If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 544

 

 

 

 

 

Greeting postcard, 1910

 

One of my granddaughters found this charming used greeting postcard in a shop near where she lives and sent it to me recently.  The card was printed during the Golden Age of postcards, 1898-1920, has a divided back, and is postmarked 14 February 1910.  The design is embossed, raised on the front and indented on the reverse side.  The convenience of a postcard and the one cent stamp made the cards a popular means of sending short messages to friends and loved ones.  This card does not have publisher-printer information but it does have the letter A in the upper left corner on the reverse.  Publishers during this era would sometimes put a “colophon” or a publisher’s emblem/trademark somewhere on the card.

 

 

 

Reverse,

Note the indentations from the embossed design that appears in raised format on the front of the card.  

 

The message appears to have been written by an adult for children to send to their cousin.  It reads:  “Hello Wilber, Hope you are all well this bad weather.  We have colds.  Grandpa was here yesterday we worried him getting one.  Cousins, Darald & Helen.”  The card is addressed to:  Wilber Turner, Fleming, R.D. (? I or 2), Ohio”  A Wilbur Turner living in Fleming, Ohio in 1910 was 10 years old. 

 

The language of flowers and the use of flower symbols was often used on cards during the time period when this card was printed.  The card shared this week has purple and white irises.  White irises were a symbol of purity. Purple irises symbolized royalty and wisdom.  Irises also represent faith, valor, and hope.  The fleur-de-lis used by French royalty was inspired by the iris.  It appeared on their coat of arms, shields, and coins.  Yellow irises stand for passion and blue for faith and hope.  Iris is the Greek goddess of the rainbow which is fitting since the flower, iris, comes in a multitude of varieties and colors. 

 

Thank you, Min, for the postcard and your notes.  It was fun to receive and much appreciated.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/postcard/postcard-history

https://worldpostcardday.com/history

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

https://www.ftd/blog/iris-meaning-and-symbolism

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

http://www.metropostcard.com/publishersa1.html

 

 

 

A Family Gathering: Thompson

 

 

 

 

 

My late Valentine to extended Thompson family members.  This is the fifth book in the Family Gathering series and features Didrik “Dick” Thompson.  It was finished and published a little before Christmas 2021.  Like the others in the series, it is for interested extended family and not for sale except by invitation.  Family members who would like to order a copy can contact me, via email, message, or in the blog post comments, and I will send the appropriate link to the Blurb publishing site store.  Please note, self-publishing is expensive and the books are costly.  I would really like to be able to give them as gifts to all the family members but it is simply not possible or practical to do that. 

 

The book is mostly about Grandpa Dick but it does include pictures and information about his ancestors, his parents, siblings and his two daughters.  It also contains a section with the descendants starting with Dick’s father, Didrik Andreas Thomsen.    

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 543

 

 

 

 

 

Caryatid porch of the Erechtheion, Athens, Greece

 

This is one of several unused postcards shared by K & J.  The card was printed in Greece with a photograph showing a closer view of the Caryatid porch of the Erechtheion in Athens, Greece.  In the 8 December 2016 postcard post numbered 276 more of the Erechtheion can be seen.  While it is possible to see that there are figures for the pillars on that postcard, it was not really possible to get a close-up view of them.  This card was in the group of cards that I recently received from K and clearly shows the maidens, hence, the chance to update the previous post.

 

These sculpted female figures, called Caryatids, sometimes spelled Caryatides, serve as architectural support in place of a more common looking column or pillar.  Each maid has a basket on her head that provides a way to safely distribute the weight.  Maidens of that time carried sacred objects used at feasts of the Goddesses Athena and Artemis in such baskets and these young women may represent priestesses of Artemis of Caryae.  Atlas would be their male counterpart. 

 

 

Girls who came from villages near Sparta, such as Caryae, were rumored to be beautiful, strong, and capable of bearing strong children.  Although they are posed the more or less the same, three have the left foot forward and the other three have the right foot forward, they are the same height and are similarly attired, their face, hair, stance and draping were carved separately and each is slightly different from the others.  The bulky hair styles provide necessary additional support to their necks, the thinnest and structurally weakest part of the sculpture. 

 

In more modern times caryatids have also been used as decorative pillars.  Thank you K & J for sharing the card.

 

For additional information and images of other caryatids, see:

 

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

 To see the original postcard post, 276, use the blog search box and use 276, caryatides or Greece.

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 542

 

 

 

 

Early 1900s Valentine with illustration by Margaret Evans Price

 

Valentine’s Day is approaching and it seemed appropriate to share these postcards with reproduced Vintage illustrations from the early 1900s.  The small printing shop, Laughing Elephant, in the Wallingford district of Seattle, specializes in reproducing vintage books and illustration such as postcards and posters. 

 

The first card, above, has an illustration by Margaret Evans Price.  Her initials are found to the left of the boy’s shoe.  Margaret Evans Price was born 1888 and died in 1973.  She was a United States toy manufacturer married to Irving Price.  Both husband and wife joined with Herman Fisher and co-founded Fisher-Price Toys in 1930.  She illustrated children’s books and was the first Art Director of Fisher-Price.  She designed push-pull toys based on characters from her children’s books. 

 

Margaret grew up in a wealthy influential New York family.  For a time, her father had a monopoly on building materials in the city and later her brother expanded the business to include book binding.  Her cousin, Charles Evans Hughes, became Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. 

 

Margaret Evans sold her first illustrated story to the Boston Journal in 1900 when she was 12 years old.  She went to high school in Charlestown, Boston, and studied at the Massachusetts Normal Art School.  She also studied at the Boston Academy of Fine Arts.  Before marrying she worked as a freelance artist in New York City where she was published by Rand McNally, Harper & Brothers, and Stecher Lithography.  After Fisher-Price was established she continued to exhibit her work in many galleries nationally.  She was also published in Nature Magazine, Women’s Home Companion, and Pictorial Review. 

 

Margret died in 1973.

 

 

Early 1900s Valentine with illustration by Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle

 

Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle was born in 1865 and died in 1934.  With over 3,000 signed souvenir/postcards she is considered the most prolific postcard illustrator of her era.  Some of her other cards have appeared previously in this blog.  Two Valentine cards are shared this week.  After more than 100 years her illustrations are still popular today.  It is faint but her signature can be seen at the right of the boy’s legs on the card above. 

 

Ellen attended a one-room school until the 8^th grade when she transferred to a boarding school in preparation for college.  Her parents and teachers encouraged her to pursue a career in art.  After finishing her studies she placed an advertisement in a local newspaper and began to teach art out of her home.  At the same time she started to paint commissioned portraits and branched out to landscape paintings.  She went on to become a commercial artist.  Her illustrations were often used in advertising and on porcelain goods, calendars, and greeting cards.  Today original single-faced cards with her illustrations are sought after by collectors.  Most of her souvenir cards were produced during the golden age of postcards, 1898 to 1915.

 

 

Early 1900s postcard with illustration by Ellen Clapsaddle and  published by M.W. Taggart

 

This is another Valentine card with an illustration by Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle and published by Taggart.  M.W. Taggart was a postcard publisher specializing in holiday and greeting cards that often had patriotic or humorous scenes.  The company was active between 1905 and 1910.  Ellen Clapsaddle’s faint signature is found at the lower left.  The Taggart company logo is found at the lower right corner, also faint and difficult to see. 

 

Happy Valentine's Day

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

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

https://laughingelephant.com/

 

 

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 541

 

 

 

 

 

Panathenaic Stadium, Athens, Greece

 

This week’s postcard is another one shared by K & J and has a photograph of the Stadium in Athens, Greece.  The card was printed in Greece, no photographer is credited. 

 

The stadium is located in a natural ravine in what is today the central Athens district of Pangrati.  Until the 1950s the Ilissos River ran in front of the stadium entrance but today the river flows underneath.  The multi-use stadium was built around 330 BC by the Athenian statesman Lykourgos/Lycurgus on a site that had previously been a simple racecourse.  It was built primarily for the Panathenaic Games that were held every four years in Athens.  The Games involved athletic competitions, cultural events, a religious festival, and a prize-giving ceremony.  There were cultural events that included poetry and musical competitions and equestrian events like chariot races, horse races, and a javelin throw from horseback.  Athletes competed in wrestling, boxing, an ancient form of martial arts called pankration, and foot races.   Because there were so many different events the games lasted about one week.  A 4^th century marble block was discovered to contain a program of events and the individuals and prizes inscribed on it.  In 144 AD the stadium was rebuilt by Herodes Atticus and could seat 50,000 spectators.  It is the only stadium in the world built entirely of marble and is one of the main historical attractions of Athens.  For something that is so old to look extremely modern with not many changes or updating, it is truly amazing.

 

After the rise of Christianity in the 4^th century the games were discontinued and the stadium fell into disuse and finally ruin.  The site was excavated in 1869 and was used to host the Zappas Olympics in 1870 and 1875.  The stadium was refurbished and used for the first modern Olympics in 1896 as the venue for 4 of the 9 contested sports.  In 2004 it was once again used as an Olympic venue.  The Athens Classic Marathon race finishes at the stadium.  It is also the place where the Olympic flame handover ceremony to the host nation takes place.

 

It was kind of fun to share this card today since this is the first day of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games being held in Beijing, China.

 

Thanks again to J & K for sharing the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

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

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 540

 

 

 

 

 

Presidential Guard, Athens, Greece

 

This is an unused postcard shared by J & K that has a photograph of the Greek Presidential Guard.  The card was printed in Greece but the photographer is not credited. 

 

The soldiers, the last unit of Evzones in the Hellenic Army, guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Presidential Mansion in Athens, Greece.  The guard is ceremonial only.  In addition to guarding the tomb and the entrance to the mansion it provides personnel for raising and lowering the Greek flag on the Acropolis of Athens, acts as honor guards during foreign head of state visits, and participates in parades.  The present guard was established by Royal Degree on 24 December 1868. 

 

The distinctive uniform evolved from clothes worn by klephts (highwaymen) in the Greek War of Independence or the Greek Revolution of 1821.  The scarlet fez has the national emblem on the front, and a long black silk tassel.  The white cotton kilt is called a Foustanella and has 400 pleats.  The white shirt has very wide sleeves.  The embroidered waist coat has traditional designs.  The fringes seen under the waist coat are blue and white, the colors of the Greek flag.  The two garters on each leg are black silk, the two stocking on each leg are white wool, and the shoes are red leather clogs with black pompons.  An interesting bit a trivia about the shoes is under the soles, depending on the shoe size, there are between 60 and 120 nails and each shoe weighs about 1.5 kilos or 3.5 pounds.  The cartridge belt is of black leather and has a bayonet holder case. 

 

Thanks K & J for sharing the card.

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Guard_(Greece)

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

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 539

 

 

 

 

 

Wright Brothers glider flight, 1902, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

 

The two postcards shared this week feature the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, on flights in glider and powered aircraft.  The black and white pictures from 1902 and 1903 are historical photographs that were made into postcards and distributed by the Eastern National Park Monument Association in 1984. 

 

Oriville Wright was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1871 and died in 1948 in Dayton.  Wilbur Wright was born 1867 in Millville, Indiana, an died in 1912, in Dayton, Ohio.  Neither brother married.  Both brothers attended high school but did not receive a diploma.  Orville dropped out of school in his junior year and started a printing business in 1889.  He ha designed and built his own printing press with help from Wilbur.  Wilbur joined the print shop and the brothers first printed a weekly newspaper, the West Side News and converted that to a daily paper in 1890 but it only lasted 4 months.  They then switched to commercial printing projects.  In 1892 they opened a bicycle repair and sales shop and in 1896 began manufacturing their own brand.  Their work of many years with printing presses, bicycles, motors and other machinery convinced them  that just like balancing on a bicycle it should be possible to build a flying machine that could be controlled and balanced with practice.  Beginning in 1900 until the first powered flight in 1903 they tested the idea with glider flights.  One of their shop employees, Charles Taylor, became an important part of the team and helped build the first airplane engine with the brothers.  

 

 The Wright brothers made approximately 1000 glider flights in 1902 that provided knowledge and experience leading to successful powered flights.  In the card above we see Orville Wright on the glider with Wilbur Wright at the left and Dan Tate on the right assisting in the glider lift off.  Dan Tate was a fisherman who was a part-time general helper for the Wright brothers.  The photograph was taken 10 October 1902.

 

 Powered aircraft flight, 1903, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

 

The first successful powered flight was captured in this postcard photograph above that has Wilbur Wright watching his brother, Orville, lifting off, 17 December 1903.  The aircraft went 120 feet in 12 seconds. 

 

The community of Kill Devil Hills did not exist until 1953 but Kitty Hawk, 4 miles north, did so these first flights are usually identified as being at Kitty Hill, North Carolina.  The location was chosen for good winds that would help with the gliders and later with the powered airplanes.  The Wright Brothers National Memorial, dedicated in 1932, is found in the town of Kill Devil Hills. 

 

Thanks to K and J for sharing the postcards.

 

For additional information, see:

 

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

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

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_Devil_Hills,_North_Carolina