Antarctica - South Pole Station

Antarctica
South Pole Station
Postmarked Jan 2005
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The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is a U.S. research station at the South Pole, in Antarctica.

The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is the southernmost continually inhabited place on the planet. Its name honors Roald Amundsen who reached the South Pole in 1911, and Robert F. Scott who reached the South Pole in 1912.
It was constructed in November 1956 to support the International Geophysical Year in 1957, and has been continuously occupied since then. It currently lies within 100 meters (330 feet) of the Geographic South Pole.

Snow accumulation is about 60–80 millimeters per year .
The station stands at an elevation of 2,835 meters (9,301 ft) on interior Antarctica's nearly featureless ice sheet, about 2,850 meters (9,350 ft) thick at that location.
Recorded temperature has varied between −13.6 °C (7.52 °F) and −82.8 °C (−117 °F).

Waltzing Matilda - Australia

Did you know that Waltzing Matilda was written in 1895 by A.B. "Banjo" Paterson? He wrote of an incident that occurred at the Combo Waterhole on the Diamantina River, which forms the boundary between the Winton and McKinlay Shires. The ballad is now known throughout the world and was first sung in public in Winton, North-Western Queensland. An explanation of some of the expressions used in the ballad are:Swagman - Itinerant, Billabong - waterhole, Coolibah Tree -type of gum tree, Jumbuck - young sheep, Tuckerbag - knapsack or bag, Squatter - Property Owner, Troopers - Mounted Police -

I love this card!!! - my kids and I would sing it when they were young and we were studying Australia! - postmarked in 2007 with Australian Koala $1.25 stamp

Here are the lyrics if you're interested...

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Down came a jumbuck to drink from the billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three,
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?"
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me"
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".

Up jumped the swagman, leapt into the billabong,
"You'll never catch me alive," said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"

William Barret Travis - The Alamo

William Barret Travis, "I shall never surrender or retreat." - This postcard is from the painting by Gary Zaboly. The Alamo Sales Museum, San Antonio, Texas - unused

From Wikipedia:William Barret Travis (August 1, 1809 – March 6, 1836) was a 19th Century lawyer and soldier. He commanded the Republic of Texas forces at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution from the Republic of Mexico.

Travis's famous letter from the Alamo - On February 24, 1836, during Santa Anna's siege of the Alamo, Travis wrote a letter addressed "To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World":
Fellow citizens and compatriots; I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna. I have sustained a continual Bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours and have not lost a man. The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise, the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken. I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch. The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country. Victory or Death. William Barret Travis Lt. Col. Comdt. P.S. The Lord is on our side. When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn. We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves. Travis
He gave this letter to courier Albert Martin to deliver. The letter, while unable to bring aid to the garrison at the Alamo, did much to motivate the Texan army and helped to rally support in America for the cause of Texan independence. It also cemented Travis's status as a hero of the Texas Revolution.

Off to the Moon!

John F. Kennedy Space Center N.A.S.A. - NASA's Gemini-Titan 4 that launched McDivitt and White from Cape Kennedy, Florida

Some times I love what is written on the card, and that is what makes the card special... this card was postmarked from Cocoa Beach, Fl on 7-16-1969 - the day Apollo 11 left for the first moon landing, and the sender writes, "We saw the rocket blast-off on Cape Kennedy today." So this person witnessed, first hand, one of man's greatest achievements in history!

I bought this card at a postcard show for one dollar. I think if the vendor would have read the card and looked at the date, it would have been more. ;-)

HA hA ha Ha hA Ha Ho

I don't know what it is, but this card makes me want to laugh! - O.K., I DO know what it is. Do you remember the game you played as a kid. The HA-HA game... where you said ha, once, then the next person had to say ha ha, the third, ha ha ha, the fourth, ha ha ha ha, the fifth, well you get it... I don't even remember how you loose. I think it was whoever couldn't count their ha ha ha's because they were laughing so hard!

The back of the card reads...
This season, and the coming year, we give you more reason for good cheer.... Spinelli Coffee Company at Novena Square Opening December 2000. - Fuel for thought, Sometimes all you need is a good coffee break. - Bring this card in and get a second identical drink free! - postmarked in 2007 with two Singapore 'fish' stamps.

Spider Postcard with 3-D Glasses

From the Permanent Collection of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. - Louis Bourgeois - Spider, 1996, cast 1997 - bronze with dark and polished patina, edition 3/6 - 133 X 263 X 249 inches - Bebe and Crosby Kemper CollectionGift of the William T. Kemper Charitable Trust -

This postcard has the big 3-D spider you see, and 'baby' spider crawling up the wall just to the left of the big spiders body. - the 3-D glasses are attached to the postcard. The back has, "Carefully Detach along Perforation"- this card is unused

A Brief History of Postcards, Des Moines Library

Public Library in Des Moines, Iowa - postmarked in 1908 with one cent Franklin stamp
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Brief history of postcards in the United States

John P. Charlton of Philadelphia patented the postcard in 1861, selling the rights to H. L. Lipman, whose postcards, complete with a decorated border, were labeled "Lipman's postal card." Nine years later, European countries were also producing postcards.
Initially, the United States government prohibited private companies from calling their cards “postcards,” so they were known as “souvenir cards.” Although, in 1901, this prohibition was rescinded, not until 1908 could people write on the address side of a postcard.
The first postcard in the United States was created in 1893 to advertise the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Shortly thereafter the United States government, via the United States Postal Service, allowed printers to publish a 1-cent postcard (the "Penny Postcard"). A correspondent's writing was allowed only on the front side of these cards.
Postcards, in the form of government postal cards and privately printed souvenir cards, became very popular as a result of the Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago in 1893, after postcards featuring buildings were distributed at the fair. In 1908, more than 677 million postcards were mailed.

Hand Drawn National Postcard Week Card - In Space!

I love this handmade card!!!
It was postmarked  in 2007.

The sender, Renee Johnson,  is trying out new designs for next years 'National Postcard Week' cards. I hope she chooses this one!

Pottie Time

Pottie Time

This was postmarked in 2007 with a 18 cent 'Dahlia' stamp and 6 cent 'American Painting' stamp.

Same postcard, Different City!

These two postcards are exactly the same, EXCEPT... one says its in Frederick, WI and the other says Abbotsford WI! These two towns are 152 miles apart!

This is one of the reasons I love collecting postcards. I bought each of these cards in separate cities, and one year apart from each other.

My Favorite Postcards

I have been collecting stamped, mailed postcards since 1973. I have cards made from plastic, fabric, wood, leather, and paper. Also, cards announcing the wrong person as president of the U.S., cards that are actual puzzles, cards that are actual records, light switch covers and a card mailed from the Hindenburg, 3D cards, hold to light cards, and just about everything you can think of!
So far I have over 1,900 postcards postcards scanned. There are still about 300 older cards to scan.