Category Archives: Postcards From Another Millennium

Postcards from various decades of the 20th century.

The Annunciation, from The Book of Hours

This image is of the medieval illustration of the Annunication of the Virgin Mary, an excerpt from the Book of Hours.

Published by Washington Cathedral, Washington, D.C.

The caption on the back states:
DETAIL OF ILLUSTRATED MANUSCRIPT
THE ANNUNCIATION
BOOK OF HOURS, ABOUT 1430, FRENCH
COLLECTION OF HERBERT PELL
NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

–The Book of Hours is not a specific book, but a type of book used by Catholic parishioners to assist them in their prayers. Since they were all hand made in the medieval era, each book is unique but still contains many of the traditional prayers and devotionals common to the era it was made.

This card likely dates from the 1960s.

Temple of Athena Pronaea, Delphi, Greece

This image shows the partially restored temple of Athena Pronaea, one of the many structures in the archaeological complex of Delphi, Greece.

Printed in Greece, Olympic Color

The caption is in six languages, and the English states:
Delphi – Temple of “Athena Pronaea”

–There are actually three different temples of this name, built and expanded over the centuries as Greece grew and changed. This obviously round structure is known as the Tholos.

This card was used and is dated 3 September 1980

St. Paul’s Harbor, Lindos, Greece

This image is an elevated view of the tiny harbor which has come to be associated with the early Christian apostle, St. Paul.

Photo Hannibal, Syndagma Square, Athens, Greece

The caption is presented in six languages, in English it states simply:
Lindos – St. Paul’s Harbor

Lindos is a village on the coast of the island of Rhodes, south of Anatolian Turkey. The legend is that St. Paul sheltered his boat here during a severe storm.

This card was used and is dated 9 June 1977.

Marble Replica, DaVinci’s Last Supper

This image is a deep relief marble sculpture replica of The Last Supper, a fresco by Leonardo Da Vinci. It is part of a much larger exhibit of marble work a the Vermont Marble Museum in Proctor, Vermont.

“Lusterchrome” REG. U.S. PAT.OFF. MADE ONLY BY TICHNOR BROS., INC., BOSTON 15, MASS.

The caption on the back states:
The Last Supper
Carved from statuary marble from West Rutland, Vermont, is on display at the Marble Exhibit, Proctor, Vermont. Taken from da Vinci’s famous painting, it was hand carved in about 14 weeks from a single piece of marble.

–The Vermont Marble Museum is a large exhibition of marble sculpture and history located in a part of the Vermont Marble Company buildings.

This card likely dates from the 1950s.

Lobster Boats at Anchor, Maine

This image is of a typical small harbor where lobster boats and gear are kept and made ready for fishing.

Published by Eastern Illustrating Company, New London, N. H.

The caption on the back states:
Lobster Boats and Gear, a scene typical of the many picturesque harbors on the beautiful coast of Maine.
18514-B

–The description does not identify the specific location of this harbor. This card likely dates from the 1950s.

Nubble Lighthouse, Maine

This image shows the Nubble Lighthouse and associated buildings. The official name of the structure is the Cape Neddick Light, which is located on Nubble Island, about 100 yards from the mainland.

Photo by Dan Sieburg

The caption on the back states:
NUBBLE LIGHT AT YORK BEACH, MAINE
The famous lighthouse on the Maine Seacoast was established in 1879. Its powerful beam can be seen 15 miles out to sea.

–The close proximity of the islet where the lighthouse is located has made it a popular tourist destination at various times in its history.

This image likely dates from the 1950s.

Stockade Lake, Custer State Park, South Dakota

This image shows an elevated view of Stockade Lake, one of several lakes in Custer State Park. It is located in the Black Hills area of South Dakota.

PUBLISHED BY RUSHMORE PHOTO, 520 SIXTH ST., RAPID CITY, S. D.

The caption on the back states:
STOCKADE LAKE
Of the many lakes in the Black Hills, Stockade Lake is the largest. Located in Custer State Park, it is viewed from the highway, which passes the south and east sides. In Custer State Park, and area of 128,000 acres, are buffalo, elk, deer, big-horn sheep, antelope, and Rocky Mountain goats.

–The more accurate term for the animal commonly called buffalo is bison.

This image likely dates from the 1950s.

Pigtail Bridge, Needles Highway, South Dakota

This is an image of the so-called Pigtail Bridge, named for it’s 270 degree curve which passes over/under the same road .

Published by Rushmore Photo, 520 – 6th St., Rapid City, S. Dak.

The caption on the back of the card is damaged and incomplete. The legible information states:
PIG TAIL BRIDGE. On the famous Needles Highway in the Black Hills of South Dakota…. Nearby is Mt. Rushmore, the famous shrine of Presidents on Federal Highway 16.

This card likely dates from the 1940s

Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah

This image shows the gardens in front of the Tabernacle and Temple of the Church of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah.

There is no writing of any kind on the back of this card. The only caption is shown at the bottom of the image:
TEMPLE SQUARE, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

–The man and woman in front of the Tabernacle give a sense of scale to the buildings.

This image likely dates from the 1960s.

Mount Rushmore Memorial, South Dakota

This is an image of the monumental sculpture by Gutzon Borglum of four American Presidents on Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Published by the Mount Rushmore Studio, Rapid City, S. D.

The caption states:
J106 – MOUNT RUSHMORE – BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA
The Mount Rushmore National Memorial, where the busts of four great American leaders… George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln… are sculpted in heroic proportions, is the largest sculpture ever created. The late Gutzon Borglum executed the carving in the granite mountain 6,000 feet high. The busts are 450 feet high. They are thoughtfully called the “Shrine of Democracy.”

–Because the land was granted by treaty in perpetuity to the local Native American tribes before the carving began, the site has experienced considerable controversy over its creation, maintenance and interpretation.

This image likely dates from the 1950s.