior to the war in addition to the real photo postcards, like the one above, they also published calendars and glanzbilder or glossy photographs.  Many of the early postcards were hand colored and this card shows some evidence of added color on the fur trim, the pig (upper right), pail, doll, tree ornaments, and the little girl's sash.  It is hard to tell if the colors are as bright as they were originally.  Schwerdtfeger card subjects were most often actresses, children, coronation portraits, and holidays but this company was noted for postcards featuring fashionable women often in exotic costumes.  In 1910 the company expanded with an office in New York.  Later, in 1922, the Mimosa paper manufacturer became a large shareholder and took over the postcard department of the company. 

There are many Christmas details found on the card.  It is almost like a "Where's Waldo" game to see how many one can find.  Father Christmas the traditional English name for Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas is the dominant image.  The original Saint Nicholas, fourth Bishop of Myra, Turkey, was known for his alms-giving and was very generous to the poor, most often secretly.  The Father Christmas on the postcard holds a bell announcing the joy of Christmas and possibly the ringing in of the new year ahead.  He is leaning on a staff or cane representing a shepherd's crook.  At his waist is a doll with a bag of small toys and a bucket.  Another bucket or pail can be seen near his shoulder just below the pig.  A small sailboat is near the pail.  Pails and buckets for water were often in evidence as practical necessities when a tree held burning candles!  The little girl seems entranced by the tree decorated with balls and tinsel. One story about why tinsel was used on Christmas trees told of a poor family who did not have any decorations.  Spiders spun webs that were magically turned into silver and from then on tinsel was hung on the trees.  The ball ornaments might represent fruit, such as oranges, that were in scare supply during the winter and were a traditional Christmas treat.  The candles or lights remind the faithful that Christ was the Light of the World.  There are many more symbols and legends associated with Christmas.  

For additional information, see:

http://www.metropostcard.com/publishers1.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Christmas
htttp://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=1491
https://www.brownielocks.com/christmassymbols.html
http://www.achristmastestimony.kingdomdesignministry.com/ch...

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 246

 Astronomical Clock, Hampton Court Palace

Upper left:  west front, Hampton Court Palace; upper right:  Astronomical Clock; lower left:  Hampton Court Palace and Thames River; lower right:  Sunken gardens with pond.

These two postcards come from the collection of travel cards shared by Jim and Kelsey.  They are Natural Colour Series, Photo greetings U.S.A. and Great Britain and published by the Photographic Greeting Card Co., Ltd., of London, England. 

The top card shows the Astronomical Clock, a 16^th century clock in Hampton Court Palace.  Designed by Nicholas Crazter and made by Nicholas Oursian the clock was installed on the gatehouse to the inner court in 1540 and is still functioning today.  It is 15 feet or 4.6 meters in diameter with three separate revolving dials made of copper and moving at different speeds to display the hour, month, day, position of the sun, signs of the zodiac, number of days since the beginning of the year, phases of the moon, and the hour the moon crosses the meridian when the water is at the highest point at London Bridge.  The high water time was of great importance since barge was the preferred method of transport and during low water there were dangerous rapids.  William Herbert did a restoration of the clock in 1711.  By 1831 the astronomical dial had been removed and replaced by a 1799 mechanism from a clock at St. James’s Palace.  In 1879 the astronomical dial was found and Gillett & Bland manufactured a new clock movement.  The Cumbira Clock Company made a full restoration in 2007-2008 in time for the 500^th anniversary of the accession of King Henry VIII.

The second card shows four views of Hampton Court Palace and grounds.  Located in Greater London at Richmond upon Thames, Hampton Court is a royal palace, one of only two surviving palaces owned by King Henry III.  Today it is open to the public and a major tourist attraction.  An independent charity, Historic Royal Palaces, cares for the buildings and grounds without funding from the Government or the Crown. 

Thomas Wolsey, the Archbishop of York and Chief Minister of Henry VIII, took over the property in 1514 from the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.  During a seven-year period of time beginning in 1515 he spent 200,000 gold crowns to build the finest palace in England.  Little of Wolsey’s building remains unchanged; however, his seal is still visible over the entrance arch of the clock tower.  There were 44 lodgings reserved for guests with the very best state apartments set aside for the King and his family.  Henry VIII stayed there immediately after the apartments were completed in 1525.  Wolsey fell out of favor and knowing that his enemies were planning his downfall, he passed the palace to the King as a gift in 1528. 

Henry VIII added the Great Hall, the Royal Tennis Court, and vast kitchen designed to feed his court of 1,000 people.  His only son, Edward VI, was born at the palace.  When Henry VIII died in 1547 he was succeeded first by his son, then by both his daughters.  Queen Elizabeth I had the eastern kitchen built that has since become the palace’s public tea room.  Rebuilding and expansion projects were undertaken in the late 1600s by William of Orange and Queen Mary II.  Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of St. Paul's Cathedral, drew the plans and William Talman was selected as master of works.  A vast new palace somewhat resembling Versailles was to be built piece by piece, first demolishing existing antiquated parts of the palace and replacing them with new sections including two courtyards.  The project was not finished, however, and the palace ended up with two architectural styles, domestic Tudor and Baroque.  Pink bricks were used throughout giving the structure unity and symmetry was achieved with the low wings.  King George II was the last monarch who lived in the palace.  

The palace is home to many works of art and furnishing from the Royal Collection.  Much of the original furniture dates from the 17th and 18th centuries.  There are several state beds still in their original positions.  A crystal chandelier dating about 1700 hangs in the King's Privy Chamber which also contains the Throne Canopy.  The King's Guard Chamber has arms, muskets, pistols, swords, daggers, powder horns and pieces of armor displayed on the walls.  

 With thanks to Jim & Kelsey as always for sharing the postcards.

For more interesting details about the clock and palace with photos of the exterior and interior of the palace, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampton_Court_astronomical_clock
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampton_Court_Palace

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 235

Kensington Roof Gardens, London, English, ca 1940

This black & white real photo postcard of the Derry & Toms (Kensington) roof gardens has no date but the clothing and hairstyles suggest a date around 1940.  D.F. & S Ltd. of London published it for Derry & Toms.  The blurb on the reverse side states that these are the only gardens in the world of such dimensions at so great a height, 1.5 acres at 100 feet above ground.  The soil is 2. 5 feet deep with water pumped from two wells 400 feet deep. 

Designed by Welsh landscape gardener Ralph Hancock the gardens were built between 1936 and 1938.  It was partly because of his success with a rock and water garden designed for HRH Princess Victoria in 1927 that he was chosen to design the gardens at Rockefeller Center in New York constructed between 1933 and 1935.  When Trevor Bowen, managing director of the department store, saw the Rockefeller gardens he wanted to create a similar effect in London.  Hancock used brickwork, rocks, Tudor arches and wrought iron.  Over 500 different varieties of trees and shrubs were planted.  The cost of construction was ₤25,000 and visitors were charged 1 shilling to enter with the money raised donated to local hospitals.  Today the gardens still look as they did in the late 1930s.

Joseph Toms opened a small drapery shop on Kensington High Street, London, England, in 1853.  Nine years later in 1862 his brother-in-law, Charles Derry, joined him to form the London department store, Derry & Toms.  Considered a supplier of goods to the upper class of Kensington by 1870 the business had incorporated seven surrounding stores.  The store retained its name when it was sold to John Barker & Company in 1920.  Construction on a new building began in 1930 and opened in 1933.  The store was sold again in 1971 to Biba but continued to operate as Derry & Toms until 1973 when it finally closed.  Virgin Hotels Group, Ltd currently owns the building.  Both the gardens and the building are listed as Grade II, English Heritage sites. 

 The gardens have appeared as locations in various fiction stories, movies and were used in a music video “Oh, Pretty Woman,” by Roy Orbison. 

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Roof_Gardens
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Hancock_%28landscape_gardener%29
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derry_%26_Toms

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 207

Sir William Butts, M.D., ca 1543 by Hans Holbein the Younger

He's not a movie star or someone currently famous but this type of card with a portrait on it does seem to fall into that category.  In the early 1900s many not so famous people also had their own picture put on cards to share with family and friends.  Putting portraits on postcards does provide another way for us to see the likenesses of individuals from years past as well as clothing styles and a peek into history. 

This week the postcard features a portrait of Sir William Butts, M.D. (1486-1545), physician to Henry VIII painted by Hans Holbein the younger in 1543.  Butts was a Member of the College of Physicians and knighted just before he died in 1545.  He is buried at All Saints Church, Fulham, London.  The painting is part of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum collection, Boston, Massachusetts.  Brüder Hartmann printed the postcard in Berlin, Germany.  The unused card was found in a small local secondhand/antique shop and caught the eye because the find occurred when the PBS Masterpiece series, Wolf Hall, about Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII was being aired.  Dr. Butts is mentioned in the series, as is Hans Holbein the artist.

The artist, Hans Holbein the Younger, was born about 1497 in Augsburg, Bavaria, then part of the Holy Roman Empire.  His father, uncle and brother were also painters and draftsmen.  At about age 30 he traveled to England looking for work and eventually became one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century creating portraits of Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell, and Henry VIII among others.  In his position as King’s Painter to King Henry VIII he not only painted portraits but also designs for jewellery, plate, and other precious objects.  He is sometimes referred to as a realist drawing and painting with precision.  After his death some of his work was lost but later much was found and collected.  By the 1800s he was recognized as a great portrait master.  He layered his works with symbolism, allusion and paradox and they have remained a fascination of scholars.

For more about Hans Holbein the Younger and William Butts, please see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Butts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Holbein_the_Younger

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 51

The Guildhall, London, England

St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, England

Like some of the rest of you I have been staying up at night to watch the London Summer Olympic Games.  Since I did have these two postcards sent from London in 1907 I thought it might be a good time to share them. 

As mentioned previously, early 1900s postcards were often used for more than just notes such as as calling cards, invitations and as advertisements.  Edward Cheasty was a friend of I.C. Lee but he was also the owner of a haberdashery (men’s clothing store) located on 2nd Avenue and James Street in downtown Seattle.  Mr. Cheasty made regular trips abroad to purchase and order items to be sold in his store.  On at least one such trip he sent a series of postcards to I.C. Lee with a little note at the top stating where he was, that he was buying novelties for his shop and inviting Lee to come into the store and see these new items. 

The top card of The Guildhall was sent in January 1907, the lower card was sent in September 1907 and they could very well represent more than one trip to England.  The cards are divided with a space for a message and address on the backside but the United States did not start doing that until December 1907 so Mr. Cheasty has continued to write his message across the picture on the front side as was the custom and the law in the States. 

Here is just a little historical trivia about The Guildhall—During Roman times there was a large amphitheater on the site the partial remains of which are on public display in the basement of the Guildhall Art Gallery.  When I first thought of “guild” I thought of the various trades that had their own professional guilds or organizations not “gild” meaning money or gold.  Although I guess “trade” does suggest money or gold as well.  However, it is thought that the term Guildhall refers to the Anglo-Saxon word gild-hall or a place where taxes were collected. The first mention of the London Guildhall is dated 1128.  The current building was begun about 1411 and is the only stone building not belonging to the Church that survived the 1666 Great Fire of London.  It is part of a large complex that contained medieval crypts, a library, and a print room. 

Several historic trials have been held there such as that of Lady Jane Grey.  It also contains memorials to many famous persons including Admiral Lord Nelson and Winston Churchill.  Today administration offices for the City of London are no longer housed in the older building but are located in a modern building immediately north of the Guildhall.  The historic interiors of the Guildhall itself are open to the public once a year.  In addition to the Guildhall Art Gallery there are also the Clockmakers’ Museum and the Guildhall Library.  One of the events still held there is the Lord Mayor’s Banquet.

For more information see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guildhall,_London

Very well known, St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the most famous sights of London and has been a part of the London skyline for 300 years.  It is located on the highest point in London, Ludgate Hill.  There was another church on this site dating from 604 AD that was remodeled and rebuilt several times the most recent replacement in 1677 as part of a major rebuilding program following the Great Fire of 1666.  The architect at that time was Sir Christopher Wren.  St. Paul’s is still a busy, working church with daily services and where Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee, 80th birthday and the Diamond Jubilee services were held.  There are supposed to be postcard images of the dome standing amid the smoke and fire of the Blitz of World War II that were used as morale boosters during the war. 

For more information about St. Paul’s: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Paul%27s_Cathedral