The California Limited in Crozier Canyon - Arizona

A Detroit Publishing Company "Phostint" for the Fred Harvey hotel chain. 

The California Limited was the first Santa Fe train with Fred Harvey Company meal service. The later trains also offered air conditioning, a barber, beautician, steam-operated clothing press, even a shower-bath.

The California Limited was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It ran between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California. Billed as the "Finest Train West of Chicago," it made its first run on November 27, 1892.

It was withdrawn on June 15, 1954, giving it the longest tenure of any train on the Chicago-Los Angeles run of the Santa Fe.

Hollenbeck Hotel, Los Angeles

The Hollenbeck Hotel circa 1912

John Edward Hollenbeck (June 5, 1829 - September 2, 1885) was an American businessman and investor who was involved in the 19th century development of the city of Los Angeles, California.

RPPC - The Kalakala Ferry - Puget Sound, Washington

The Kalakala was a ferry that operated on Puget Sound from 1935 until her retirement in 1967. Kalakala was notable for her unique streamlined superstructure, art deco styling, and luxurious amenities. The vessel was a popular attraction for locals and tourists, and was voted second only to the Space Needle in popularity among visitors to Seattle during the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. The ship is known as the world's first streamlined vessel for her unique art deco styling.

After nearly being scrapped, the Kalakala is being restored

On or about January 22nd 2015 the Kalakala will take her final voyage. She will be towed from her moorage in the Hylebos Waterway to the Blair Waterway where she will be scrapped

http://www.kalakala.org/

The Glidden Tour - Detroit to Denver

The American Automobile Association (AAA) sponsored the Glidden Tour. The name "Glidden" comes from Charles J. Glidden, a wealthy New England industrialist and avid automobile supporter, who became the most notable when he offered a $2,000 trophy to the AAA to be competed for by the touring cars.

The race itself  began on July 12th, 1909, but, being designated the pathfinder vehicle, the E-M-F ventured out 3 months earlier on April 12th with tour officials to measure, map and photograph the tour route in time for publication for all tour participants. 

Oddfellows Hall, Union Lodge #1 - Denver Colorado

Although this 40's linen postcard is for the Oddfellows Hall, I believe Le Moine's appliance store got some free advertising!

"The Most Varied Trip in Holland" - Circular Tours

I don't have but a hand-full of foreign postcards in my collection and will be the first foreign card that I've posted on Postcards Etcetera. I like this card on several levels. It's a transportation themed card which is one of my favorite topics to collect. I also love the look of this card. The circular design, the cities shown with the modes of transportation between them is very cool.

Hotel Shaw - San Francisco, California - 1942

The Hotel Shaw was built in 1909, originally as a two story office building named the Capitol Building. In 1936, five additional floors were added and it became a first class four star property. In the 1920's to 1940's, the hotel catered to the rich and well to do. It remained the Shaw Hotel up until the late 1970's. The name changed to Miramar Hotel and then the U.N.Plaza Hotel in the 1980's. It is now the Renoir Hotel.

International Harvester Coca Cola Truck - 1939

This over-sized (7.5" x 4") advertising postcard touts the new International D-300 COE (cab-over-engine) delivery truck.

In 1939, International Trucks introduced its all steel Metro body styling, offering a very attractive design look and feel. The appearance was very smooth with no projecting fenders or corners. Some people commented that the appearance resembled a “loaf of bread”. The large flat sides and rear end design offered an abundance of advertising space which store merchants thoroughly enjoyed for their business. 

Santa Fe Trailways "Victory Liner"

This 8" x 3" postcard is of the "Victory Liner" that was used for the purpose of transporting workers to various "war plants". Built out of plywood during WW II in Santa Fe’s Wichita, Kansas shops to conserve valuable war materiel. The Victory Liner was used to transport civilian employees to military arms factories during the war. It had a passenger capacity of 117. 

The photo below is from a Google search and shows

the unusual way this bus was steered.

Ted Larsen Oldsmobile Dealership - Alhambra, California

Shown are 3 RPPCs from the Oldsmobile Dealership of Ted Larsen, I believe that these are from the early to mid 1950's. Alhambra is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, which is approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles.

George Washington - Born February 22, 1732

It's not GW's birthday today. It's not Abe's either but it is President's Day 2014!

Abraham Lincoln - Born February 12, 1809

"The Original Perry's Nut House" - Belfast, Maine

Perry's Nut House is a tourist stop and store on Route One in Belfast, Maine. Opened in 1927, Perry's Nut House is a classic example of an American roadside attraction. Located on the coastal road to Bar Harbor, Perry's Nut House features giant painted animal sculptures outside. 

In the early 1950s, Perry's Nut House used a catchy radio jingle: "Pack up the kids. Jump in the car. Drive to Perry's Nut House, and there you are. Right on the coast, route number 1. Belfast, Maine, Oh golly what fun."

Perry's is still alive and well! Read more here:  www.perrysnuthouse.com/our-history

Hotel Coeur D'Alene - Spokane, Washington

Converted from a variety theater into a hotel in 1909 by self-made mining man “Dutch Jake” Goetz and his partner Harry Bauer, this is one of the oldest and best known structures in Spokane. I couldn't find any information regarding the "steamship" on the roof.  Below is a photo of what the hotel looks like today.

The Durand Mansion - Pasadena, California

In April of 1902, John Durand, a millionaire Chicago businessman, purchased 10 acres-half a block of property known as "Arlington Heights" in Pasadena, California. With 17,000 square feet of floor space - fifty rooms in three stories - the home was said to be the largest in Southern California, if not the entire southwest. The property remained with the family until John M. Durand III died in 1960. The furnishings and art objects were then sold at public auction in 1961, and the home was razed. The card was mailed in 1915.

The Great Flood of 1913: Indianapolis

The 1913 flooding affected Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, Terre Haute and most locations along White River, the East Fork of the White, Wabash and Whitewater rivers. Rainfall for the five-day period beginning March 23 ranged from 2 inches in Northwest Indiana to more than 11 inches in the Richmond/east-central Indiana area.

The AZO stamp box dates this RPPC as being anywhere from 1904 to 1918. More info and a short video about the disaster is available here:  

www.indystar.com/article/20130322/NEWS06/303190109/

Excelsior Institure - Excelsior Springs, Missouri

Excelsior Springs owes its existence to a natural spring that for ages gushed forth from remote depths of the earth at the edge of a pretty river near the western border of what is now Fishing River Township, Clay County, Missouri.

I think these days they would have just "photo-shopped" the bank out of the picture rather than the attempt to use "white-out"...interesting that they still accented the banks window awnings.

Alto Tourist Court - New Orleans, Louisiana

On the back: "New Orleans - America's Most Interesting City"

The Suicide Table and The Sawdust Corner Cafe - Virginia City, Nevada

If you want to see the "Suicide Table" these days you'll need to go to the "Delta Saloon and Cafe" in Virginia City where it is presently on display and protected by a Plexiglas case. No idea why it moved venues but one might assume that suicide may have been involved...

Neither of these RPPCs is postmarked but the stamp box on the "Suicide Table" card dates it as being from the 1950's. "The Sawdust" cards stamp box is not legible.

Long Beach Sanatarium - Long Beach, California

Not much room for any personal correspondence on this card!

Chicago Municipal Airport

In 1926 the city leased the airport and named it Chicago Municipal Airport on December 12, 1927. By 1928, the airport had twelve hangars and four runways, lit for night operations.

In July 1949 the airport was renamed Chicago Midway after the Battle of Midway...If I'm not mistaken, the aircraft is a Douglas DC-3.

The John Ringling Mansion - Sarasota, Florida

Built in the 1920s by John Ringling, of the Ringling Brothers Circus, and his wife, Mable, the Venetian-style mansion (named Cà d'Zan, meaning "House of John" in Venetian dialect), dominates 20 acres of Sarasota waterfront, accompanied by the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Recently restored to its original glory, the Ringling mansion was once left a wreck with a leaky roof.

Despite his great outward success, poor investments coupled with the general downturn of the Depression, left Ringling near penniless at the time of his 1936 death. Some news reports had his bank accounts totaling a mere $311. In an effort to save his beloved home, Ringling willed the property to the state of Florida.

By the late 1990s, the house and grounds were in a state of utter neglect.

Its depressing appearance seems to have inspired some action on the part of Florida, which transferred the property to Florida State University and provided more than $40M toward new building, renovations, and an endowment for the property. In 2002, a six-year renovation commenced, eventually costing upwards of $15M.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

A couple of linen postcards from Sarasota, Florida - The winter quarters for "The Greatest Show on Earth"

The cards are "Genuine CurtTeich-Chicago" and were postmarked 1949.

The Flying Squadron, Springfield, Massachusetts

In 1906, Springfield received the first fire apparatus built by the Knox Automobile Company that was located in Springfield. By 1909, the department had 5 Knox units in operation. The photograph that was used for this postcard shows 2 chemical and hose cars operated by Squads A and B and 2 cars used by the chief and his assistant. I found this information in the book “Images of America: Springfield Firefighting” by Bert D. Johanson and Nancy B. Johanson; Assisted by Fred Rodriguez.

The first modern and “state-of-the-art” fire engine was built in 1906 by Knox Automobile Company in Springfield, Massachusetts who later became famous for its fire trucks.

This card was printed in Germany and published by the Springfield News Company circa 1909 under the name "Poly Chrome". Their style has been described as "colors so bright and so flat that they almost resemble screen-prints." 

Business District, Santa Monica, California

This view is looking east from the intersection of 2nd Street and Santa Monica Blvd, For those of you who know downtown Santa Monica, you can see the marque of the Majestic Theater on the right. This card is from the M. Kashower Co. who published cards from 1914-1934. This non-postally used card looks to be circa the mid 1920's

Running the Rapids, Ausable Chasm, New York

 

Ausable Chasm is a sandstone gorge tourist attraction near Keeseville, New York. The Ausable River runs through it, which then empties into Lake Champlain. You gotta love the hats, ties and dresses worn for the river ride!

The catalog number on this Detroit "Phostint" postcard dates it as being published between 1909-1910.

Long Beach, California Earthquake - 1933

The Long Beach earthquake of 1933 took place on March 10, 1933 with a magnitude of 6.4, causing widespread damage to buildings throughout Southern California. An estimated fifty million dollars' worth of property damage resulted, and 120 lives were lost. Many of these fatalities occurred as people ran out of buildings and were hit by falling debris. 

The earthquake highlighted the need for earthquake-resistant design for structures in California. So many school buildings were damaged, with more than 230 school buildings that either were destroyed, suffered major damage, or were judged unsafe to occupy, that the Field Act was passed by the California State Legislature on April 10, 1933. The Field Act mandated that school buildings must be earthquake-resistant. If the earthquake had occurred during school hours, the death toll would have been much higher.

Greetings from Fort Devens, Massachusetts

Four linen postcards of Fort Devens, Massachusetts from Tichnor Bros. of Boston