Saturday, August 31, 2013

Stuart Heritage Museum in Florida

Stuart Florida's 75th
Anniversary Commemorative Postcard
1914 - 1989

General merchandise store built in 1900 by George Parks, Sr.
This Stuart landmark which is today's Stuart Feed Store was purchased by the City of Stuart in 1987.

Photograph courtesy of Stuart Heritage
Stuart Mainstreet.
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"Stuart Feed Store"
Watercolor by
Clara Belle (Stuart) Hellenburg

This postcard is unused.

At the time this was drawn, it must have still been used as a store and a museum.
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Stuart Heritage Museum
Stuart, Florida

This unused postcard was bought in 2013.

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The Stuart Heritage Museum at 161 Southwest Flagler Avenue in Stuart, Florida, is a local history museum located in an historic 2-story frame building built in 1900 by George W. Parks. Parks used the first floor of the building for his Geo. W. Parks Grocery and General Merchandise Store and second floor for his home. In 1913, the building became the Stuart Mercantile Company and in the 1960s after a series of uses, it became the Stuart Feed Store. In 1989, the Stuart Feed Store was listed in A Guide to Florida's Historic Architecture.

As of now, it is no longer used as a store, it is only the Museum.

Friday, August 30, 2013

Autism Awareness Puzzle Ribbom Postcard

 Postmarked in 2013 with a USA flower seep packet stamp for Linum

This is a puzzle ribbon for Autism Awareness

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Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. Autism is defined by a certain set of behaviors and is a "spectrum disorder" that affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. There is no known single cause of autism, but increased awareness and funding can help families today.

The Autism Awareness Ribbon:
The puzzle pattern reflects the mystery and complexity of the autism spectrum. The different colors and shapes represent the diversity of the people and families living with the condition. The brightness of the ribbon signals hope—hope that through increased awareness of autism, and through early intervention and appropriate treatments, people with autism will lead fuller, more complete lives.

If you would like to make a donation to help,  click 'here' for a link to the Autism Society 'donate' page

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Fans Cheer for The Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium

 Fall in Wisconsin means football fever.  Scores of red-clad fans cheer their beloved Badgers on to victory at Camp Randall stadium in Madison.  Tailgate parties - before and after the game are a traditional way to toast the season.


Wisconsin Department of Development - Tourism
Photo by Gary Knowles

the sender writes:
Hi Brenda
I stumbled on your web link. This card is one of a series by the Wisconsin Division of Tourism from about 1987-1989.  We bound sets in travel guides and then printed extras to give to visitors.

Happy Collecting!
~Gary Knowles (see the name of the photographer above :)

postmarked in 2013 with a USA 32 cent stamp featuring Vince Lumbardi!

USA stamp 1997
Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers Football Team 32 cents
He coached high school, college and professional teams.  His nine years with the Green Bay Packers made him nationally famous.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Salvation Army Brass Band from England


I think the drum reads: The Salvation Army Corp No 1357 ?
printed in England

This is a real photo postcard that was never mailed but has writing on the back:

Dear Albert
Have sent you this P.C. we thought you might like to see our Bandsmen in their uniform

with love from ...

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Salvation Army brass bands are in the British tradition and limited to cornets, flugelhorns, tenor horns (known as alto horns in U.S.A), baritones, trombones, euphoniums, tubas (known as basses in brass bands), and percussion; but not trumpets or French horns, since they are orchestral and concert band instruments.

With the exception of the bass trombone and percussion, all parts are transposing and written in the treble clef, which means that for every instrument, from the big basses right up to the soprano cornet, the fingering for the written notes is similar. This system, which is unique to UK-style brass bands, ensures most parts can be covered when there is less than a full complement of players

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Bali Rice Terraces in Indonesia

Stunningly beautiful rice terraces, well-watered volcanic slopes
Bali

postmarked in 2011 with two Indonesia 'Greetings' stamps featuring flowers

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Bali's volcanic nature has helped to make the soil very fertile for growing crops.  Also the tall mountain ranges provide lots of rain to help support the agriculture. South of Bali's mountains is a broad, steadily descending area where most of their rice is grown.

 

Monday, August 26, 2013

Hold-to-Light Postcard of Brooklyn, New York: Fulton Street in 1907

Bird's Eye View Brooklyn, N.Y.
Fulton Street

Hold to Light postcard
J. Koehler, New York - Berlin

postmarked in 1907 with a one cent stamp

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Fulton Street, named after Robert Fulton, is a long east-west street in northern Brooklyn. A street of the same name in Manhattan was linked to this street by Fulton with his steam ferries.

Robert Fulton was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat. In 1800, he was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte to design the Nautilus, which was the first practical submarine in history (although there were a few earlier subs).


Sunday, August 25, 2013

Haute-Volta, now called Burkina Faso - Market Scene in Ouagadougou

Republique De (Republic of) Haute Volta
Ouagadougou (Now the Capital City of Burkina Faso)
Scene de marche (Market Scene)

postmarked in 1981 with a Haute-Volta stamp

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Ouagadougou was the site of Ouagadougou grand market, one of the largest markets in West Africa, which burned in 2003 and remains closed.

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Republic of Haute Volta is now the country of Burkina Faso...

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa around 274,200 square kilometres (105,900 sq mi) in size.
Formerly called the Republic of Upper Volta, the country was renamed "Burkina Faso" on 4 August 1984 by then-President Thomas Sankara, using a word from each of the country's two major native languages, Mòoré and Dioula. Figuratively, "Burkina", from Mòoré, may be translated as "men of integrity", while "Faso" means "fatherland" in Dioula. "Burkino Faso" is thus meant to be understood as "Land of upright people" or "Land of honest people".  

Saturday, August 24, 2013

The Hobbits Merry and Pippin from The Lord of the Rings


The Lord of the Rings

New Line Cinema, Tolkien Ent. Inc.

This unused postcard features the Hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd).

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Both Dominic and Billy have a tattoo of the Elvish word "nine" written with the Tengwar script, a reference to his involvement in the Lord of the Rings and the fact that their character was one of the nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring. Six of the other actors of "The Fellowship" (Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom) got the same tattoo.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Shrunken Human Head, Tulane University


Middle American Research
Tulane University

Shrunken human head.
Jibaro Indian, Ecuador.
Top of head to center of mouth, 6.5 m.

This postcard is unused.

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A shrunken head is a severed and specially prepared human head that is used for trophy, ritual, or trade purposes.
Headhunting has occurred in many regions of the world. But the practice of headshrinking has only been documented in the northwestern region of the Amazon rain forest, and the only tribes known to have shrunken human heads are of the Jivaroan tribes found in Ecuador and Peru.

**Warning** - this is graphic - -
The process of creating a shrunken head begins with removing the skull from the head. An incision is made on the back of the neck and all the skin and flesh is removed from the cranium. Red seeds are placed underneath the eyelids and the eyelids are sewn shut. The mouth is held together with three palm pins. Fat from the flesh of the head is removed. It is here that a wooden ball is placed in order to keep the form. The flesh is then boiled in water that has been saturated with a number of herbs containing tannins. The head is then dried with hot rocks and sand, while molding it to retain its human features. The skin is then rubbed down with charcoal ash. Decorative beads are added to the head.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

The St. Gallen Church and Library in Switzerland

St. Gallen SC
Stiftsbibliothek

foto: R Gerth
postmarked in 2013 with four Switzerland stamps from the series: The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Anna Heer, 1863-1918 - Red Cross 
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The Abbey Library of Saint Gall was founded by Saint Othmar, the founder of the Abbey of St. Gall.
The library collection is the oldest in Switzerland, and is one of earliest and most important monastic libraries in the world. It holds 2,100 manuscripts dating back to the 8th through the 15th centuries and 1,650 incunabula (printed before 1500). The library holds almost 160,000 volumes. 

The library books are available for public use, but the books printed before 1900 must be read in the Reading Room.

In 1983 the library together with the Abbey of St. Gall were made an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A virtual library was created to provide access to the manuscripts — Codices Electronici Sangallenses  (towards the top right hand side of the page you can pick which language you want)

Currently more than 400 manuscripts are preserved in digital format.
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St. Gallen (Shown is the Abbey of Saint Gall)
Barock-Kathedrale (Baroque Cathedral)
erbaut 1755-1767, Innenrenovation 1962-1967
(Built in 1755-1767, 1962-1967 interior renovation)

postmarked in 2013 with five Switzerland stamps, one from the Swiss Alps Series and  four from the series of the 250th Anniversary of the BIrth of Jean Jacques Rousseau featuring coins.

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The Abbey of Saint Gall (German: Fürstabtei St. Gallen) is a Roman Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in present-day Switzerland.

Around 613 an Irish monk named Gallus established a hermitage on the site that would become the Abbey. He lived there until his death in 646.

Following Gallus' death, Charles Martel appointed Othmar as custodian of St Gall's relics. During the reign of Pepin the Short, in the 8th century, Othmar founded the Carolingian style Abbey of St. Gall, where arts, letters and sciences flourished. Several different dates are given for the foundation of the Abbey, including 719, 720, 747 and the middle of the 8th century. Under Abbot Waldo of Reichenau (740–814) copying of manuscripts was undertaken and a famous library was gathered.

 The library at the Abbey is one of the richest medieval libraries in the world. Since 1983 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.



Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Electronic Recording Postcard


I bought this at Target in 2003 - it is a postcard, with a place to write, put address, and place for a stamp on the back.

Here are the instructions written on the reverse:
1. Slide power Switch to On
2. Hold the Record Button to Record
3. Speak into the Mic (10 seconds)
4. Press Play to Listen to your Message
5. Slide Power Switch to off for mailing
6. To Change Message...Repeat Steps 1-3

the card is about 1/2 inch thick and is unused ( I left it in the original package with the tag it was hanging from - was $4.99 on sale for $3.48 - Designed by Idea Nuova, Inc. For Target Corporation)

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Yala National Park in Sri Lanka

Island of Sri Lanka
Photograph by Juergen Schreiber

Yala National Park

postmarked in 2013 with three Sri Lanka stamps (two 2012 Olympics and one World Post Day)

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Yala National Park is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka. It covers 979 square kilometres (378 sq mi). 

The park consists of five 'blocks', two of which are now open to the public, and also adjoining parks. The blocks have individual names such as, Ruhuna National Park (block 1) and Kumana National Park or 'Yala East' for the adjoining area. 

Yala was designated as a wildlife sanctuary in 1900 and is best known for its variety of wild animals. It is also important for the conservation of Sri Lankan Elephants and aquatic birds.

 


Monday, August 19, 2013

Thomas Edison, Firestone, President Coolidge, Henry Ford and More: 1924 Real Photo


At Plymouth, Vermont, August 19 - 1924

Harvey Firestone, President Calvin Coolidge, Henry Ford, Russell Firestone, Thomas A. Edison, Mrs. Coolidge, Col. John Coolidge

This is an unused 'real photo' postcard.

Some things I found out about this postcard.

1. President Coolidge is autographing a sap bucket. (Used to collect sap from trees to make maple syrup.

2.  Col. John Coolidge is President Calvin Coolidge's father.

3.  Location is at the old Coolidge homestead.

From the August 20, 1924 edition of The New York Times:

PLYMOUTH, Vt., Aug. 19 - President Coolidge today received Thomas A. Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone and Mr. Firestone's son Russell. These camping companions came to pay their respects to the Chief Executive in the seclusion of the Coolidge homestead.
President Coolidge presented to Mr. Ford an old maple sap bucket made for the original Coolidge settler in 1780, John Coolidge, the President's great-great-grandfather. President Coolidge also used it as a boy. This will be placed in the Wayside Inn at Sudbury, Mass., now owned by Mr. Ford.
"I never received anything since I got Mrs. Ford that I appreciated so much," Mr. Ford remarked to Mr. Edison.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Chapel Bridge in Lucerne, Switzerland

Luzern / Lucerne
Kapellbrucke mit Regenbogen (Chapel Bridge with Rainbow)

postmarked on 11/11/11 with a Switzerland bird stamp

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Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), is a 204 m (669 ft) long wooden bridge originally built in 1333, although much of it had to be replaced after a fire on August 18, 1993, allegedly caused by a discarded cigarette. Part way across, the bridge runs by the octagonal Water Tower (Wasserturm), a fortification from the 13th century. Inside the bridge are a series of paintings from the 17th century depicting events from Luzern's history.

The sender writes that this picture is of the original bridge, before the fire.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Map Postcards of Minnesota

Minnesota
Land of 10,000 Lakes
Founded in 1858
bought in 2013
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Minnesota
Land of 10,000 Lakes
The Gopher State
State Flower: Ladyslipper
State Bird: Loon
2012
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Explore Minnesota 
Founded 1858 
Photos by L.E. Erickson, Dennis O'Hara, G. Alan Nelson, Stephen B. Antus Jr. 
from 2007

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Minnesota is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the 32nd state on May 11, 1858. 

Known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", the state's name comes from a Dakota word for "sky-tinted water". Those waters, together with forests, parks, and wilderness areas, offer residents and tourists a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Garfield, Elvis Says, "Hi"


Elvis Says, "HI"
(If he weren't pretending to be dead, he'd have sent this himself)

Garfield 1978

unused postcard

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Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor and one of the most popular musicians of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Since his death in 1977, there have been numerous alleged sightings of Elvis. A long-standing theory among some fans is that he faked his death. Some have noted alleged discrepancies in the death certificate, reports of a wax dummy in his original coffin and numerous accounts of Presley planning a diversion so he could retire in peace.

Here is a postcard of Elvis....

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Young Zulus, Sister and Brother from South Africa

 Young Zulus  -  Natal  -  South Africa
An African child makes sure her younger brother does not stray beyond the safety of the Kraal.

Jong Zoeloes  -  Natal  -  Suid-Afrika
'n Bantoekind maak seker dat haar jong boetie nie van die kraal wegdwaal nie.

postmarked in 1971 with a RSA (South African) stamp

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Kraal is an Afrikaans and Dutch word (also used in South African English) for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within an African settlement or village surrounded by a palisade, mud wall, or other fencing, roughly circular in form.

Although for a certain period of time, European South Africans and historians commonly referred to the entire settlement as a kraal.

South Africa stamp (RSA), 1977
Protea aristata
Dick Findlay 10 c
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Protea aristata (aristata = sharp-tipped leaves), was first collected by the botanists T. P. Stokoe and R. Primos in 1928 near the town of Ladismith in the Cape Province, South Africa. In spite of being locally common in the Seweweekspoort the plant species could not be found again until 1953, prior to which it was considered to be extinct. Protea aristata has become one of South Africa's most famous proteas in spite of its relatively late 'discovery'.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

China - Map of Route of Yunnan - Tibet, National Road 214 (Wood Postcard)


The Route of Yunnan - Tibet
National Road 214
(The road starts in Lhasa (a city in Tibet) and ends in Kunming (a city in the Yunnan province))

A scroll of directions
Journey to Tibet

This wood map postcard is postmarked in 2013 from China
The leather strap was also on the card when it was mailed.
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here is a scan of the back of the postcard...


This is not a postcard - but if you look at the bottom left you will find Lhasa, Tibet and at the bottom center is Kunming, Yunnan.  It will give you an idea how far this road is.....


Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Philipsburg, Saint Martin

 Philipsburg, St. Maarten


This is postmarked in 2012 with a Saint Martin Stamp.

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Philipsburg is the main town and capital of the country of Sint Maarten. The town is situated on a narrow stretch of land between Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond. As of 2006, it has 1,338 inhabitants.

The island was first sighted by Christopher Columbus on 11 November 1493, but there was already an Arawak settlement there before his discovery.
Saint Martin (St. Maarten) stamp 2011
Maho Beach, 170 C

Monday, August 12, 2013

Map of Sherwood Forest and the Legend of Robin Hood

Sherwood Forest
Land of the Robin Hood Legend

unused

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Sherwood Forest is a Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, England, that is famous through its historical association with the legend of Robin Hood. Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve today encompasses 423 hectares (1,045 acres) surrounding the village of Edwinstowe. The wooded forest of today is a remnant of a much larger royal hunting forest, named as the "shire wood" of Nottinghamshire,  which in fact extended into several neighbouring counties (shires), bordered on the west along the River Erewash and the Forest of East Derbyshire.


Sherwood Forest is home to the famous Major Oak, which, according to local folklore, was Robin Hood's principal hideout. The oak tree is between 800 and 1,000 years old. In February 1998, a local company took cuttings from the Major Oak and began cultivating clones of the famous tree with the intention of sending saplings to be planted in major cities around the world.

The park hosts the annual Robin Hood Festival for a 'week of medieval family fun' each summer. This event recreates a medieval atmosphere and features the major characters from the Robin Hood legend. The week's entertainment includes jousters and strolling players, dressed in medieval attire, in addition to a medieval encampment complete with jesters, musicians, rat-catchers, alchemists and fire eaters.

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Here is a postcard of Disney's version of Robin Hood ....

postmarked in 2009 from Finland

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Robin Hood is an 1973 American animated film produced by the Walt Disney Productions, first released in the United States on November 8, 1973. The 21st animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film is based on the legend of Robin Hood, but uses anthropomorphic animals instead of people.