vintage and contemporary postcards and stamps from around the world
09 December 2024
08 December 2024
glass
In 1999, this magnificent selection from the Corning Museum of Glass was issued
Free blown, mold blown, pressed, and art glass
From 1967, a view of part of Marc Chagall's Peace Window in the UN building, NY. The full piece is 15' x 12' (which is larger than my living room)
05 December 2024
snow
sometimes, it doesn't fall on mountains in November, as has happened in Japan this year. snow fell on the 6th, but almost immediately melted away, unlike in this vintage postcard of Mt Fuji in winter.
But, maybe for more consistent views of snow in winter, you need to head over to Finland.
01 December 2024
lost in translation
I'm not really sure what kind of fruit this is (mango?), though I suspect the Chinese script in the corner gives a clue (if I could read Chinese)
This one from Belarus was also tricky. Turns out it is a 'common raccoon dog' which is not at all a raccoon. Or a dog. It is a canid that is closely related to a fox. They are widespread in eastern Europe and Asia.
28 November 2024
two town views
Sent in 1900 to South Shields (an almost 5 hour drive from Cheltenham) in England.
On this card we have 'the Promenade' (top right) which dates back to 1818 in the height of the Regency period, with 'the fountain' (top left). 'Pitville Gardens' is on the bottom, which seems to be a misspelling of Pittville Gardens, part of a large estate created by Joseph Pittville in 1825 for the "rich & famous who came to live in Cheltenham". The estate includes a large ornamental lake and a pump room (as would befit a spa town). By 1894, the park was open to the general public. In the centre is the Cheltenham Ladies College (founded in 1854) a private boarding and day school for girls aged 11-18.
25 November 2024
24 November 2024
small animals
23 November 2024
21 November 2024
english riviera
two different views of Brixham Harbour in Devon
Unfortunately, the artist of the first one isn't credited, but E (Edmund) Nagele is credited for the chrome postcard. Brixham is the busiest fishing port in England. I found a travel blog posted in August which listed so many places to visit, walk, and eat, but strangely did not once mention the replica of Sir Francis Drake's ship, the Golden Hind, which you can see in the inner harbour. Personally, that would be my first reason to visit, with the views and food a welcome bonus.
18 November 2024
beaches
there are so many beaches, you would be spoilt for choice
17 November 2024
lyon
Joseph Marie Jacquard, a weaver, inventor and merchant who lived from1752 to 1834 in Lyon. He is perhaps best known for inventing the Jacquard loom (1804) which simplified complex patterns such as brocade and damask.
headshots for Sunday Stamps
(and for anyone paying attention... I have no idea why the font keeps changing size)
16 November 2024
14 November 2024
streets
this street, while old and quaint, looks like a massive tripping hazard
13 November 2024
1989
11 November 2024
10 November 2024
infantry
09 November 2024
08 November 2024
ladybug
It's that time of year when the ladybugs come inside for warmth and a rest. They are the one insect I don't mind.
07 November 2024
04 November 2024
700 islands
Only 30 of these islands are inhabited. The largest island is Andros, and the capital is on the island of New Providence. It is only one of two countries using the article 'The' in its name.
03 November 2024
movember
a pioneer of Canadian photography, William Hanson Boorne opened his first studio in Calgary in 1886.
another handlebar moustache, this time on Mustafa Kamil Pasha (1874-1908), an Egyptian lawyer and journalist.
some refined moustaches for Sunday Stamps
02 November 2024
01 November 2024
31 October 2024
foods and snacks
this cafe looks like it might be a place of calm. perhaps it is in a small alley and the customers may have wandered off to look at something across the way
28 October 2024
these islands
These islands were born of the night, sired by the sun, cradled by the sea, with clouds and trade winds for playmates and a hula-moon for godmother
27 October 2024
modern
I always find it so sad when architects don't get to see their works completed and see the public's (hopefully positive) reaction.
This was also the case with Viljo Revell, the Finnish architect of Toronto's City Hall, who died in 1964, a year before it opened.
a couple of public buildings for Sunday Stamps
26 October 2024
tea time by the fire
24 October 2024
so much choice
21 October 2024
20 October 2024
lilac
This colourful beauty is a lilac breasted roller. They range from eastern Africa along the coast to northern South Africa. They are not known to habitate near humans, which is a shame for us.