Sunday, July 31, 2011

Ivy Baldwin on the High Wire, Colorado


Ivy Baldwin on the High Wire at Eldorado Springs, Colorado
Height of wire 582 feet.  Length 539 feet.  Thickness 7/8 inches.

unused (could be his crossing on July 4, 1906)

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Ivy Baldwin:
He was born Will Ivy in Houston in 1866, and later adopted the name of Ivy Baldwin.  He ran away at age 12 with the visiting circus. It was there that he learned wire-walking as well as balloonist skills.

 At age 14 Ivy made his first crossing over South Boulder Canyon at Eldorado Springs. He made a total of 87 crossings with the last being on his 82nd birthday.

His various stunts took him around the world. He once performed for the Emperor of Japan who had a silk kimono made for Ivy with pictures of him and his wire act embroidered down the front.

He was small in stature, barely weighing 100 pounds and 5'3" in height. When he walked the high wire he used ordinary cloth shoes with resin soles. He balanced himself with a 26-foot pole weighing 10 pounds.

He died in bed in 1953 at age 87 in his son's home in Arvada, Colorado.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Tunisia, Africa

 Tunisia

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Tunisia, officially the Tunisian Republic, is the northernmost country in Africa. Its area is almost 165,000 square kilometres (64,000 sq mi), with an estimated population of just over 10.4 million.

It is the smallest nation along the Atlas mountain range. The south of the country is composed of the Sahara desert, and the rest has 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) of coastline.

Sud Tunisie
(Southern Tunisia)

both are unused and from 2011

Friday, July 29, 2011

Disney's Castaway Cay and the Flying Dutchman

Disney's Castaway Cay, Bahamas


The ship is the Flying Dutchman used in The Pirates of the Caribbean.  It is docked on Disney's private island for their cruise ships.  You can see it from a short distance, but no one is allowed to get close enough to even have a chance of touching it or seeing the inside.

This unused postcard was bought in 2010.

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The Flying Dutchman, or simply referred to as the Dutchman, is a powerful ship of the Caribbean seas in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean. The ship made its first appearance in Dead Man's Chest under the command of the fictional captain, Davy Jones. The story of the ship was inspired by the actual Flying Dutchman of nautical lore.

The legend of the Flying Dutchman concerns a ghost ship that can never make port, doomed to sail the oceans forever.  The oldest version dates to the late 18th century.
Sightings in the 19th and 20th centuries report the ship to be glowing with ghostly light. It is said that if hailed by another ship, its crew will try to send messages to land or to people long dead. In ocean lore, the sight of this phantom ship means doom is coming soon.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Mragowa, Poland

 Pozdrowienia z Mragowa
(Greetings from Mragowa)

This is postmarked in 2011 from Poland with two matching stamps.

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Mragowa's coat of arms derives from a local story of the 15th century. It claims that when a group of local farmers were being threatened by predators, the townspeople tracked down a fearsome bear. They were only able to shoot it in its paw, and it managed to flee to Rastenburg. Only upon its arrival there did the bear succumb to its injuries. The bear's paw was brought back to Sensburg and is honored in the coat of arms.
   
     

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Lilian Harvey and the Song 'Je Suis Comme Ca'


Je Suis Comme Ca
(Das macht Baby alles nur aus Liebe)

Fox-Trot chante par Lilian harvey
dans le film "La Fille et le Garcon"
C'est un Parlant UFA

loose translation:
I'm like that
(Das macht alles nur aus Liebe Baby)

Fox-Trot sung by Lilian Harvey
in the movie "The Girl and Boy"
(name of the film company) UFA

unused, from 1931

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Lilian Harvey (January 19, 1906 — July 27, 1968) was a British-born actress and singer, long-based in Germany.

In 1924, she received her first role as the young Jewish girl "Ruth" in the film Der Fluch directed by Robert Land. Subsequently, she starred in many silent films.  Because of her training as a singer, Harvey was able to pursue a successful acting career during the initial talkie era of the early 1930s.

In 1931, Harvey starred in the film Der Kongreß tanzt; her song "Das gibt's nur einmal" was popular. Her subsequent movies were filmed in English and French versions, so Harvey became known outside of Germany. She was invited to Hollywood and made four movies for The Fox Film Corporation, but these were not as successful as her German films.

In 1935, she returned to Germany. However, because she was still in touch with her Jewish colleagues, she was placed under close observation by the Gestapo.

Harvey helped the choreographer Jens Keith escape to Switzerland; this led to her interrogation by the Gestapo, after which she left Germany, without her real-estate fortune, which was confiscated by the Nazis.
She settled in Juan-les-Pins in France. After the occupation of southern France, she emigrated to Hollywood again. Because she had performed for French troops, the Nazi regime withdrew her German citizenship in 1943.

Lilian Harvey died of liver failure on July 27, 1968 in Juan-les-Pins, France, aged 62.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Gummy Bears

Gummy Bears 

this is from Zuerich, Switzerland with www .zuerich. com and the words 'Tourist Information' written in 6 different languages on the back 

postmarked in 2011 from Zurich with three Switzerland stamps 

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every time I see this card I think of the gummy bear song  :D  here are a few words to the song ...

Oh, I'm a Gummy Bear
Yes, I'm a Gummy Bear!
Oh, I'm a Yummy, Chummy, Funny, Lucky Gummy Bear.
I'm a Jelly bear, Cuz I'm a Gummy bear,
Oh I'm a movin', groovin', Jammin', Singin' Gummy Bear
Oh Yeah! 

(Gummy Gummy Gummy Gummy Gummy bear) [Pop! ]

Bing ding ba doli party
Zing bing ba doli party
Breding ba doli party party pop

 

 Here is the short version of the song ....

Monday, July 25, 2011

Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.


Lincoln Memorial
Washington, DC

Architect Henry Bacon designed the Lincoln Memorial in the style of the Doric temples of ancient Greece.  Surrounded by 36 columns, the memorial houses the 19-foot sculpture of Lincoln by Daniel Chester French.

Photographer - Dai Hirota

unused, from 2011
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Modeled on the Greek Parthenon, the Lincoln Memorial was designed by Henry Bacon and completed in 1922.  Its 36 Doric columns represent the number of states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's assassination in 1865.  In the center hall of the structure sits a 10-foot tall statue of Abraham Lincoln (left), flanked by the Gettysburg Address and his second Inaugural Address.  It is located at the west end of the Mall on the banks of the Potomac River and is the site of many historical events, such as the Dr. Martin Luther King "I have a dream" speech.

postmarked in 1999 with 20 cent stamp
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Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.

In This 'Temple As in the Hearts of the People for Whom He Saved the Union the Memory of Abraham Lincoln Is Enshrined Forever

postmarked in 1950 with a 1 cent George Washington stamp



Sunday, July 24, 2011

S.S. Eastland - Steamer Disaster from Chicago, Illinois


Members of Chicago Fire and Police Department engaged in the recovery of bodies from sunken hold of Steamer Eastland.

unused

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The S.S. Eastland was a passenger ship based in Chicago and used for tours. On 24 July 1915 the ship rolled over while tied to a dock in the Chicago River. A total of 844 passengers and crew were killed in what was to become the largest loss of life disaster from a single shipwreck on the Great Lakes.

Following the disaster, the Eastland was salvaged and sold to the United States Navy. After restorations and modifications the Eastland was designated as a gunboat and renamed the USS Wilmette. She was used primarily as a training vessel on the Great Lakes and was scrapped following World War II.

July 24, 1915:

In 1915, the new federal Seaman's Act had been passed because of the RMS Titanic disaster. This required retrofitting of a complete set of lifeboats on the Eastland as on many other passenger vessels. This additional weight, ironically, probably made the Eastland more dangerous and it worsened the already severe problem of being top heavy. Some argued that other Great Lakes ships would suffer from the same problem. Nonetheless, it was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. The Eastland was already so top-heavy that it had special restrictions concerning the number of passengers that could be carried.

On the fateful morning, passengers began boarding the Eastland around 6.30 a.m., and by 7:10, the ship had reached its capacity of 2752 passengers. The ship was packed, with many passengers standing on the open upper decks, and began to list slightly to the port side (away from the wharf). The crew attempted to stabilize the ship by admitting water to its ballast tanks, but to little avail. Sometime in the next 15 minutes, a number of passengers rushed to the port side, and at 7:28, the Eastland lurched sharply to port and then rolled completely onto its side, coming to rest on the river bottom, which was only 20 feet below the surface. Many other passengers had already moved below decks on this relatively cool and damp morning to warm up before the departure. Consequently, hundreds were trapped inside by the water and the sudden rollover; others were crushed by heavy furniture, including pianos, bookcases, and tables. Although the ship was only 20 feet from the wharf, and in spite of the quick response by the crew of a nearby vessel, the Kenosha, which came alongside the hull to allow those stranded on the capsized vessel to leap to safety, a total of 844 passengers and four crew members died in the disaster.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Government House in Lima Peru

 Lima Peru


Casa de Gobierno

postmarked in 2011 with a Peru 6.00 stamp

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The Palace of Government of Peru also known as Government House, is located in the Plaza Mayor of the city of Lima and along the Rimac River (exact location indicated by the Spanish as the seat of power since 1535 ).

It is the headquarters of the Executive Branch of Peru and is the residence of the President of the Republic of Peru. It is also considered a historical monument.

Peru stamp 2006
Juan de Mendoza y Luna S/. 6.00
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Juan de Mendoza y Luna, 3rd Marquis of Montesclaros (January, 1571 - October 9, 1628), Spanish nobleman, and the tenth viceroy of New Spain. He governed from October 27, 1603 to July 2, 1607. Then he was viceroy of Peru, from December 21, 1607 to December 18, 1615. After returning to Spain, he became advisor to the king and a high official in the Court.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas

Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas

One of Amarillo, Texas' more popular attractions is Cadillac Ranch, where ten vintage Cadillacs were buried with their tail fins in the air by Stanly Marsh III. -(error on the name, it should be Stanley)

Photo: John Elk III

postmarked in 2010 with a 28 cent stamp

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The Cadillac Ranch, located along the tatters of historic Route 66, was built in 1974, funded by Stanley Marsh 3, the helium millionaire who owns the dusty wheat field where it stands. Marsh had The Ant Farm, a San Francisco art collective, design a configuration of used Cadillacs representing the "Golden Age" of American Automobiles (1949 through 1963). The ten graffiti-covered cars are half-buried, nose-down, facing west "at the same angle as the Cheops' pyramids." 

It is visible from the highway, and though it is located on private land, visiting it (by driving along a frontage road and entering the pasture by walking through an unlocked gate) is encouraged. In addition, writing graffiti on or otherwise spray-painting the vehicles is also encouraged, and the vehicles, which have long since lost their original colors, are wildly decorated. The cars are periodically repainted various colors (once white for the filming of a television commercial, another time pink in honor of Stanley's wife Wendy's birthday , and yet another time all 10 cars were painted flat black to mark the passing of Ant Farm artist Doug Michels or simply to provide a fresh canvas for future visitors. The cars were briefly "restored" to their original colors by the motel chain Hampton Inn in a public relation sponsored series of Route 66 landmark restoration projects. The new paint jobs and even the plaque commemorating the project lasted less than 24 hours without fresh graffiti.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Aland

Posten Aland, Frimarken

Fotograf: Robert Jansson

postmarked in 2011 with an Aland stamp from 2009

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The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland. The islands collectively constitute the smallest region of Finland.

Aland's Motto: "Islands of Peace" 

Aland stamp 2009
Martti Ahtissaari
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Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland (1994–2000), Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Enter the Dragon staring Bruce Lee


The first american produced martial arts spectacular!
with the legendary
Bruce Lee

Enter the Dragon (1973)

With Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly, John Saxon and Ahna Capri

unused, bought in 2011

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Enter the Dragon (aka The Deadly Three, originally titled Blood and Steel) is a 1973 martial arts action thriller film directed by Robert Clouse; starring martial artists Bruce Lee and Jim Kelly, as well as actor John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973. Six days after Lee's death, the film was first released on July 26, 1973 in Hong Kong.

In 2004, Enter the Dragon was deemed "culturally significant" and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Enter the Dragon was the first Chinese martial arts film to have been produced by a major Hollywood studio - Warner Bros. and was produced in association with Golden Harvest and Lee's Concord Production Company. The film is largely set in Hong Kong.

Among the stuntmen for the film were members of the Seven Little Fortunes, including Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. This was arguably instrumental in Chan and Hung's further association with Golden Harvest studios, which later launched their careers.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Mamma Moo - Cow Riding a Bicycle

Mamma Mu och Krakan (Natur & Kultur)
(Mamma Moo and Cracow (Nature & Culture)

postmarked in 2011 with a Germany flower stamp

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Mama Moo is a fictional character created by Jujja and Tomas Wieslander that first appeared in a Swedish children's radio drama and then later on Records. The books are illustrated by Sven Nordqvist.  There is also a computer game and other merchandise available. 

The Swedish books were published by Natur och Kultur and are translated to several languages.

                                                        

Monday, July 18, 2011

Avenida 18 de Julio, Montevideo, Uruguay

Montevideo, Uruguay
Avenida 18 de Julio

Foto: Omnia

postmarked in 1925 with three Uruguay stamps

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18 July Avenue is the main street in the city of Montevideo , and it has some of the most important and historical buildings in the city.  You will also find numerous galleries and "expos", supermarkets, restaurants, shopping malls, banks and shops of various kinds.  Its name comes from the date on which the people of Uruguay celebrate the first National Constitution - - 18 July 1830 .


 


Republica Oriental del Uruguay Stamps
Jose Gervasio Artigas


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José Gervasio Artigas Arnal (June 19, 1764 – September 23, 1850) is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan independence".



Sunday, July 17, 2011

John Coltrane


John Coltrane
Blue Train Sessions

Photography by Francis Wolff

unused, bought in 2010

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John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer.

He was prolific, organizing at least fifty recording sessions as a leader during his recording career, and appeared as a sideman on many other albums, notably with trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Thelonious Monk. As his career progressed, his music took on an increasingly spiritual dimension.

He influenced innumerable musicians, and remains one of the most significant tenor saxophonists in jazz history.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Arabian Nights Dinner Attraction

Arabian Nights  
Orlando's #1 Dinner Attraction

The World's Greatest Show ... On Horses!
The Most Honored Dinner Show in the World

Gaylord Maynard and his Appaloosa Stallion Chief Bear Paw in their famous act about a drunken horse.

Hoop of Fire
Arabian Nights, dare devil bareback rider leaps through the loop of fire.

all three are unused and bought in 2011

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From their website:
Arabian Nights, the Most Honored Dinner Show in the World, is located in Orlando’s tourist heartland.

At the exciting Arabian Nights Dinner Attraction, guests enter the magical world of Scheherazade, a young girl with a bigger-than-life dream of becoming a beautiful Princess. Two magical Genies take Scheherazade and her guests on a thrilling and romantic adventure filled with music, lights and daring acts where anything can happen, from a square dance on horseback to Gypsies leaping, flipping and dancing on moving horses’ backs!

The large-scale theatrical production at Arabian Nights features riders and acrobats performing with more than 60 horses, including Walter Farley’s Black Stallion. The nightly performances, featuring delicious menu options, give guests the most incredible experience among Central Florida’s dinner shows.

The entire Arabian Nights performance and dinner show is hosted inside the Palace of Horses, the world’s largest indoor equestrian arena for a permanent show, where  11 different breeds of horses are trained and cared for by the dedicated staff of this amazing dinner theater production.

Your dinner options while you watch the show are:
Sirloin steak
Grilled chicken breast
Certified Black Angus chopped steak with brown gravy
Vegetarian lasagna
Pork loin with marsala sauce
Children’s chicken tenders with macaroni & cheese

Friday, July 15, 2011

Flying Fish


Flying Fish

unused

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Flying fish live in all of the oceans, particularly in warm tropical and subtropical waters. Their most striking feature is their pectoral fins, which are unusually large, and enable the fish to hide and escape from predators by leaping out of the water, taking short gliding flights through air just above the water's surface. Their glides are typically around 50 metres (160 ft).

In May 2008, a Japanese television crew filmed a flying fish off the coast of Yakushima Island, Japan. The creature spent 45 seconds in flight. The previous record was 42 seconds.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Go Green - Plantable Flower Postcard with Seeds in the Paper - USPS

Go green

Small steps can make a big difference for our environment. 
Be a part of change.  Go green.

Don't throw this note away.  Plant and watch it grow!

step 1 Prepare a pot of soil or small patch of garden.
step 2 Place card on top and cover with 1/4" fine layer of soil.
step 3 Water daily and allow sunlight.

This is from the USPS (United States Postal Service) 2011 
All the little black dots on the card are wildflower seeds that are at the top of the postcard.

postmarked in 2011 and I put 4 of my favorite stamps from the 'Go green' series on the back  :D 


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Nazare, Portugal

Nazare
Varios pormenores (Several details)
- Portugal -

unused, from 2011

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Nazaré has become a popular tourist attraction, advertising itself as a picturesque seaside village. Located on the Atlantic coast, it has long sandy beaches (considered by some to be among the best beaches of Portugal). The town used to be known for its traditional costumes worn by the fishermen and their wives who worn the traditional headscarf and embroidered aprons over seven flannel skirts in different colours. These dresses can still occasionally be seen.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

1954 Ford Advertising Postcard


Did you know ...
That the 1954 FORD is the only car in the low priced field that offers these Fine Car features?

1. Choice of 130 H.P. V-8 or 115 H.P. Six
2. Modern Ball-Joint Front Suspension
3. 225 sq. in. more window area
4. Larger combined passenger and luggage space
5. Astra-Dial Control Panel
6. Center-Fill fueling
7. Two-position doorcheck
8. Suspended brake and clutch pedals
9. Four-way power seat
10. Power windows lifts on all four windows
11. Full-flow oil filter
12. 28 Model selections

We are currently conducting a get-acquainted drive among owners of earlier model Fords to inform them of the many fine-car features and outstanding advancements of the 1954 Ford.

During this campaign we are offering truly amazing deals ... and I am sure I can get you an extremely high allowance for your present car in trade.

I would appreciate the opportunity to show you this outstanding new Ford and let you test drive it.

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unused postcard from 1954

Monday, July 11, 2011

The Loess Plateau, China

Childhood on Loess Plateau

postmarked in 2011 with two China stamps

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The Loess Plateau, also known as the Huangtu Plateau, is a plateau that covers an area of some 640,000 km² in the upper and middle reaches of China's Yellow River. Loess is the name for the silty sediment that has been deposited by wind storms on the plateau over the ages. Loess is a highly erosion-prone soil that is susceptible to the forces of wind and water; in fact, the soil of this region has been called the "most highly erodible soil on earth". 

 

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Did you write 'Wish you were here?'


"Uh-oh ... Did you write 'Wish you were here,' on the Post cards you sent?"

Florida's Great!

unused, bought in 2011

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Harvesting Wheat in Kansas and Exaggeration Wheat Postcard

The way we Harvest Wheat.

Copyright 1909 by Martin Post Card Co.

postmarked in 1911 with a one cent stamp


the top left photo is how tall wheat is really supposed to grow...... 
Greetings from Kansas - The bread basket of the world - As the nation's largest producer of wheat, and a large producer of both gas and oil, Kansas is also famous for its cattle grazing country.
postmarked in 1983.

-

Friday, July 8, 2011

Computer Graphic Superhero


What a fun postcard!!!!

the back reads:
Julien tromeur - Fotolia

unused, bought in 2011 in Germany

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Crete, Greece

 Crete

I would love to visit this beautiful place someday!

This postcard is postmarked in 2011 with three Greece stamps.

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Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits (such as its own dialect, poetry, and music).

It was the centre of the Minoan civilization (c. 2700–1420 BC), the first civilization in Europe and the first European country with a palace (at Knossos).