Monthly Archives: December 2014

Battle Creek Michigan Water Works

This image, almost identical to the previous post, shows the pumping station for the Battle Creek Water Works and the main building more clearly on the left, omitting the boaters.

JV & Sons Famous Throughout The World


There is no description on the back of the card, only the mark of the publisher, noted above. There are faint cancellation marks across the sky, and a tear above the chimney at left.
The pumping station and water works no longer exist in this location. There are two women visible in the center of the image walking at the edge of the lake shore.
The postcard was used, and is dated 11 September 1910.

Goguac Lake, Battle Creek, Michigan

This image, a black and white photo manually colored for postcard use, is of a couple rowing on Goguac Lake in Battle Creek. There is a pumping station for the city water system in the right background.

Souvenir Post Card Company


There is no description on the back of this card. The lake is spring fed, and the water level rises and falls with the seasonal rainfall.
This card was used and is dated 2 August 1915.

Christmas Postcard

This image is of a child in a rocking cradle decorated for Christmas, with greetings of the season.

169 Xmas Kid Series – 6 designs.


As is typical of this era of card, there is no description on the back. The card has what appears at first to be a reddish stain on it. Closer examination, particularly at the point where the rocker meets the cradle footboard, clearly indicates this is in fact a registration error. This means that the color red was misaligned with the card when passed through the printing press, applying the color too far to the left.
This card was used, and is postmarked 24 December 1920.

West Yellowstone, Montana

Just outside of Yellowstone National Park is the town of West Yellowstone, Montana. While the park is itself in Wyoming, the western border of the park is also the eastern border of the state of Montana.

Intermountain Tourist Supply, Salt Lake City, 1, Utah


The description states:
WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA
Picturesquely situated in a forest of towering pines, this scenic travel center is located at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Here modern shops and every travel accommodation are to be found.
–The town is still quite small even today, having a population of about 1300. The road shown is posted as US 20 in the extreme right of the image, a central street in the current town. The cars shown indicate this image is from the 1950s.

Old Faithful Inn Lobby, Yellowstone, Wyoming

This hand-colored image shows the monumental lobby of the Old Faithful Inn. The fireplace is 85 feet tall and weighs 500 tons. The object at the top is a clock, and the lobby is surrounded by multiple levels of galleries.

Genuine Curteich-Chicago “C.T. Art Colortone”


The description states:
Old Faithful Inn Lobby was photographed by artificial light. Notice the huge clock and fireplace, and the crowd of sightseers.
–Also visible in the lower right are band members at their instruments. Presumably music was provided both for background and for evening dancing. This card likely dates from the 1940s.

Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone, Wyoming

This image shows the pathway leading to the Old Faithful Inn, at the left, along with a later expansion in the right center. The original building was constructed in 1904 and was recently renovated to return it to much of its original design.

51K316 — Haynes Studios, Inc., Bozeman, Montana


The description states:
OLD FAITHFUL INN, UPPER GEYSER BASIN
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS OF THE PARK HOTELS. ITS LOBBY, MASSIVE FIREPLACE AND CLOCK, SURROUNDED BY A MAZE OF BALCONIES TRIMMED WITH GNARLED TREE TRUNKS, AND LIKE THE CANYON LOUNGE HOTEL, THIS ONE WAS DESIGNED BY ROBERT C. REAMER.
–The Canyon Hotel mentioned at the end is not the one seen on the right of the picture. That hotel was slated for demolition in 1960, and before demolition proceeded very far, it burned to the ground on August 8, 1960. This card likely dates to the 1950s.

Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone, Wyoming

This geyser has a long standing rhythm of eruptions that can be timed and viewed on schedule.

51K006 — Haynes Studios, Inc., Bozeman, Montana


The description states:
THE CELEBRATED OLD FAITHFUL GEYSER NAMED FOR ITS REGULARITY OF ERUPTION INTERVALS IN 1870 BY GENERAL HENRY D. WASHBURN
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
— The intervals have become more regular and predictable over the decades, and now occur at two very distinct intervals based on the length of the previous eruption. This card likely dates from the 1950s.

Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming

This image shows the largest body of water in Yellowstone National Park, also called Yellowstone Lake. The lake is situated at over 2200 meters above sea level.

A Mike Roberts Color Production, Berkeley 2, Calif.


The description states:
YELLOWSTONE LAKE
7,731 feet above sea level and covering 139 square miles, Yellowstone Lake is the largest body of water in North America at so great an altitude. Its crystal blue waters abound with native trout.
–This card likely dates from the 1950s.

Dunraven Pass, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

This image is a colorized view of the Dunraven Pass, part of the Grand Loop Road in Yellowstone National Park.

Sanborn Souvenir Co., Denver, Colo.


The description simply states:
1029 — DUNRAVEN PASS HIGHWAY IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
–This image is from the same series as the previous post, but is printed with a different process, so the texture of the image is smoother.  This card likely dates from the 1940s.

Fall Colors, Colorado

This card shows an Autumn scene in the Rockies, where the foreground trees are deciduous and changing colors, while the background ones are evergreens. There are commonly differing tree combinations on the slopes of mountains, since various tree species are adapted to different altitudes and climates.

C. T. ART-COLORTONE, Sanborn Souvenir Co., Denver, Colo.


The description states simply:
1220  WHEN AUTUMN PAINTS THE TREES AND HILLS IN MAGIC COLORS
–It is also probable that the person coloring this image decided not to add more colors to the background trees. This card likely dates to the 1940s.