Here’s the first post in a long running project to exhibit most of the postcards in my collection. I acquired them from a number of my relatives who collected them in their travels around North America and the world. During the mid-20th century, post cards were regularly mailed by travelers to relatives and friends remaining home, or collected as pictorial souvenirs of the locations they visited when cameras were expensive, limited and film development often unavailable.
The majority are from the mid-century, but some are both earlier and later.
This one begins with a world famous location: the section of Lombard Street in San Francisco, CA with elaborate turns, multi-level housing and beautiful flower beds along the way.
The description on the back of the card states:
A cable car passes above the crookedest street. Red brick and colorful flowers highlight this beautiful landmark in San Francisco.
–The date, judging from the cars in the photo, is late 1970s.
20 Years of the World Wide Web
Twenty years ago today, 30 April 1993, Tim Berners-Lee went live with the first web site at CERN. At the same time, he released the code that ran the Web, the first versions of the HTTP protocol and HTML, free forever for the world to use to create a new communications medium.
Two decades on, the world is a different place because of his foresight and generosity. Now, without the Web, huge multi-national companies simply wouldn’t exist. When Web access is lost, through error or malfeasance, companies that have transitioned most or all of their activities to the Web stand to lose millions of dollars during the interruption.
To see the original web site, as it has been recreated with the original URL, click World Wide Web. Take a moment to see how far the Web has come. While simple and plain, it points out the underlying truth that the Web is about information, not glitz.