This card shows a young woman observing some stalactites in the Cave of the Mounds.
Regrettably, the black and white photo, combined with the limited lighting in the cave, result in a photo that is not particularly evocative of the name. As a result, it is not clear why this is the Gem Room, other than the fanciful imaginations of the owners and marketers. The description states simply:
Gem Room – Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds Wisconsin
The woman’s attire indicates this photo is from the 1940s.
Category: Postcards From Another Millennium
Postcards from various decades of the 20th century.
Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
This week is a tour of a typical cave exhibit of the mid-century. This one, Cave of the Mounds, was discovered in 1939 and opened to the public for tours. The experience was expanded with the addition of several more rooms in the cave throughout the 1940s.
The description on the back states simply:
The Oak Grove parking area at the entrance arch to Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wis.
The vehicles in this photo, along with the fashions in following images, place these photos in the 1940s.
Parthenon Replica, Nashville, Tennessee
This folio highlights the central feature of Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee. The Parthenon replica is a faithful reconstruction of the original on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Because it is complete, it is possible to see and appreciate some of the features of the original which no longer exist.
While the Parthenon replica is the showpiece of Centennial Park, the park contains many more features and sites, as indicated by a few of the pictures here.
The photos from this folio date from the 1960s.
Inner Patio, Bellingrath Home, Mobile Alabama
This image features a flower filled sunny patio within the walls of the Bellingrath home.
The description on the back states:
BELLINGRATH GARDENS, MOBILE, ALABAMA…Looking down on the patio from one of the iron lacework balconies of the Bellingrath home.
These images are part of a much larger collection, marked on the back “A Deep South Card”, and which date from the 1960’s.
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, Azalea Trail, Mobile, Alabama
This monument stands in Mobile along a garden pathway known as the Azalea Trail. The young ladies, dressed in an interpretation of antebellum dress, are members of a group of high school seniors selected every year as ambassadors for Mobile. The group is called the Azalea Trail Maids.
The description on the back states:
AZALEA TRAIL, MOBILE, ALABAMA…The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Park is on of the most photographed spots along the Azalea Trail.
The card is part of a series that dates from the 1960s.
Landscaped Pool, Bellingrath Gardens, Mobile, Alabama
This lovely scene is of the pool overlooking the river that runs close by the Bellingrath Gardens.
The description states:
BELLINGRATH GARDENS, MOBILE, ALABAMA…showing the pool in front of the Bellingrath home, overlooking the Isle-Aux-Oies River (River of Fowl).
The Isle-Aux-Oies River is a channel that flows primarily parallel to Mobile Bay, along the land at the western edge of the bay entrance.
This photo, like the others in this series, dates from the 1960’s.
Flowered Path, Bellingrath Gardens, Mobile, Alabama
Another pastoral scene at the Bellingrath Gardens, this time of a unidentified path through the elaborate landscaping.
The description on the back states:
BELLINGRATH GARDENS, MOBILE, ALABAMA…showing one of the many paths lined with Camellias, Azaleas and other colorful flowers.
Images from this series date from the 1960s.
Grotto, Bellingrath Gardens, Mobile, Alabama
A tranquil view of a flagstone structure with a gentle waterfall in the Bellingrath Gardens.
The description states:
BELLINGRATH GARDENS, MOBILE, ALABAMA
…showing the Grotto in front of the Bellingrath home on the banks of the Isle-Aux-Oies River.
The card is undated and unused, but is part of a larger series that dates from the 1960s.
John Bragg Home, Mobile, Alabama
This week features the Bellingrath Gardens and surroundings in Mobile, Alabama. The first image is of the John Bragg home, more commonly known now as the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion.
The description on the back states:
HISTORIC BRAGG HOME, MOBILE ALABAMA
Framed by magnificent live oaks, carpets of green lawn, and bordered by colorful azaleas, this beautiful old home was often visited by the famous Confederate General Braxton Bragg and is a favorite tourist attraction. Located at 1906 Spring Hill Avenue.
The card was not used, but others in the series date from the 1960s.
Door County, Wisconsin
This folio features locations primarily associated with water in the Door County, Wisconsin area. This county is in the northeast corner of Wisconsin made up of a long, narrow peninsula extending into Lake Michigan.
These photos are a combination of candid photos and those, like the beach scene above, where the people in the foreground are clearly aware of the photographer, though not formally posed. Earlier in the collection, the photo at the cave looks almost like a family snapshot.
The images are readily dated from the legend on the front. This collection dates from the 1950s.