Category Archives: Postcards From Another Millennium

Postcards from various decades of the 20th century.

Delicate Arch, Arches National Monument, Utah

This is an image of the free-standing arch called Delicate Arch, one of several in the Arches National Monument near Moab, Utah.

COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY MANLEY OF WESTERN WAYS

The caption is too damaged to read.

–Note in the central shadowed area a small rise with a white streak above it. This is a man standing on the rise and shows the relative size of the arch in comparison.

This image likely dates from the 1950s.

Rainbow Bridge, Glen Canyon, Utah

This is a close up view of the so-called Rainbow Bridge formation located in Glen Canyon National Park in southern Utah.

COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY MANLEY OF WESTERN WAYS

The caption on the back states:
RAINBOW BRIDGE
One of the southwest’s most scenic wonders, near the Arizona-Utah border.

–This formation has special religious significance to the Native Americans of the area.

This card likely dates from the 1950s.

Court of the Patriarchs, Zion National Park, Utah

One of the Zion National Park Tour’s most famous landmarks, the Court of the Patriarchs is three prominent sandstone peaks named after the biblical figures of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSEPH MUENCH

The caption on the back is too damaged to read.

These are formations of Navajo sandstone. Yucca and prickly pear cactus are common and visible in the foreground.

This card likely dates from the 1950s.

“Queen Victoria” Rock Formation Close Up, Bryce Canyon, Utah

This is a photo of the same formation shown in the previous posting. This features a close-up view of the formation to highlight the possible resemblance to the 19th century British monarch.

COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSEPH MUENCH

The caption on the back of the card is too damaged to read. The formation stands over the Queen’s Garden area of Bryce Canyon, on a similarly named trail which allows easy access to view it.

This card likely dates from the 1950s.

“Queen Victoria” Rock Formation, Bryce Canyon, Utah

This image shows a group on horseback looking up at the famous rock formation that bears a resemblance to the British Queen Victoria in her voluminous dress.

Kodachrome Reproduction by Mike Roberts Studio

The caption on the back states:
J209
QUEEN VICTORIA, BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK, UTAH
One of the best known formations at Bryce, Queen Victoria is located on a palisade of pink and white sandstone near the floor of the canyon.

–This formation is located near the end of the Queen’s Garden Trail, easily reached by horse or on foot.

This card likely dates from the 1950s.

M.S. Stella Solaris, Cruise Ship

This is an image of the M.S. Stella Solaris (formerly S.S. Camboge) which was the pride of the Sun Lines cruise ship company in the latter part of the 20th Century.

Tormena Genova – Printed in Italy

The caption on the back states simply:
Sun Line M.S. Stella Solaris Greek Registry

–This ship was active in the Aegean cruise trade for many summers from the early 1970s until the end of the century. In winter it made tours of the Caribbean. It was finally scrapped in the early 2000s as newer, much larger and more economically efficient ships were developed.

This card came into my possession because my parents took an Aegean cruise on this vessel and sent the card back to my mother’s mother as a souvenir. As it was used, the card is dated June 11, 1977.

Lumberman’s Monument, Huron National Forest, Michigan

This image shows a large bronze memorial to the lumbermen who worked the forests of northern lower Michigan more many decades, providing various wood products for the rapidly expanding towns and cities of the Great Lakes states.

From A Natural Color Transparency, The L. L. Cook Co., Milwaukee, Wis.

The caption on the back states:
On the High Banks of the Au Sable River in the Huron National Forest in Michigan, stands the Lumberman’s Monument. The idea for a monument was conceived by a local lumberman who successfully headed a drive to raise the necessary $50,000, from among lumbermen through the State of Michigan. The purpose of the monument is to perpetuate the memory of the pioneer lumbermen of Michigan, through whose efforts was made possible the development of the Prairie States.

–One is struck not only by the size of the monument, but by the unusual fashion in pants and shoes worn by the woman in the foreground.

This card is dated 1955.

Lower Tahquamenon Falls, Upper Peninsula, Michigan

This image shows the breadth of the falls and cascade of the Lower Tahquamenon Falls complex on the Tahquamenon River in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Plastichrome by Colorpictures Publishers, Inc. Boston 15, Mass, U.S.A.

The caption on the back states:

THE TAHQUAMENON FALLS
Lower Falls No. 1
In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Largest of a series of beautiful waterfalls, where the River divides to form the enchanting Tahquamenon Falls Island. There are three sets of falls around the island, and several series of rippling cascades. Drive to the “Lower Falls” along the Tahquamenon Memorial Highway (from Paradise to Newberry, north from M-28) then a short trip by rowboat to the Tahquamenon Falls Island for a close-up view of all the waterfalls.

–This image is likely taken from the island itself, looking upstream at the largest part of the falls and complex. The brown color of the water is caused by tannic acid from the decay of leaves from the deciduous trees that line the river.

The postcard is not dated, but most likely dates from the 1950s.

Upper Tahquamenon Falls, Upper Peninsula, Michigan

This is a phot of the Upper Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as seen from the shore just below the falls.

A Genuine Plastichrome Reproduction The L. L. Cook Co., Milwaukee, Wis.

The caption on the back states:
UPPER TAHQUAMENON FALLS
In Michgan’s Upper Peninsula
The impressive angel from which the falls are viewed here shows the greatest advantage the full 48 foot hight of these mighty falls — the second largest east of the Mississippi.

–One assumes the largest falls are located at Niagara, New York. This is a slightly closer-in photo compared to the one posted yesterday, taken in mid-year at a time when the falls were more active, as seen notably on the edge closest to the camera.

This card is dated 1952.

Upper Tahquamenon Falls

This image shows the silhouette of a man standing in the shallows near the Upper Tahquamenon Falls during an Autumn day.

A Genuine Kodachrome Reproduction The L. L. Cook Co., Milwaukee, Wis

The caption on the back states:
UPPER TAHQUAMENON FALLS
The Tahquamenon River winds its way for miles through broad swamps, thickly forested ridges, and between stone cliffs over 100 feet high, until at this point, it pounds its turbulent waters over a 48 foot sandstone cliff — The Falls of the Tahquamenon.

–It is not obvious why the man is standing in the shallows, but close examination of the photo seems to show the faint outline of a fishing pole.

This card is dated 1954.