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, 764

 

 

 

 

 

 Interior of the Church of Notre-Dame de Saint-Melaine, Rennes, France

 

 

This is an unused Vintage postcard produced by Neurdein featuring a black & white photograph of the interior of the Our Lady of Saint Melaine Catholic church located in Rennes, France.  The divided back card has the typical greenish color on the reverse that is common in French cards of the late 1800s or early 1900s. 

 

The title is printed on the bottom margin and the Neurdin logo, large P hot. and ND in the center, is at the bottom right corner.  Neurdin is also identified at the left margin on the reverse.  Neurdin was a family publishing company founded by Jean César Adolphe Neurdein (1806-1867) and succeeded by his sons, Etienne (1832-1918) and Atonin (1846-1914).  They primarily took pictures of buildings, historical places, castles, expositions, and cemeteries and published many of their photographs on postcards. 

 

Before the current church was built there was an abbey that dated back to the 6^th century.  The church is named for Melaine, a monk who became abbot of a small monastery and later Bishop of Rennes in the 6^th century.  He was popular among the people and several miracles are attributed to him.  After his death, Melaine was quickly revered as a saint and is today the principal patron saint of the Diocese of Rennes.  He is buried in the Abbey Church of Notre-Dame de Saint Melaine, Rennes, France.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

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

https://religiana.com/church-notre-dame-de-saint-melaine-rennes

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 761

 

 

 

 

 

  

233 - Côte d’Émeraude, Dinard, La Passerelle Émeraude – Les Casinos

[Photo :  Quest Henne]

 

A Vintage black & white unused postcard from the early 1900s features a picture of the Emerald Coast or Côte d’Émeraude, Dinard France.  The title with a identifying number is printed at the top of thepicture.  Barely visible at the lower right corner is Photo-Quest Henne.  The card has a divided back but no information about the publisher, printer, or distributor.  Using a magnifying glass, it is possible to discern the clothing that helps date the picture to the early 1900s.  Women are wearing long dresses, the men are in suits, some wearing hats. 

 

Dinard is a community located in Brittany, France.  The beaches and mild climate make it a popular seaside resort and tourist destination.  Attractions include film festivals, casinos, and deluxe hotels.  The photo shows beach cabanas and hotels and casinos in the background.  The Thursday postcard from 5 January 2023, #589, also features Dinard and includes pictures of the famous luxury villas.  Although it retains its French charm, it is also known as one of the most British coastal resorts in France. 

 

For additional information, see:

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

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 756

 

 

 

 

 

McCullough Bridge, North Bend, Oregon

[Photo by Mike Anderson]

 

Featured on this unused color postcard is the Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge that spans Coos Bay on U.S. 101 near North Bend, Oregon.  The card is an André Print with CB-11 and a blurb found at the lower left corner on the reverse.  The blurb states:  “Quiet waters on Coos Bay capture the reflection of McCullough Bridge, Highway 101, on the Oregon Coast.  Photo by Mike Anderson.  J.&H – Portland, Oregon…Printed in Australia by Colorscans.” The deckled/scalloped edges date the card to the 1960s or earlier.

 

This bridge was completed in 1936 and named the North Bend Bridge.  It was renamed the Conde B. McCullough Bridge in 1947 in honor of McCollough who had passed away in 1946.  There are ten other major bridges on the Oregon Coast Highway that were designed under the supervision of McCullough.  The bridge replaced ferries that formerly crossed the bay.  It has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

 

The bridge has a cantilever through-truss design with the main piers supported on piles driven into the bay’s bed.  The piers and concrete structures were built by the Northwest Roads Company of Portland, Oregon.  The Virginia Bridge and Iron Company built the steel sections of the bridge.  The main towers of the cantilever section were made off-site and moved to the bridge site in sections.  The cantilever design was preferred due to the long spans and heavy traffic in the shipping channel.  The main towers rise 280 feet or 8.2 meters above the water.  The overall length of the bridge is 5,305 feet or 1,617 meters.  The main span has 145 feet or 44 meters of vertical clearance.  There are pedestrian viewing plazas  at both ends of the bridge.

 

 Thanks to Bob for sharing the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 755

  

 

 

 

 

Battle Rock, Oregon coast

 

This is an unused color postcard featuring a photograph of Battle Rock also called Battle Rock Arch found on the Oregon coast inside the city limits of Port Orford.  It is “Another André Original” printed or published by Anderson’s Scenic Postcards of Portland, Oregon.  At the bottom of the center line on the reverse is “DBN-1 A, Mike Roberts.”  In the designated area for a stamp is also written B35.  The edges of the card are scalloped or deckled which help date it to around 1960 or earlier.  The blurb at the bottom left side on the reverse: “This unusual rock formation is at Port Orford, Oregon, the most westerly town in the continental United States.”  The blurb is not entirely correct and should have said “one of the most westerly.”  Battle Rock is in the Otter Point Foundation which is in the boundaries of the Cape Blanco State Park.  It is the cape that extends farther west than any point of land in the contiguous United States, except some places on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. 

 

The rock is mainly basalt.  At low tides it is connected to the mainland but at high tide it is not.  It is about 300 ft or 91 m long and approximately 60 ft or 18 m high.  It has some trees and other vegetation growing on it.  Geologists have estimated most of the land in the Otter Point Formation can be dated back to the Jurassic period. 

 

How did Battle Rock get its name?  In 1851, nine men were left at Port Orford by captain William Tichenor as part of the western expansion to the Pacific Coast.  That same year a skirmish broke out between the white settlers and the indigenous Quatomah Tutunis, Athapaskan people, who lived in the area.  The settlers eventually fled but later returned in greater numbers.  The leader of the nine men left by Tichenor, J.M. Kirkpatrick, published an account of the skirmish which inspired the name of the rock.  His account has become a local legend and part of Port Orford’s community celebrations and folklore.  Several native chiefs and a member of the nine-men expedition, who later died, are buried on Battle Rock. 

 Thanks to Bob for sharing the card.

For additional information, see:

 

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 753

 

 

 

 

   

Bloedel Conservatory, Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, ca 1970s

 

Two postcards from the same place are shared this week.  The top card is identified as a Première postcard published by Natural Color Productions, Ltd. Richmond, B.C., Canada.  The unused card features a color photograph by Marty Sheffer of the Bloedel Conservatory.  There is a blurb at the lower left corner on the reverse:  “AW 80B … Queen Elizabeth Park features many colorful walkways.  This photo was taken from above the Quarry Gardens with the Bloedel Conservatory in the background.”

 

The Bloedel Conservatory is located at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park.  One of the Canadian centennial 1867-1967 projects, it opened in 1969.  The architectural design is a triodetic dome.  It is both a conservatory and an aviary, with around 500 different species of plants and 200 birds.  Three habitats are represented: tropical rainforest, subtropical rainforest, and desert.

 

Because the city of Vancouver already held a lease and had built an open air water reservoir on the proposed site for the conservatory on top of Little Mountain in the park, the project faced complications.  A lid was constructed over the reservoir, and conditions were attached to the conservatory, such as, it could not detract from the natural beauty of the site nor jeopardize the quality of the potable water supply to the city.  In 2009 the Vancouver Park Board voted to close the conservatory due to a budget shortfall.  Several groups lobbied to keep it open.  In 2010 the Friends of the Bloedel Association and the VanDusen Botanical Garden Association submitted a proposal to run the Bloedel Conservatory as part of the VanDusen Botanical Gardens.  A joint proposal was accepted.  In 2013 the Friends of Bloedel won the City of Vancouver Heritage Commission Award of Honour.  VanDusen Botanical Garden Association later changed their name to the Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association to reflect the joint management. 

 

The second card is a Majestic postcard also published by Natural Color Productions, Ltd., and printed by Lawson Graphics Pacific Limited, KS 6633.  There is a blurb at the lower left corner on the reverse:  “KM-91  Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.  This beautiful floral garden was the outcome of a transformed stone quarry.  To add to the beauty and interest the unique Bloedel Floral Conservatory was constructed.  The Conservatory and Gardens are only a portion of the reason thousands of people visit the park each year.  It features tennis courts, a pitch and putt golf course, walking trails and as the highest point in the city, an excellent view.  Photo by Gammarax Studios.”

 

 

 

Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, ca 1970s

 

Queen Elizabeth Park is a municipal part located on top of Little Mountain in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  It overs 130 acres and was once the site of basalt quarry. 

 

The park land was an old-growth forest and spawning ground for salmon before the European settlement.  By the 1870s settle population began exterminating the grey wolves, elk and bears, chopped down the old growth forest and paved the salmon creeks.  In 1936 the B.C. Tulip Assocation suggested sunken gardens could be created in the old quarries.  By the 1940s the site was turned over the Vancouver Park Board and became a park and recreational area.  A gift of $1.25 million by Prentice Bloedel funded open reservoirs and built the domed conservatory.  There are covered walkways, lighted fountains, and a sculpture by Henry Moore, “Knife Edge Two Piece, 1962-65.

 

Both cards come from Bob's scrapbook collection.  Thanks for sharing.

 

For additional information, see:

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth_Park,_British_Columbia

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 749

 

 

 

 

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

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

 

 

Logo of ARFO postcards, used in the 1920s

 

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

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

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

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

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 747

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rothéneuf, Cȏte d’Émeraude, Un coin du Havre, France, ca early 1900s

 

This is an unused, divided back, postcard with a black & white picture by the French photographer and postcard publisher, Henri Le Malloit (1866-1953).  The title identifies the view as part of the harbor.  Rothéneuf is a seaside village resort community located in northwest France not far from Saint-Malo. 

 

The Emerald Coast, or Cȏte d’Émeraude, is a name given to the English Channel coast of eastern Brittany near the border with Normandy, France.  Eugene Herpin, who was a lawyer and historian, named it because of the colors of the sea and the shore.  It was hoped the name would encourage tourism and development. 

 

Thursday postcard #605, dated 27 April 2023, has another view of Rothéneuf that includes the famous sculptures in the rocks that were created by Abbé Fouré, who lived as a hermit in the cliffs above Rothéneuf. To see it, use the search option on the blog:  Rotheneuf.  

 

The photographer, Henri Le Malloit, used this logo on his postcards:

 

 

 

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%B4te_d%27%C3%89meraude

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

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

 

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 746

 

 

 

 

 

View of Cairo, Egypt, ca early 1900s

 

This unused divided back postcard has a tinted or dyed black & white photograph featuring a view Cairo, Egypt.  As has been seen on other cards from this era, the predominate color agent is red and shades of red printed over the original picture.  The photographer, printer, and publisher are not identified.  However, there is a blurb on the left side on the reverse that says: “View of Cairo.—Cairo is one of the great historic cities of the known world. It is built on the ruins of one of the most ancient cities, and it still maintains all the characteristics of narrow streets, and is the typical home of the Star and Crescent.” 

The use of some color on postcards can be noticed beginning as early as around the 1860s.  Various methods and mediums, such as dyes, watercolors, oils, crayons, pastels and pencils have been used to enhance black and white pictures.  This postcard appears to have used a dye that was printed over the image, then run through a printer more than once, allowing for easier mass production.  I think the card made two or three extra runs through the printer in order to achieve the different colors.  The outline around the red colored building in the foreground looks almost like a stencil cutout.  The lighter tinted or dyed building at the left has less color bleeding into the background.  It is possible that a light blue dye or tint was added to the sky.  The card would be considered a souvenir card. It was among several others found in a jumble box at a local antique mall.  

There is scaffolding around the towers on the mosque seen at the left side of the photo.  Without identification of the building it is difficult to tell if this is a new structure that hasn’t yet been fully completed, or a very old one that was undergoing some renovation. 

 

For additional information, see:

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wik/Cairo_Citadel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand-colouring_of_photographs 

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 741

 

 

 

 

 

Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy

 

The Palazzo Vecchio, or Old Place, in Florence, Italy is featured on this pink tinted unused vintage postcard.  While the card does have a blurb at the upper left corner on the reverse it does not identify the photographer or the publisher/printer.  With a magnifying glass it is possible to see horse drawn wagons at the right near the arches and at the left center near the building, making it possible to estimate the date of the picture to the late 1890s or early 1900s.  The card has a divided back narrowing the publication date to after 1902 for the card itself.  The blurb is in English and says:  “The Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, Italy—For many years this magnificent building was the seat of the Florentine government.  The court of the Palace dates back from the 16^th century.  On the right of the picture is the Loggia de artists, in marbles and bronzes.”

 

Before full-color photographs were common or available for reproduction, various methods of tinting or coloring pictures was a popular trend on cards like this one.  Pink or light red seems to be predominant on most early tinted cards.  Sometimes more than one color was used.  This card has a slightly darker reddish tint on the building behind the main structure.  The foreground is a very pale pink in contrast. The top of the tower is partially cut off on the card, hence there is not a complete image of the entire building.

 

The Palazzo Vecchio has had different names at different times over the centuries.  It was called Palazzo della Signoria, Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo dei Priori and Palazzo Ducale depending upon what entity was using the building.  The people of Florence decided to build a palace here that would be more secure and defensible in times of conflict.  Construction for a new building began in 1299 on the ruins of Palazzo dei Fanti and Palazzo dell’Esecutore di Giustizia that had once been owned by the Uberti family.  The Uberti were said to be rebels and the new fortress palace was built to prevent that family from rebuilding at that location ever again. 

 

A cubical shaped building it is made of solid stonework, with two rows of two-lighted Gothic windows, each with a trefoil arch.  Decorative bas-reliefs by Michelozzo were added in the 15^th century.  Crenellated battlements are supported by small arches and corbels.  There is also a simple tower with a clock. 

 

When Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici moved his official seat from the Medici palazzo to this palace in 1540 he renamed it Palazzo Vecchio or Old Palace.  He also commissioned an above-ground walkway called the Vasari corridor that went from the Palazzo Vecchio through the Uffizi, over the Ponte Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti.  He also moved the seat of government to the Uffizi.  Today most of the Palazzo Vecchio is now a museum. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 740

 

 

 

 

 

Skyline view of Cologne, Germany, ca 1979

 

This is a used postcard postmarked 1979 and featuring a silhouette view of the Cologne on the Rhine River, Germany.  At the upper left corner on the reverse, it reads:  “Köln Am Rhein. Rheinufer mit Dom, Gr. St. Martin und Rathausturm” [view with Rhine River, Church of Great St. Martin, and the City Hall].  At the bottom left corner on the reverse is:  Fabaufhame: Horst Zeithen [color by Horst Zeithen].  The center line also on the reverse side has the code Z 100, and Gertrud Zeithen with an address as the printer/distributor. 

 

The handwritten message was sent unsigned to the writer’s mother and perhaps a brother.  Part of the message is worth repeating here as it mentions the Cathedral in Köln.  “…The Cathedral in Köhn is one of the finest in all of Europe.  With many works of art and lots of gold.”  The stamp was one from a set issued in 1977 that featured castles and palaces. 

 

 German stamp issued in 1977, one in a set featuring castles and palaces

 

St. Martin’s, also known as Great Saint Martin Church, can be seen on the left side of the card.  The foundations date to about 960 AD and rest on remnants of an earlier Roman chapel.  That chapel was on what was then an island in the river.  A Benedictine monastery was housed there for a time.  Today the buildings, including the tower, form one of the landmarks of Cologne’s Old Town.  It was badly damaged during World War II.  At the time the postcard was sent restoration may have been in progress but the project was not completed until 1985.

 

On the right side of the picture is the Cologne City Hall or Rathaus complex comprised of several buildings.  The city council and the offices of the Lord Mayor are found in the complex.  It is the oldest city hall in Germany with the oldest of the several structures dating back approximately 900 years.  Buildings that were added over the centuries are representative of several different architectural styles from Gothic, Renaissance, to Modern Movement.  The site was home to the former Ancient Roman Ptraetorium that was destroyed by an earthquake in the late 8^th century. 

 

Cologne is the fourth most populous city of Germany with over one million inhabitants in the city proper and over 3 million people in the Cologne Bonn urban region.  The city is home to more than 30 museums and is a major cultural center for the Rheinland area of Germany.  The University of Cologne is one of Europe’s largest and oldest universities. 

 

The Rhine River is seen in the foreground of the photograph.  It is one of the major rivers in Europe and begins in the southeastern Swiss Alps and flows downstream from Lake Constance running eventually down into the Netherlands and emptying into the North Sea.  It is the second longest river in Central Western Europe after the Danube.  It also contains Rhine Falls the most powerful waterfall in Europe.   

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Martin_Church,_Cologne