If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 662

 

 

 

 

 

Five views of Bremen, Germany, ca 1982

 

This is a typical traditional type of tourist, souvenir postcard with five representative views of Bremen, Germany.  It is a used postcard, mailed from Bremen in 1982.  There is a blurb at the upper left on the reverse that identifies each photo.  From the top left:  1.  U.[Unser] L. [Lieben] Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), 2. Altes Rathaus (Bremen City Hall), 3. Mühle am Wall (Am Wall Windmill).  Bottom left 4. Überseehafen (Oversea port), 5. Banhofsplatz (Main Station, railway).  The card is a Günter Reinhardt product, printed in Bremen.  Cards like this one were often available for purchase at the locations shown on the card.  Sadly, this card did not have a photo of the famous statue of the Town Musicians of Bremen from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. 

 

1.      The Church of Our Lady is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Bremen.  This building dates from the 13^th century and has brightly colored stained-glass windows by the French artist, Alfred Manessier.  An earlier church dedicated to Saint Vitus stood here and was replaced by a newer building around 1020.  Only the crypt decorated with medieval frescoes exists today.  In the 12^th century the building was extended to form a basilica.  Then around 1220 it was consecrated to the Virgin Mary.  Renovations and rebuilding have occurred several times throughout the years.  Although the pictures only show one, there are two towers.  In 1973 this church was listed under the monument protection act.

2.     The Bremen City Hall has also been protected since 1973 as an historical building.  It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2004 in part because of its prime example as Brick Gothic and Weser Renaissance architecture.  Located on the northeastern side of the market square, a statue of Roland stands directly in front of the building.  This “new” structure was built in the 15^th century and is the seat of the President of the Senate and Mayor of Bremen.  The first townhall had been on the southern end of the block near Our Lady’s Church. 

3.     Am Wall Windmill was built in 1898.  It is open to the public and has a restaurant.  The first windmill on this site was built in 1699; however, it was destroyed by fire and then rebuilt several times.  The windmill is located in the middle of a city park.  It has four shuttered sails, sits on an eight-sided base, and is steered by a wind vane.  There are several different types of windmill sails.  Spring sails, invented by Andrew Meikle of Scotland, in 1772, are divided into bays, each having a number of shutters.  The shutters are joined together by a shutter bar.  The photo on card may be too small to provide the detail necessary to see the individual shutters on the sails.  Each sail has a separate spring that adjusts the shutters depending on the force of the wind.  Visitors pay a nominal fee to tour the building which is open every day.  During the winter months it is only open in the afternoon.

4.      Überseeshafen was located in the urban area and is now called Überseestadt.   Überseehafen or Oversea harbor was opened in 1906 and taken out of service in 1991.  In 1998 the harbor was filled with soil taken from the current main shipping lane of outer Weser.  This allowed has allowed reclaimed land to expand the urban area, hence the name change to Überseestadt.  Other harbors include Medieval harbors, outer harbors, Emigrant harbor, Weser Correction and modern basins.  In the last decades overseas travel has switched to air transport; mixed cargo is now by container transport, using sea vessels of increased size. 

5.     The main rail station, Bremen Hauptbahnhof, is the most important railway station in the city.  Bremen’s first rail station opened on the current site in 1847.  By 1870 rail traffic had increased so much that the station could not cope and an additional new station was built north of this one.  Within 10 to 15 years it was decided that one single station would be better than two stations.  Today’s station was built between 1886 and 1891, in 1907 more tracks were added.  Even though the station has been remodeled several times, as late as the 1990s and early 2000s,  the exterior still resembles the original 1880s building.

 

 

 

Stamp and postmark on the postcard

 

 

 

 From:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_Musicians_of_Bremen

 

We were in Bremen for a quick stop in 1982; however, we were not near the statue and did not get a picture of it.  As an ode to the fairy tale, here is a photo of the statue from Wikipedia.org

 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Our_Lady,_Bremen

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

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

https://en.wikpedia.org/wiki/Wind-sail

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

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

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

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

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 661

 

 

 

 

 

Bornholm, Denmark, 1982

 

Published by Colberg Boghandel a/s Rønne, Denmark this week’s used postcard is an Eneret card #1640 and features a cute illustration from the island of Bornholm showing fishermen, herring, and smokehouses.  At the lower right is “Hvor silden går I brede stimer ligger øen med de fleste solskinstimer” that roughly translates to:  Where the herring nets are found in wide shoals lies the island with the most hours of sunshine.”  The card would probably be termed a novelty card because of the cartoon-like picture.

 

Unlike most of the rest of Denmark, which is somewhat flat with low rolling hills, Borholm is a rocky island rising high out of the sea.  The northern part of the island is very rocky while the southern tip has a beach with some of the most fine grained sand found anywhere.  The middle of the island is farmland.  In addition to its round churches, the island is also famous for its herring fishing and smokehouses.  Two smokehouses can be seen at the upper left on the card.  Herring drying are found at the right edge, and the rest of the picture shows the process of fishing, cleaning, preparing the herring, and smoking the fish.  Drying racks can be seen just in back of the two women taking fish out of a basket.  The catch of the day is found on the docks and by the building in the center of the card.  There is even a whimsical black cat who has just finished eating a herring.  The artist’s signature is found along the right side “Bjerno.”

 

Because of its weather and the geology of the island it is known as the “sunshine island.”  The heat from the summer is stored in the rock formations and the weather stays warm until October.  The southern sandy beaches are popular vacation swimming and camping areas.

 

I was surprised and delighted to find that my mother had kept this card we mailed to her while on a trip to Scandinavia in 1982.  My youngest son was 4 years old and quite taken with the picture on the card.  He wanted to send it to his grandma and so he did with some help.  The main reason for visiting Bornholm on that trip was to see where my paternal grandfather, Axel Schrøder, was born and lived as a boy.  Although we were not able to find his exact home, we found the town, got an idea of where the farm was located and what it was like where he grew up. 

 

 Danish stamp, issued 1981

 

The stamp, issued in 1981, has a picture of N.F.S. Gundtvig’s childhood home.  Gundtvig (1783-1872) was a Danish Lutheran pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher and politician who was one of the most influential people in Danish history.  He and his followers are credited with influencing modern Danish national consciousness.  He was a contemporary of Hans Christian Andersen and Søren Kierkegaard; however, his writings are not as well known internationally.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://visitbornholm.com/en/cities-places/selected-places/smokehouses

https://en.wikipedia.org/N._F._S._Gundtvig

 

Update to Thursday postcard, 587 [Christmas]

 

 

 

 

 

A friend recently sent this sheet with an example of how the chromolithogrphy color prints were created.  Each image shows the color on that particular run.  After 5 runs the card has the full color picture.  The printing and cutting would have to be extremely precise in order to achieve the full perfectly colored picture.  

 

 The stamp on the example is French and features Paul Sérusier 1864-1927. It was  issued in 2007, thus the process would not be exactly the same as it was when the Christmas card was sent in 1914, but similar enough to give the viewer an idea of how it was done.  I thought it was interesting and worth sharing.  As always, thank you to my friend who sent the sheet.

 

Sérusier was a French Post-Impressionist painter who was also a pioneer of abstract art.  For other examples of his work and biographical information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_S%C3

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 515

 

 

 

 

 

Flower Fairy, illustration by Cicely Mary Barker, ca 1923-1925

 

This, and the others shared here, are unused postcards with illustration reprints by www.PIXILUV.COM.  They are part of Cicely Mary Barker’s flower fairies collection.  I saw pictures of some of Barker’s illustrations and then discovered that I could order a set of 24 as postcards.  Imagine my surprise when they finally arrived—from New Zealand!  The envelope included some nice stamps as well. 

 

Here are a few more of her flower fairy illustrations.

 

 

In this example it is possible to see how Barker used the leaves and berries or flowers to create the costume.

Here the fairy is sewing buttons made from the Tansy flowers onto a jacket.

 

The lacy Hydrangea in the little fairy's hair and the ruffle skirt of the larger fairy resemble the petals

 In our garden we have a raised bed with mixed raspberries, Marion berries, and Loganberries and a second bed with strawberries, hence this illustration caught my attention. 

 

Cicely Mary Barker was born 28 June 1895 in Croydon, Surrey England.  She had one older sister, Dorothy.  She grew up in a moderately prosperous home with a nanny, cook, and governess.  Barker took art classes by correspondence when she was a girl and later at Croydon School of Art.  Eventually she held a teaching position there.  Her first professional illustrations were found in juvenile magazines, as greeting cards and as postcards.  Her first book, Flower Fairies of the Spring, was published in 1923.  Flower Fairies of Summer and Autumn followed with a series of Winter Fairies published posthumously in 1985.  She also produced a few Christian-themed books such as The Children’s Book of Hymns and He Leadeth Me, in collaboration with her sister.  She designed a stained-glass window for the St. Edmund’s Church, Pitlake.  Barker worked in watercolor, pen and ink, oils and pastels. 

 

In 1912 Barker’s father died.  In 1924 the family moved into a four level Victorian house where Barker had a studio built in the garden and her sister conducted a kindergarten in a room at the back of the house.  Some of the children Barker’s sister taught modeled for the fairy illustrations.  The plants in the illustrations were painted from specimens at hand or provided from Kew Gardens.  Barker also designed and built flower fairy costumes and incorporated the leaves and flowers into the costumes based on the plant that was featured in the illustration.  The wings were made of twigs and gauze.  After each illustration was completed, she recycled the parts for other costumes.   She signed her fairy illustrations with her initials CMB usually at the lower right corner. 

 

Cicely Mary Barker was epileptic as a child and was cared for by her mother and sister.  Her sister passed away in 1954.  Following her mother’s death in 1960 she moved to Storrington Sussex, England where she restored an apartment in a larger building.  The apartment or flat had been bequeathed to her by a friend, Edith Major.  After she moved Barker’s health declined.  Her last years were spent in and out of nursing and convalescent homes and tended by relatives and friends.  She died 16 February 1973.

 

 

 

Perhaps fittingly one of the stamps on the envelope features Children’s Health.  The other stamp features Tongariro National Park.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 509

 

 

 

 

 

Bride and Groom wearing traditional wedding costumes, Ulvik, Vestland, Norway, ca 1997

 

This used postcard is a Snorre Natur og Kulturforlaget product with SD140 printed at the bottom edge on the reverse.  The photograph is by Snorre Aske.  A cousin sent this card in 1997.  The blurb at the upper left on the reverse says:  “Traditions are kept up in Norwegian fjords.  You can still see bridal parties arriving at the church by boat.  National costume from Hardanger with gold brooch.  Ulvik.”  The village and Ulvikafjorden, are seen in the background.

 

Norway is divided into fylke or counties.  In 2020 some of the counties were combined and renamed.  The village of Ulvik, situated on an arm of the Hardanger fjord, that was formerly in Hordaland.  Today it is in the new county of Vestland, which resulted from the merging of Hordaland and Sogn og Fjordane.  This bunad or national costume is slightly different than the one found in the area closer to Bergen where the Landaas family lived.  However, the colors are similar and it has the traditional and distinctive Hardanger cutout embroidery on the bride’s apron.  The beautiful sølje pin seen at the upper right on the card is not only decorative but in times past was functional. There were no buttons on the blouse or vest and the pins were used as fasteners.  The pins are handmade, usually in sterling silver with gold spoons or disks.  Anciently the spoons were supposed reflect the sun and protect the wearer. 

 

The bee and ladybug stamps, issued in1997, are fun and were part of a sheet featuring several different types of insects. 

 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulvik_(village)

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 475

 

 

 

 

Near Pitfure Church, Rogart, East Sutherland, Scotland, ca 1950s

Today’s used postcard, published by Anne Baxter, Golspie & Train, features an image by Photo Precision Ltd., St. Ives, Cambs.  The number R7711 is printed at the bottom center on the reverse.  This is another card that was found in a shoebox of mixed cards in an antique mall.  

The country scene is appealing and includes a little patch of heather, lower right corner.  Heather is one of the traditional flowers of Scotland but it also grows in the mountains in the Pacific Northwest.  The road winding through the valley of Strathfleet leads to Lairg a village in the Highlands.  While most of the settlements in the Highlands are along the coast, Lairg is inland.  It used to be known as the Crossroads of the North from the four roads that meet in the village.  

Rogart is a small village in the Highlands that was the home of Major Andrew MacDonald.  MacDonald is known to have fought in the French and Indian War.  The Rogart railway station opened in 1886 and allowed the village to expand around the older village.

Open-air preaching was traditional before 1900 when there was a division in the United Free Church.  In 1929 most of the United Free Church joined the Church of Scotland but there were still some bad feelings and the congregations remained separate until around 1948 when they were officially united into one congregation.  

One story regarding the church building was that in the old days prior to the split, the site for the building was refused by McLeod, the land owner.  McLeod claimed as “Lord of the soil and therefore entitled to prevent God’s creatures from enjoying that soil for any purpose which he does not approve.  He will let it out for culture, and give houses in which to eat and drink and sleep, but not a spot on which to build a house of God, to worship.”  Prior the building of the church, the community asked if they could meet on the beach above the high-water mark.  The answer was that they could put up a tent and meet there for worship.  Between 1900 and the completion of the building members met in local homes and sometimes in the open-air.  In 1906 fundraising was started to build a new church at Pitfure.  The project was completed in 1910.  Robert J. MacBeth of Inverness was the architect.  At the jubilee celebration in 1960 an open-air meeting was held behind the church just as the sun was setting over the hills.

The stamp shows a profile view of Queen Elizabeth with the Lion of Scotland at the upper left.  This design with various values was printed for use in Scotland in the 1950s.  

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogart
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lairg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Skibo_and_Strafleet
https://rogartheritage.co.uk/places/pitfure-church
 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 457

Statue of General Chanzy, Le Mans, France, 1919

A young soldier in Le Mans, France sent this used postcard to a girl in Welch, West Virginia on 28 January 1919 via Soldiers Free Mail.   The sculpture shows General Antoine Alfred Chanzy (1823-1883) standing atop a pillar with scenes depicting episodes of national defense at the base of the pillar.  Aristide Croisy (1840-1899), a French sculptor, completed this piece in 1885.  Although Croisy made other types of sculptures he is most known for several bronze sculptures with military themes.  

General Chanzy was the son of a cavalry officer and was educated at the naval school at Brest.  He later enlisted in the artillery and subsequently attended the military academy Saint Cyr.  His time of service was during the rule of Napoleon III.  He was commissioned in 1843, promoted to lieutenant in 1848 and then to captain in 1851.  In 1856 he became Chef de bataillon, a lieutenant colonel in the Syrian campaign of 1860-1861, and then in 1864 he commanded the 45th Regiment at Rome as a colonel.  He had a good professional reputation but because of suspected leaks to the press he was in disfavor with the war office.  Due to this he was denied a brigade command.  However, after the revolution he was recalled from Algeria and given command of the XVI Corps of the Army of Loire.  The Loire army won great success; however, they lost to an overwhelming German force at Le Mans.  The statue is a memorial to him and to the Loire Army 1870-1871 during the Franco-Prussian War.  Despite the loss he became a national hero because he displayed moral courage, constancy, and technical skill in face of defeat.  He was made grand officer of the Legion of Honour and elected to the National Assembly.  While in Paris he was captured by insurgents at the beginning of the Commune rebellion.  He was forced to promise not to serve against them and the government paid a ransom of ₤40,000 or about 4 million dollars today.  Positions and honors include governor of Algeria 1872; elected life senator in 1875; received the grand cross of the Legion of Honour in 1879; and ambassador to Russia from 1879-1882.  He died suddenly while commanding the VI Corps in 1883 and received a state funeral. 

Reverse

One of the interesting things about this postcard is the cancellation mark and the printed stamp from the U.S. Army Post Office.  The stamp looks a little like a football and has the number 762 in the center that refers to the location.  In this case the location is Le Mans, France.  The year 1919 is also printed to the left of the inked in stamp.  The time, day and month are found within the cancellation circle, Jan 28, 2 am.  At the upper left, under the return address information is what looks like the remains of a glued stamp that has been peeled off.  On other examples of this type of card there is a U.S. Army stamp, not a postage stamp, which appears to be usual on Soldiers Free mail cards.  It is hard to read his last name, perhaps Cleghan ?  But his rank was Sgt (Sergeant) in the 117th Infantry Regiment.  The 117th Infantry Regiment was deployed in 1918 toward the end of the war and based at Tunneling Camp near Le Mans, France.  These soldiers were being trained in trench warfare but since they arrived near the end of the war it is not known if they actually engaged in any battles.   

It was a romantic notion that Billie and Lillian married after the war but I could not find any record of that or any further information about him.  Lillian does marry someone else in 1936.  What happened to Billie?  Sadly he may have died from influenza that was becoming pandemic when it was time for him to return home.  Many soldiers brought flu back home with them.

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Chanzy
https://en.wikpedia.org/wiki/Aristide_Croisy
https://en.wikpedia.org/wiki/American_Expeditionary_Forces
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench_warfare
https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~cacunithistories/military/117th_Infantry.html

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 437

Ernest Ansermet
[photo from the collection of Laurent Kasper-Ansermet]

This week’s postcard is a first day cover, a postage stamp on a cover, postcard or stamped envelope.  First day covers frequently have a pictorial cancellation, such as this one with the music treble clef, name of the city, and the date.  The card is unused; therefore, it was not sent through the mail and not cancelled as most stamps are on used cards.  This type of card is a collector item but not as coveted as a used and officially cancelled card on the exact day or first day of issue.  A card like this one might have had the first day postmark applied weeks or even months after the date indicated so there is no way to tell if the card was purchased on the exact date printed in the cancellation.  First day covers often have an illustration that relates to the theme of the stamp.  This type of illustration is called a cachet.  The photograph of Ernest Ansermet on the right side is the cachet on this postcard.

Ernest Ansermet (1883-1969) was a Swiss orchestra conductor who rose to international prominence after World War II through a long-term association with Decca Records.  Originally he was a mathematics professor at the University of Lausanne.  He began conducting in 1912 at the Casino in Montreux, then between 1915 and 1923 he was the conductor for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes.   During those years he met and consulted with Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel about how their works should be performed.  He also met Igor Stravinsky and began a lifelong interest and association with Russian music.  In 1918 he founded his own orchestra, the Orchestre de la Suisse romande (OSR).  He became famous for accurate performances of difficult modern music on his travels in Europe and America.   He was also one of the first in the field of classical music to take jazz seriously.

For more information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_day_of_issue
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Ansermet 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 432

Wartburg, Eisenach, Germany, ca 1904

The postcard shared this week has an etching of Wartburg by Carl Jander, Berlin.  It is an undivided back card with a postmark of 2 12 04 or 2 December 1904.  Only the address of the recipient was allowed on the reverse and the message of “Merry Christmas, H.F. Sill Carioble” is found at the lower right corner on the picture side of the card. 

I was first attracted to the card because it was old, then when I picked it up I noticed that it had a texture and appeared to be an etching or engraving.  Etchings were reproduced but not mass-produced during this time period and earlier.  Etchings are made by burning designs or pictures on copper plates with acid.  The copper plates were then inked and pressed onto paper to produce copies.  Usually the artist signed etchings.  An engraver carves directly onto surfaces using tools not chemicals.  The only information I could find on Carl Jander is that he was a German etcher working in the early 1900s.

The subject of the card is Wartburg Castle located in Eisenach, Germany and built beginning in 1067.  Substantial renovations have been made, the most recent in the 19th and 20th centuries; therefore, while the castle still contains substantial structures from the 12th through the 15th centuries much of the interior dates to more recent times. 

Wartburg was the setting for a legendary Minstrels’ Contest in 1206/1207.  Richard Wagner later based his opera Tannhäuser on that event.  The castle was the home of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in the early 1200s.  It is also the place where Martin Luther stayed while translating the New Testament of the Bible from Greek into German.  The castle was the inspiration for Ludwig II when he decided to build his famous Neuschwanstein Castle. 

Today it is one of the most visited tourist sites in Thuringia and offers guided tours of the interior of the buildings.  There is a museum in the castle.  Donkey rides up the hill to the castle are available for children.  There is also a hotel next to the castle that was originally built during a 19th century reconstruction phase.  

Canceled stamp on the postcard

Stamp without cancellation marks

[internet image]

The stamp on the card was part of a new series issued at the beginning of 1900 that featured allegorical and patriotic subjects.  It has a picture of the German actress, Anna Führing (1866-1929) who posed as Germania in an 1891 photograph.  Her picture on the stamp eclipsed her acting career as she is remembered as the model for the Germania postage stamp rather than as a live theater actress or a silent screen star.

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warburg
https://www.stamp-collecting-world.com/germanempire_germania00.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichspost

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 429

First Day of Issue, John Knox Witherspoon, Patriot, 1975

The postcard this week is a “First Day of Issue” featuring the patriot, John Knox Witherspoon (1723-1794), who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It is postmarked 10 November 1975.  This is in a series of First Day of Issue cards and stamps that featured notable early Americans.   The series was issued just prior to the beginning of the bi-centennial year of 1976. 

On the reverse is information about Witherspoon.  As can be seen, there is no space for a private message on this side of the card.  Most First Day of Issue cards, envelopes and stamps on envelopes are collectibles.  A postcard such as this one was not necessarily meant to contain a private message.  Sometimes there are first day ceremonies to generate publicity for the new stamp.  Many First Day of Issue postcards have a pre-printed stamp at the upper right corner as this one does; others have a regular stamp with the same design. 

The picture at the left side of the card is called a cachet and is designed to provide information about the subject of the stamp.  On this card it explains why John Witherspoon’s picture is on the stamp. 

For additional information, see:

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Witherspoon
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Day_of_Issue
http://www.afdcs.org/fdcourse.html
https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/first-day-covers-worthless-3125465

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 395

Ponte Pietra (Stone Bridge), Verona, Italy

The postcard shared this week is as much about the card as about the stamp. The card is a Posteitaliane issue and the stamp is a Europa 2018 commemorative featuring the stone bridge or Ponte Pietra in Verona Italy.  The cancellation mark also has the image of the bridge.  A collector's item that I was surprised and delighted to receive.

Ponte Pietra crosses the Adige River in Verona, Italy and was built around 100 BC.  It is the oldest bridge in Verona and was once known as the Roman arch bridge.  Originally there were two bridges crossing the river and providing access to the Roman theater on the east bank.  Alberto I della Scala who commissioned the Castelvecchio (last week’s postcard) also rebuilt the bridge in 1298.  Four of the five arches of the bridge were destroyed during the German retreat of World War II and later rebuilt in 1957 using original materials. 

It is just incredible to see ancient structures still standing and still in use.  Le Pont du Gard in France is also about this same age and although it no longer functions as an aqueduct it is also still standing and can be walked across.  

Ponte Pietra - Verona, commemorative Europa stamp

Once again thanks go to our friend for sharing the unused card and its stamp.

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponte_Piertra_(Verona)

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 385

The Viaduct de Busseau, Creuse, France, ca early 1900s

This vintage postcard with a real photograph is one that was shared by my French friend.   The card has the number 116 at the upper left and identifies the place and indicates that the picture is an ND Phot.  Unfortunately the ND is insufficient for identifying the photographer or the studio. 

With the stamp placed on the picture side of the card it suggests that the card was mailed shortly after it was possible to write a message on the backside of the card.  Prior to about 1908 postcards had undivided backs and messages were penned on the picture side of the card with only the address and stamp permitted on the reverse.  This card has a divided back with a message plus the address but that left no room for the stamp so it went on the front of the card instead.  Once people became used to the divided backs a space was outlined on the back for the stamp. 

The viaduct is an iron railway bridge that crosses the Creuse River located in Ahun, Creuse, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France.  It is about 1,111 feet or 338.7 meters long and about 185 feet or 56.5 meters high.  It is a lattice truss and deck truss bridge.  Originally built in 1863 but was damaged during World War II.  It was then repaired in 1944-45 and is still in use today.  

The image of the sowing woman was used on French stamps for about 100 years from 1840 to 1940.  I found some examples of this 10c stamp listed as issued in 1906 and that corresponds with the tentative dating of when the card was mailed or around 1910.


As always a special thanks to my friend for sharing the postcard.
 
For additional information, see:

https://structurae.net/busseau-viaduct

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 362

Hot air balloons over the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, England

The world famous bridge seen on this postcard is the Clifton Suspension Bridge.  It spans the Avon Gorge and the River Avon linking Clifton in Bristol to Leigh Woods in North Somerset, England.  The bridge opened in 1864 and has been a toll bridge since that time.  The income from the tolls helps to maintain the bridge so (to make a pun) it is self-supporting.  The photograph on the card produced by Provincial Pictures, PP47, is credited to Philip Pierce.  There is a smudge on the card to the left of the center where it went through the cancelling machine and also at the lower right in the margin.

As early as 1753 there was a desire and idea to build a bridge across the Avon Gorge.  The original plans had the bridge constructed of stone, another version was made of wrought iron.  In 1831 an attempt to build the bridge was halted by the Bristol Riots and a later attempt in 1836 failed due to financial difficulties.  Even though the contractors went bankrupt the two towers of unfinished stones were built in 1837.  A design by the great Victorian engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859), was the basis for the final design revisions by William Henry Barlow and John Hawkshaw.  The bridge was finally completed in 1864, five years after Brunel passed away.

The towers are about the same height but the designs are slightly different.  The postcard picture shows the Leigh side’s more pointed arches while the Clifton tower side cutouts are a little more difficult to see.  Wrought iron chains pass over roller-mounted saddles at the top of each tower that allows movement when loads pass over the bridge.  There are 81 matching vertical pairs of wrought-iron rods suspending the bridge deck from the big arc of six suspension chains.  The original bridge deck was wooden planking that was later covered with asphalt. 

Trivia:  The total length of the bridge is 1,352 feet or 412 meters and it is 331 feet or 101 meters above the high water level.  The toll is £1.00, approximately 8,000 vehicles pass over the bridge each day.  There has been a tradition of lighting the bridge for events. Today the lighting is by LEDs but in 1864 for the ceremonial opening parade magnesium flares were used that were extinguished by the wind.  Later thousands of electric light bulbs were used.  Due to weight overloading concerns the bridge now closes for major events such as the annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta and the Ashton Court Festival.  The University of Oxford Dangerous Sports Club began bungee jumping from the bridge in 1979.

The Queen Elizabeth II profile stamp design has been used with variations since she became queen in 1952.  While not a complete set these were interesting because they are each a different value and a different color.  


As always my thanks to a friend who sends wonderful postcards from travels.

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifton_Suspension_Bridge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isambard_Kingdom_Brunel