If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 780

 

 

 

 

13 – LYON – Le Sanctuaire de Fourvière et la Ville, vue prise de la Tour Métallique., ca 1918-1920s 

English:  LYON – The Fourvière Sanctuary and the city, view from the Metal Tower

 

This unused Vintage postcard features an aerial view black & white photograph of the Shrine of Notre-Dame (Our Lady) de Fourviére and the surrounding city of Lyon.  The picture was taken from the landmark metal tower of Lyon.  The card has a divided back and the typical greenish color often found on cards of this era.  The P ND and hot. logo at the lower right on the front and the printer/publisher’s name on the left side margin on the reverse “Aciens Etab. Neudein et cie – imp. Crété Sicc/ Corbeil-Paris.  English:  Formerly Neurdein & Co. – Crété Printing Works, Corbeil-Paris,” help date the card from 1917-18 when the Neurdein photography-postcard company changed ownership, and the 1920s when the new owners retained part of the same name and continued to use Neurdein photographs on the cards.  The perforated left edge of the card indicates it was removed from a set of souvenir cards in a booklet.

 

The shire dedicated to Our Lady at Fourvière has existed here since 1170.  It has always been a popular place of pilgrimage.  There have been several instances when the Virgin Mary is credited with saving the city.  As examples, once during a pandemic of bubonic plague that swept Europe in 1643, again during a Cholera epidemic in 1832, and during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871 when the city was saved from invasion.  Each year in December thanks are given to the Virgin for saving the city by lighting candles throughout the city in an event called the Fête des Lumières or Festival of Lights. 

 

Over the centuries the chapel and other parts of the building have been rebuilt with the most recent major work done in 1852 when the former steeple was replaced by a tower with a golden statue of the Virgin Mary. 

 

The metallic tower was built between 1892 and 1894.  There is a noticeable resemblance to the Eiffel Tower that was built about three years later.  In 1914 when there was an Exposition held in Lyon the tower had a restaurant and an elevator to take visitors up to the top.  It was used as an observation tower until 1953.  Today it is a television tower and is not accessible to the public.  It is the highest point in Lyon at 372 meters or 1,220 ft tall.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Notre-Dame_de_Fourvi%C3%A8re

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metallic_tower_of_Fourvi%C3%A8re

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 779

  

 

 

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 779

 

114- LYON – Monument des Enfants du Rhône et l’entrée de Parc de la Tète-d’Or, ca 1918-1920s

 

This is an unused souvenir Vintage Postcard that was removed from a booklet set of postcards.  It has the typical greenish color on the reverse that was common for the time.  The title in English:  Park of the Head of Gold refers to a legend that says a treasure with a Christ’s head could be buried in the park.  The number 114 and the logo P with ND and (P)hot.. are found at the lower right corner.  The left edge is perforated where the card was removed from the booklet.  On the reverse left side margin is: “Aciens Etab. Neudein et cie – imp. Crété Sicc/ Corbeil-Paris.  English:  Formerly Neurdein & Co. – Crété Printing Works, Corbeil-Paris.  The photography studio of the brothers, Étienne and Antonin Neurdein, established in 1864 was reorganized in 1915. The company was sold after the death of Étienne Neurdein in December 1917 to Imprimerie Crété in Corbeil (1917-1918).  The new owners continued to use the Neurdein plates under the combined names.

 

The monument shown in the picture is known as the Monument to the Children of Rhône.  It is dedicated to the soldiers from Lyon who died during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.  Created by the sculptor Étienne Pagny in 1887 it is located at the entrance to the park.  The monument consists of a bronze statue of a woman with a flag, a trumpeter, and a lion’s head near the inscription.  It stands in front of a stone hemi-circle.  Public subscriptions financed the monument. 

 

This park is the largest urban park in Lyon, France and includes a botanical garden, a small zoo, and a lake.  During the summer there is boating on the lake.  The park also has a velodrome, mini golf, a mini train, equestrian facility and other sports equipment.  It is popular place for joggers and cyclists.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_des_enfants_du_Rh%C3%B4ne

 [Note:  I am leaving this link here with the note that it does not always load.  Try searching for:  Monument des Enfants du Rhône.  There should be an English translation option.]

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parc_de_la_T%C3%AAte_d%27or

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 778

 

 

 

 

 

15 - Troyes, Panorama, France, ca 1910

 

This is a used Vintage postcard with a black and white photograph of the city of Troyes located in the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of northeastern France.  Along the left upper margin, the postcard company is identified as Collection, I.G.  The back of the card is divided.  The handwritten message includes the date:  May 19, 1910.  The message reads:  “Dear Selma, I spent last Thursday in Troyes but found no time to write postals.  Troyes is a lovely large historic city.  The trip was interesting.  I also visited a Lycié- a French state school.  And I am so enthusiastic about it that I would get right into one if I could.  Helas!  I do not know how soon I shall be called home.  I am waiting for letters.  Yours with love, Frieda.”  Note:  Frieda and Selma share the same surname suggesting that they might be have been sisters or cousins.

 

Some prehistoric remains of a settlement in the Troyes area date to as early as 600 BC.  Celtic grave-mounds have been found near the city, and artifacts have been excavated from the city.  During the Roman Empire the city was known as Augustobona Tricassium.  It was a place where highways intersected with Via Agrippa connections to Reims, Langres, Milan, Poitiers, Autun and Oreléans.   

 

By the 4^th century the people had become Christian and the city became a seat of a bishop.  An early cathedral was constructed on the site where the current one stands today.  There was a great fire in 1524 that destroyed much of the medieval city.  However, there are still many half-timbered houses from that time period that have survived.  Because Troyes did not suffer from bombing during World War I or II, it also still has a number of old religious buildings that were built after the fire that are located close to the center of the city.  The Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Cathedral is the tall structure found in the back center of the photo on the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 777

  

 

 

 

 

 

Versailles, France -- Palais du Grand-Trianon, Chambre de la Reine d’Angleterre, ca. early 1900s

[Translation:  Versailles, France – Grand Trianon Palace, Queen’s Bedroom (of England).] 

 

This unused, divided back postcard only has the title on the front of the card, no photographer, publisher, printer or identification code is on the front or the reverse of the card.  The card looks similar to others dating from the early 1900s.  Featured on this Vintage postcard is a photograph of what is mislabeled the Versailles Bedroom of the Queen [of England]; however, it does not look quite like the Queen’s bedroom as it is today.  There have been renovations and restorations since the card was published.  Much was destroyed during the French Revolution (1789-1799).  What is displayed now is thought to be close to what it looked like before the Revolution.

 

Since these chambers were reserved for the use of the reigning queens of France, it appears the title on the card was mislabeled as for the Queen of England.  Three French Queens used the room:  Marie-Therese the wife of Louis XIV; Marie Leszczynska, wife of Louis XV; and Marie-Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI. 

 

 

 

 

Throughout the castle there are information placards explaining each display.

 

 

A view of the upper part of the bed.

 

When I visited Versailles in 2012, I took a few pictures.  Versailles is an extremely popular tourist destination.  There were crowds of people in all the rooms and it was nearly impossible to get good pictures without people standing in front of something interesting.  Doors concealed by tapestries lead to small spaces or rooms.  These doors allowed the Queen to move discreetly to other areas of the castle.  They also allowed the King discreet access to the Queen's quarters.  Marie-Antoinette was said to have escaped through one of the secret doors during the French Revolution when Versailles was stormed by mobs of people. 

 

Visitors are issued ear-buds and a self-tour recording that provides historical information about each of the rooms. 

 

The Queen would have spent most of her time in her quarters, even receiving guests.  Trivia fact, the Queen’s bed was wider than the King’s bed since he joined her in her quarters.  This was also the room where births took place in public.  A total of nineteen children were born in these quarters. 

 

 

  

The ceiling decorations were created for Marie-Therese, wife of Louis XIV.

 

During the French Revolution the Queen’s bedroom was completely emptied of furniture and décor.  Replicas of the balustrade, the bed, and replacement period furniture help make the room look like it did when the Queens lived here.  

 

 

   

The Hall of Mirrors.  This picture provides a glimpse of how many people are walking through the castle at any moment.

 

For more information, see:

 

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/Grand-appartement_de_la-reine

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_apartment_at_Versailles

https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/palace/queen-apartments#the-queens-bedchamber

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 775

 

 

 

 

 

Épernay – Pont sur la Marne – Magenta et la Villa

[Title in English: Épernay – Marne Bridge – Magenta and the Villa]

 

This unused Vintage postcard has a divided back with Catala Frères, Paris printed on the reverse center line.  Featured on the card is a black & white photograph of the bridge between Épernay and Magenta, both small communities in the Marne department in northeastern France. 

 

The bridge at the upper center area of the picture is the Pont sur Marne.  Épernay was occupied by the German army during World War I.  A large number of troops were stationed there.  It was also a transit point and an important hospital center.  Proximity to the front lines meant the town was bombed many times.  About two-thirds of the town of Épernay was destroyed including the bridge pictured on the card when the Germans retreated.  Today a newer bridge spans the Marne River.  The village of Magenta can be seen on the right side of the bridge. 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magenta,_Marne

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 774

  

 

 

 

 

Parc de Versailles, Le Bassin d’Apollon [Palace of Versailles, The Apollo Fountain], ca early 1900s

 

This is an unused Vintage postcard featuring a black & white photograph of the Apollo Fountain found in the gardens of Versailles, France.  The card has a divided back.  No information about the postcard company, the photographer, or the distributor appears on the card.  The title is found at the bottom center on the front of the card.  The view on the card is looking toward the palace. 

 

When I visited Versailles in 2012, I took a picture of this fountain from the other side.  On that day the fountain was not turned on making it easier to see Apollo and his horse drawn chariot rising from the sea.  It is always fun to find vintage cards from places I have visited.  In the background of the card there is a crowd of perhaps hundreds of people beginning from the palace all the way forward to near the fountain.

 

 

 

  

Fountain of Apollo, 2012

 

The pond, called The Pond of Swans, was originally dug in 1639, when King Louis XIII ruled, then later it was enlarged in 1671 by his successor, King Louis XIV.  King Louis XIV was also known as the Sun King and thus associated with Apollo, the sun god.   The fountain was constructed between 1668 and 1671.  The east-west orientation of the pond and the fountain represent Apollo rising in his chariot as the sun lights the day, riding across the world, west, to the sunset, to rise again the next dawn.  The dawn theme was popular during this era and also appears painted on some European palace ceilings.  

 

 

Gates at Versailles
 

Plenty of gold is found both on the outside and the inside of the palace.  Versailles is a popular tourist destination.  Despite the thousands of visitors, the grounds and palace are kept in beautiful condition.  The gold leaf is redone not on a schedule but when it shows wear and can sometimes last for many years before it needs replacing.  It had been recently redone when we visited in 2012.  The sun theme associated with King Louis XIV is also found on the ornate golden gate into the grounds of Versailles.  

 

 

Looking toward the center of the palace and the gold clock face

 

 

A small section of the exterior of the palace with the gold clock face.  Looking carefully, it is possible to see the sun, for the Sun King, in the middle of the clock dial on the palace.  The 5 June 2012, "Paris -- Picture Gallery," has more pictures of the exterior and interior of Versailles.  Use the search option for Versailles.

 

 

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassin_d%27Apollon

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 773

  

 

 

 

 

The Rothéneuf Church, Saint Malo, France

 

This unused Vintage postcard with a divided back features a black & white photograph of the Rothéneuf Church, Saint-Malo, France.  At tue upper left on the front of the card can be found the number 4814, the title: “Rothéneuf – L’Englise” or The Rothéneuf Church, and the initials G.F.  At the bottom left corner is:   “Collection Germain – T. Guérin, successeru, St. Malo.”  No additional information is found on the reverse of the card.   

 

Today this would be categorized as an historical card as it shows not only the church but the people dressed in clothing of the era the picture was taken.  Men’s clothing does not change too much but women’s and children’s clothing can help date the picture to the early 1900s or slightly before.  Note:  previous Thursday postcards, numbered 586, 589, 605, 745 and 747, can be found by using the search bar and Saint Malo. 

 

The village of Rothénneuf is located northeast of Saint Malo on the coast.  It is a seaside resort that is most famous for its rock sculptures (see the postcard #605 from 27 April 2023).  The card was found in a shoebox jumble in a local antique mall.

 

Trivia:  The navigator and explorer, Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) who is credited with the discovery of the St. Lawrence River in Canada was born in Rothéneuf.  He also spent his final years there.  His Rothéneuf estate has been turned into a museum.  It is known that he made maps and wrote accounts of his voyages but they no longer exist. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roth%C3%A9neuf

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcard, 772

 

 

 

 

 

The Cross at Saint-Servan, Brittany, France ca early 1900s

 

This unused Vintage postcard is numbered 88, and attributed to the postcard/photography studio of Lévy Fils, Paris.  Typical of French postcards of this era the reverse has a slight greenish tint to it.  The back is divided and labeled for Correspondence on the left and Addressee on the right.  Because of the greenish coloration and the divided back the card can be dated to the early 1900s.  The town of Saint-Servan or St. Servan is located in Brittany, western France, about 2 miles from the Saint-Malo ferry port. 

 

The House of the Cross at Saint-Sevan is where Saint Jeanne Jugan performed their charitable works for the Little Sisters of the Poor.  Today Catholic pilgrims can visit this site.   Who was Saint Jeanne Jugan?  She was a French Catholic nun who was born in 1792 and died in 1879.  She is primarily known for dedicating her life to the neediest of the elderly poor.  The daughter of a fisherman she worked as a shepherdess while young and later as a kitchen maid for the Viscountess de la Chou.  The viscountess took Jugan with her when she visited the sick and poor.  Although Jugan had opportunities to marry, she declined proposals and told her mother that God was calling her to a work with elderly sick women.  Her work began in 1839 with service to one blind woman who was also partially paralyzed who had no one to care for her.  Later Jugan rented a room to provide housing for a dozen elderly people.  That beginning morphed into acquiring an unused convent building that could house 40 people. 

 

Eventually Jugan founded the Little Sisters of the Poor.  About this time additional young women joined Jugan in her mission of service.  The sisters would go door-to-door daily asking for food, clothing, and money for the women in their care.  By 1850 over 100 women had joined the congregation.  Sadly, Jugan was forced out of her leadership by Abbott Auguste Le Pailleur, the priest who had been appointed Superior General of the congregation.  He assigned her to do nothing but begging on the street until she was sent into retirement. 

 

The Little Sisters started In France but by 1851 had expanded to England and five communities were in the United States.  By 1879 there were 2,400 Little Sisters across Europe and North America.  Members of the community make vows of chastity, poverty, obedience, and hospitality.  They wear traditional habits, either all-white or black with gray veils.

 

Jugan was canonized a saint in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Sevan

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

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 771

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malta, Strada Reale, early 1900s

 

A black & white photograph of the Strada Reale, or main street, in Malta is featured on this unused Vintage postcard.  At the top is the title, and at bottom middle on the front of the card is “Photo The Grand Studio.”  At the bottom right corner on the reverse is:  09 3221.  No other information is available on the reverse.  It is a divided back card. 

 

The photograph featured on the card shows the main street of the Captial city of Valletta, Malta, that extends the whole length of the Capital.  Parts of the street are paved with flint stones.  This street is known variously as Republic Street, Strada Reale, or Kingsway.  Important buildings and squares are found along the route of the street.  These include the City Gate, Freedom Square, the Courts of Justice, the Parliament of Malta, Palazzo Ferreria, Royal Opera House, the Archaeology Museum, St. John’s Square, Spinola Palace, The Malta Chamber of Commerce, the Casino Maltese and others.  The Valletta Local Council together with the Maltese government manages the street.  It is mostly open to pedestrians and has highly limited vehicle use.  Commercial deliveries load and unload in the early morning.  Only electric cabs/taxis are allowed to drive up and down the street.  Even the Malta Police Forces uses Segways to patrol the streets.

 

Malta is an island country located in the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and North Africa in Southern Europe.  The name Malta comes from Italian and Maltese, and means a place of honey or sweetness.  Some think the Greeks may have given the island the name after the bees that were found on the island centuries ago.  It could also come from the Phoenician word for haven or port. 

 

In 2019 archaeologist Eleanor Scerri discovered the remains of hearths, stone tools, and the bones of a number of different animals at the Latnija Cave that indicated that hunter-gatherers lived on Malta around perhaps as early as 6500 BC.  Archaeological excavations are still being worked on there. 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_Street,_Valletta

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 769

  

 

 

 

 

The Liberty Bell

 

Since we are near the 4^th of July and the 250the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this card and the one for next week will be featuring items of historical interest. I am also including a Vintage card that was shared in 2012 when the Liberty Bell was on a national tour in 1915.

This unused postcard above features the Liberty Bell on a souvenir card from TWA [Trans World Airlines].  It is a Linen card with a divided back.  On the center line of the reverse is “Litho U.S.A.—3-265, 9-95.  It required a once-center stamp.  TWA logo is found at the lower left corner on the reverse.  The blurb is located on the right side on the front of the card: “The Liberty Bell, Color-foto by TWA.  Symbolic of our freedom, the historic Liberty Bell stands on display in Independence Hall, Philadelphia.  Here also our nation’s founders signed the Declaration of Independence.”  

 

 

   

Liberty Bell on tour, Seattle, July 14 1915. 

 

The Seattle was one of the cities on the tour route for the Liberty Bell in 1915.  This Vintage postcard shows Washington State Governor Ernest Lister is standing beside the bell.  Thursday postcard 63, from 1 November 2012 has more detailed information about the card and the bell. 

 

Originally, at the time of the founding of the city in 1682, Philadelphia had a city bell that was used to alert the public to proclamations or civic danger.  The city’s founder, William Penn, brought that bell.  In 1751 a new bell tower was being built and the civic leaders wanted a bell of better quality than the original one so it could be heard at greater distances.  The new bell was known as State House Bell, or Old State House Bell.  The first casting resulted in a crack and the bell was re-cast.  It is the second casting of the bell.  Later the new bell was officially named the Liberty Bell  The crack seen on these cards occurred between 1817 and 1846.  The most common story about the cracking says that it happened when the bell was rung upon the death of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835. 

 

The Liberty Bell was transported by railroad to seven expositions and celebrations between 1885 and 1915.  The train would make extra stops so that more people could view it.  The bell was put in a glass fronted oak case for protection.  Concern over continued cracking worsening and to prevent souvenir hunters chipping at the bell it was returned to Philadelphia where it is now houses in Liberty Bell Center where visitors pass through exhibits about the bell before reaching the bell itself.  Today visitors can no longer touch the bell.

 

First called Transcontinental & Western Air, operating from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops was one of the big domestic airlines.  The name was changed as service expanded to overseas travel.  Howard Hughes began buying TWA stock in 1939 and eld a controlling interest in the company by 1944.  He gave up control in the 1960s.  Trans World Airlines operated from 1930 until it was acquired by American Airlines in 2001.  It was listed as a trunk carrier, also known as trunk airlines or trunklines.  This type of airline existed between 1939 and 1941.  Trunk airlines flew the main domestic routes. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_Airlines#Ambassadors

https://en.wikipedia.lorg/wiki/Trunk_carrier

To see the previous blog post #63, put Liberty Bell in the blog Search field

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 766

  

 

 

 

 

Pantheon, Rome, Italy

 

This unused, divided back, postcard is another one that has had some reddish tinting added to a black & white photograph of the Pantheon in Rome, Italy.  Halftone printed cards, such as this one, date from the early 1900s through 1930, A flat red or blue color was applied to specific areas of a black & white image.  There is a blurb at the upper left side:  “The Pantheon, Rome, Italy.—A celebrated temple in Rome built 27 B.C. by Marcus Agrippa, and known as the Pantheon of Agrippa.  It has the finest dome in the world, 142 ½ feet [or 43.4 meters] internal diameter and 145 feet high [or 44.19 meters].  It is considered one of the most interesting sights of Rome.”  The card does not provide the printer/publisher/distributor or photographer, but only indicates that it takes a one-cent stamp.  Note:  The present building shown on the card is not the original one, but one that was built by the emperor Hadrian and dedicated in 126 A.D. to replace the one built in 27 BC which had burned down.  Hadrian chose to re-inscribe the newer temple with Agrippa’s original inscription from the older temple. 

 

The Pantheon is one of the best-preserved of all the Ancient Roman buildings, most likely because it has been in continuous use throughout its history.  Since the 7^th century it has been a Roman Catholic church dedicated to St. Mary of the Martyrs.  The square in front of the building is the Piazza della Rotonda.  Today the Pantheon is a state property managed by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism.  Millions of people visit it each year. 

 

The oculus or eye of the dome is open to let in light; however, it also lets in rain, hence the marble floor is inclined and has drains built in to promote rainwater runoff.  When the Pantheon was dedicated for Christian worship in 609, the icon of the Virgin and Child was given by Phocas to Pope Boniface IV.  The present altar and the apses were commissioned by Pope Clement XI (1700-1721).  The choir, designed by Luigi Poletti, was added in 1840.  Numerous paintings and sculptures have been added over the years. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome