Bushman, Namibia

Africa

San (Bushmen), Namibia

Photos by: Gerald Hoberman

postmarked in 2010 from South Africa with two stamps (Coral Rockcod 50 c and Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg R 2.40)

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The Bushmen have lived in the Kalahari for 20,000 years as hunter-gatherers.  They hunt wild game with bows and poison arrows and gather edible plants, such as berries, melons and nuts, as well as insects. Bushmen rarely drink water; they get most of their water requirements from plant roots and desert melons found on or under the desert floor. They often store water in the blown-out shells of ostrich eggs. These Bushmen live in huts built from local materials—the frame is made of branches, and the roof is thatched with long grass. 

 

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one more ...

Kalahari Bushman, Namibia

postmarked in 2009 

Saint-Louis, Senegal - Africa 1905

Senegal - Saint-Louis (name of city) - Marche de Sor (Market)

postmarked in 1905 with a Senegal stamp

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Saint-Louis, or Ndar as it is called in Wolof, is the capital of Senegal's Saint-Louis Region. Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River, and 320 km north of Senegal's capital city Dakar, it has a population officially estimated at 176,000 in 2005.

Krakow (Cracow), Poland - Multiview

 Krakow, Poland

Cracow:
Barbican; Palace of Cracow Bishops; Florianska Street and St. Florian's Gate;
Cloth Hall and Monument to Adam Mickiewicz;
Old Synagogue; Royal Castle on the Wawel from the east; Main Square and St. Mary's Church

postmarked in 2012 with two Poland stamps

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Kraków (Cracow), is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life and is one of Poland's most important economic hubs. It was the capital of Poland from 1038 to 1569.

After the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany at the start of World War II, Kraków was turned into the capital of Germany's General Government. The Jewish population of the city was moved into a walled zone known as the Kraków Ghetto, from which they were sent to extermination camps such as Auschwitz and the concentration camp at Płaszów.

In 1978, Karol Wojtyła, archbishop of Kraków, was elevated to the papacy as Pope John Paul II – the first Slavic pope ever, and the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. Also that year, UNESCO approved the first ever sites for its new World Heritage List, including the entire Old Town in inscribing Cracow's Historic Centre.

 

Japan's Star Festival in Tokyo Disneyland

Disney's Star Festival
7/7, 2012

Tokyo Disneyland

postmarked in 2012 with a metallic 'World Stamp Exhibition 2011' stamp from Japan

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Tanabata  (meaning "Evening of the seventh") is a Japanese star festival, originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival.  It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi (represented by the stars Vega and Altair respectively). According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies by region of the country, but the first festivities begin on July 7 of the Gregorian calendar.

Boyz II Men

Boyz II Men

unused, from 1994

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Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary left the group in 2003 due to health issues. Currently the group is a trio signed to Decca Records, with members Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, and Shawn Stockman. The group won four Grammy Awards in the 1990s, and the trio was nominated for two Grammys in 2009.

Will Smith Wearing a Cravat

Will Smith - Cravat

Photographic Credit: Jeffrey Mayer

unused

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(A cravat is a neckband, the forerunner of the modern tailored necktie and bow tie, originating from 17th-century Croatia.)

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. (born September 25, 1968), is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammy Awards.

In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show ran for nearly six years (1990–1996) on NBC. In the mid-1990s, Smith moved from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office and the only one to have eight consecutive films in which he starred open at #1 spot in the domestic box office tally. 

Fourteen of the nineteen fiction films he has acted in have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million, and four took in over $500 million in global box office receipts. As of 2011, his films have grossed $5.7 billion in global box office. His most financially successful films have been Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Independence Day, the Men in Black films, I, Robot, I Am Legend, Hancock, Wild Wild West, Enemy of the State, Shark Tale, Hitch, and Seven Pounds. He also earned critical praise for his performances in Six Degrees of Separation, Ali and The Pursuit of Happyness, receiving Best Actor Oscar nominations for the latter two.

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Here is a postcard of one of my husbands favorite movies ....

Will Smith is
HITCH
Get your love lessons in cinemas March 3

He'll show you the ropes to date extraordinary women

Dating tip #37
Chocolate solves most problems

unused - movie is from 2005

Saint Petersburg, Russia - St. Isaac's Squre, Cathedral and Monument

 Saint Petersburg

St Isaac's Square. St Isaac's cathedral and the monument to Nicholas

postmarked in 2012 with a Russia stamp

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Saint Isaac the Confessor, founder of the Dalmatian Monastery (died May 30, 383) was Christian monk who is honored as a saint and confessor. He is sometimes referred to as Isaac the Dalmatian, not because he was from Dalmatia, but because of the monastery which he founded.

According to some accounts, Isaac was a Syrian, but this is uncertain. Neither is anything known for certain about his early life. What is known is that Isaac had been a hermit living in a small hut in the wilderness outside of Constantinople. In the year 378, when he heard that the Roman emperor Valens had fallen into the heresy of Arianism and was persecuting the Nicene Christians, deposing bishops, closing some churches, and turning others over to the Arians, Isaac went into the imperial city to confront the emperor. At the time, the emperor was preparing a military campaign against the Goths. After several attempts to dissuade the emperor from his persecutions, Isaac prophesied that Valens would "die in flames" because of his actions. The emperor ordered that Isaac be thrown into prison, vowing that he would punish Isaac and put him to death upon his return from battle. Soon after, on August 9, 378, Valens was defeated at the Battle of Adrianople and died in a fire after taking refuge in a barn.

Valens' successor, Theodosius I, released Isaac, outlawed Arianism and reopened the churches closed by Valens.

County Fermanagh in Ireland

Co. Fermanagh
Northern Ireland

The area around Lower Lough Erne boasts a rich combination of natural and historic sights. In summer, ferries serve several island and cruisers are available to hire.   The limestone hills of west Fermanagh contain interesting cave systems.

Pictures featured are the Round Tower on Devenish Island; Castle Coole; Fermanagh Lakeland; Boa Island Statue; Marble Arch Caves; and Enniskillen Castle.

unused, from 2012

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A few famous people born, raised in or living in Fermanagh.

John Armstrong (1717–1795), born in Fermanagh, United States Congressman
Samuel Beckett (1906–1989), author and playwright (educated in Portora Royal School)
Robert Kerr (1882–1963), athlete & Olympic Gold Medalist
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900), author and playwright (educated in Portora Royal School)

Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague, Czech Republic

 Stary Zidovsky Hrbitov

Old Jewish Cemetery of Prague

zalozen v l. pol. 15 stol.
( founded in the mid-15th century.)

postmarked in 2012 with a 'Jana Kaspara' Czech Republic stamp

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The Old Jewish Cemetery lies in the Josefov, the Jewish Quarter of Prague in the Czech Republic. It was in use from the early 15th century (the oldest preserved tombstone, the one of Avigdor Kara, dates back to 1439) until 1787. Its ancestor was a cemetery called "The Jewish Garden", which was found in archaeological excavations under the Vladislavova street, New Town.

The numbers of grave stones and numbers of people buried there are uncertain, because there are layers of tombs. However, it has been estimated that there are approximately 12,000 tombstones presently visible, and there may be as many as 100,000 burials in all.

Czech Republic Stamp 2011

100 let od prvniho letu Jana Kaspara 12 Kc

(100 years since first flight - Jan Kaspar)

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Jan Kašpar (20 May 1883 – 2 March 1927) was a Czech aviator, aircraft constructor, designer and engineer. He is considered an aviation pioneer in the Czech lands.

Huntsville, Alabama - U.S. Space & Rocket Center

 The U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Huntsville, Alabama

postmarked in 2012 with a 32 cent Aloha stamp

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The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama is a museum operated by the government of Alabama, showcasing rockets, achievements, and artifacts of the U.S. space program. Sometimes billed as "Earth's largest space museum", astronaut Owen Garriott described the place as, "a great way to learn about space in a town that has embraced the space program from the very beginning."

Opened in 1970, just after the second manned mission to the lunar surface, the center not only showcases Apollo Program hardware but also houses interactive science exhibits, Space Shuttle and Army rocketry and aircraft. There are also more than 1,500 permanent rocketry and space exploration artifacts, as well as many rotating rocketry and space-related exhibits.

Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan

Kiyomizu Teimple, Kyoto -
One of the most popular places that should never be overlooked by tourists who can enjoy a panoramic vie of the city seen from high platform of the temple, built by assembled big lumbers on a highland.

postmarked in 2012 with two Japan stamps

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Kiyomizu-dera is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto: UNESCO World Heritage site.

The temple was founded in 798, and its present buildings were constructed in 1633.

There is not a single nail used in the entire structure. It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means clear water, or pure water.

Angry Birds

Angry Birds

2009 - 2012

This was postmarked with a Finland stamp in 2012 from the Navire, Viking Line Cruse ship with three postmarks from the ship.

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Angry Birds is a strategy puzzle video game developed by Finnish computer game developer Rovio Entertainment. Inspired primarily by a sketch of stylized wingless birds, the game was first released for Apple's iOS in December 2009. Since that time, over 12 million copies of the game have been purchased from Apple's App Store.

In the game, players use a slingshot to launch birds at pigs stationed on or within various structures, with the intent of destroying all the pigs on the playing field. As players advance through the game, new types of birds become available, some with special abilities that can be activated by the player.

On a side note - I am a HUGE fan of Angry Birds!  I bought Angry Birds Seasons, Rio and Space too and I can't wait for whatever they are going to make next.

Brugge, Belgium - Multiview

 Greetings from Brugge, Belgium

Although it is not listed on the postcard, here is some information about the pictures - -
Top Left: City Hall
Top Right: The Dweersstraat.
Bottom Left: View from the Rozenhoedkaai.
Bottom Right: The Belfry – situated on the south side of the Markt.

postmarked in 2012 with a Belgium Christmas stamp and signed by 6 members of a Postcrossing meet-up.

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Bruges (Brugge) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country.

The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. The city's total population is 117,073 (1 January 2008), of which around 20,000 live in the historic centre.

Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam, it is sometimes referred to as "The Venice of the North". Bruges has a significant economic importance thanks to its port.

Yasmine Hammamet in Tunisia

Saphir Palace
Yasmine Hammamet

unused, from 2011

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Hammamet is a town in Tunisia. Due to its beaches it is a popular destination for swimming and water sports. It was the first tourist destination in Tunisia.

It is particularly known for jasmine, and this is how the tourist resort of Yasmine Hammamet got its name. All over Hammamet, souvenirs made of jasmine can be found.

Star Wars, R2-D2

Star Wars
R2-D2

unused, bought in 2007

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The name is said to derive from when Lucas was making one of his earlier films, American Graffiti. Sound editor Walter Murch states that he is responsible for the utterance which sparked the name for the droid. Murch asked for Reel 2, Dialog Track 2, in the abbreviated form "R-2-D-2". Lucas, who was in the room and had dozed off while working on the script for Star Wars, momentarily woke when he heard the request and, after asking for clarification, stated that it was a "great name" before falling immediately back to sleep.

Honduras

Bandera Y Paisajes de Honduras, C.A.

Scenes from honduras, C.A.

Fotos: Juan Bendeck

This is postmarked in 2011 with a Honduras Pope John Paul II stamp

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Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize.

It was home of several important indigenous cultures, mostly notably the Maya. 

Some of Honduras' national holidays include Honduras Independence Day on 15 September and Children's Day or Día del Niño, which is celebrated in homes, schools and churches on 10 September.  On this day, children receive presents and have parties similar to Christmas or birthday celebrations. Some neighborhoods have piñatas on the street. 

Honduras stamp 2005

Pope John Paul II - L 15.00

Rabbit - Photo by Walter Schels

Rabbit, 2000.
Photograph by Walter Schels (What a photo!  Love it!!)

unused, bought in 2011

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From his website:
Walter Schels was born in Landshut, Germany in 1936. He worked as a window decorator in Barcelona, Canada and Geneva.  In 1966 he went to New York to become a photographer.

In 1970 he returned to Germany and worked in advertising and for various magazines. Walter Schels became well-known for his portraits of artists, politicians, philosophers, celebrities - and animals as well.

He had a milestone experience back in 1975, when he was asked to document a birth for "Eltern" (Parents) magazine.

"That's when I saw the face of a newborn child for the first time. But it wasn't a faceless being; it had an aged, knowing face with a past."

Since that time, Schels had focused on faces and on observing the human existence in extreme conditions.

Dolly Dingle Paper Dolls on Postcards

Dolly Dingle Helps Teacher

The Lesson Dolly wrote on the black-board, Dolly's Dress with chalk to write on Blackboard, The big gold star

Lessons are:

Brush your teeth

Take your bath

Eat all your nice food

Play in the nice fresh air

Go to bed early

And go right to sleep

Then you will be splendid children

Illustration by Grace G. Drayton

all these cards are unused and from 1984

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Grace Drayton (October 14, 1877 – 1936) was an illustrator who created popular period comics Dolly Dimples and The Pussycat Princess. She also created the "Campbell Soup Kids" advertising campaign and is probably best known for her popular Dolly Dingle paper dolls in the women's magazine Pictorial Review.

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Also shown are:

Dolly Dingle's Little Friend Junior Allen and his Indian Suit

Dolly Dingle's Litte Friend Gracie Harriman and her Camp-Fire Girls Costume

Dolly Dingle's Fido Dress Up (for her dog)

Dolly Dingle's Friend Sammy gets Ready for the Baseball Season

Dolly Dingle Learns to Paint

Dolly Dingle's Brother Plays Farmer

Dolly Dingle's Pretty Little Friend Teedie (and her Kitty Kat Costume)

and

Dolly Dingle's Little Friend Joey (and his Teddy-Bear Costume)

 

 

 

 

Super Grandma and Super Grandpa (from Germany)

the words on both cards are:

Super - Oma (Super Grandma)
Super - Opa (Super Grandpa)
Klug und intelligent -  (wise and intelligent)
attraktiv - (attractive)
stark - (strong)
superstark (super strong)
flugtauglich - (airworthy)
voller ideen - (full of ideas)
voller Energie - ( energetic)
humorvoll - (humorous)
jung im Herzen - (young at heart)
fit wie ein Turnschuh - (fit as a fiddle)

made by Kathrin Stockebrand

unused, bought in Germany in 2011


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National Grandparents Day is a holiday celebrated in the United States since 1978 and officially recognized in a number of countries on various days of the year, either as one holiday or sometimes as a separate Grandmothers Day and Grandfathers Day.  In the US it is celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day.

Tribute in Light - Remembering The World Trade Center

The Statue of Liberty stands proud against New York's skyline with the blue beams of the Tribute in Light remembering the former World Trade Center.

photo: 2007  Mark Wayne

Anse Chastanet Beach, St. Lucia

Anse Chastanet Beach, St. Lucia
Photograph by Alan Newman

postmarked with 75c Saint Lucia, 50th Anniversary of LIAT (airplane) stamp in 2007

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Anse Chastanet is a beach north of the town of Soufrière, Saint Lucia. It is known for excellent scuba diving and snorkeling. The scuba diving is spectacular, and many of the reefs are accessible by simply swimming a few metres out from the beach.

Star Gazer and Porcupine Fish

 Watercolours on paper

'Star Gazer' from William Buleow Gould's Sketch book of Fishes in Macquarie Harbour c 1832

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The stargazers are a family of fish that have eyes on top of their heads (hence the name). The family includes about 51 species (one extinct) in 8 genera, all marine and found worldwide in shallow waters.

In addition to the top-mounted eyes, stargazers also have a large upward-facing mouth in a large head. Their usual habit is to bury themselves in sand, and leap upwards to ambush prey that pass overhead.
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Watercolours on paper

'Porcupine Fish' from William Buleow Gould's Sketch book of Fishes in Macquarie Harbour c 1832

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Porcupinefish are fish of the family Diodontidae, also commonly called blowfish or pufferfish.

Porcupinefish have the ability to inflate their body by swallowing water or air, thereby becoming rounder. This increase in size (almost double vertically) reduces the range of potential predators to those with much bigger mouths. A second defense mechanism is provided by the sharp spines, which radiate outwards when the fish is inflated.

Some species are poisonous, having a tetrodotoxin in their internal organs. This neurotoxin is at least 1200 times more potent than cyanide. The poison is produced by several types of bacteria that are obtained via the fish's diet. As a result of these three defenses, porcupinefish have few predators, although adults are sometimes preyed upon by sharks and orcas. Juveniles are also preyed on by tuna and dolphins.

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Both postcards are unused and were bought at the Australian National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour, Sydney in 2012

Exaggeration - Detroit, Michigan, Flood on Griswald Street

During the Flood on Griswold Street
Great Sport for the Boys

postmarked from Detroit in 1921 with a one sent stamp

The white spot that is crossed off originally was the year 1910 and a name, someone etched it out, then tried to write in their name, then re-printed the postcard.

If anyone knows of a flood that happened in or around 1910 on Griswold Street, can you leave a message with a link to the information - thanks