This week concludes with a long lost business once located on the world famous Route 66. This establishment was in the town of Rialto, CA at the corner of Foothill and Eucalyptus in the 1940s and 1950s, according to the book Route 66 in California.
This card has no additional information on the back. The automobile shown in the picture indicates it is likely from the 1940s.
Tag: 1940s
Green Mountains, Vermont Folio
The folio this time is of the Green Mountain area of Vermont, the small state in the northeast of the United States. While it is a neighbor to the original colonies that declared independence, Vermont is not among the original 13 which established the United States.
The Green Mountains are called the Berkshires in Massachusetts, and extend the length of the state from north to south.
This folio was printed just before the United States joined the Second World War, and one copy in the collection was used and mailed to a soldier stationed at the POW camp in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The copyright date on the cover of the folio is 1941, and the used folio was mailed in 1943.
Sunny Side Cabins, Utica, New York
The two week visit concludes with a restful visit in the Sunny Side Cabins of Utica, New York, some distance east of the Finger Lakes region where Watkins Glen State Park is located. These cabins are representative of the typical travelers’ lodgings of the late 1940s.
The description states:
SUNNY SIDE CABINS, finest in the state. Each with private bath, hot and cold running water, Simmons Beautyrest equipment. Spacious grounds.
Restaurant and filling station in connection.
–The Simmons Beautyrest is a trademark name for the mattresses and beds by the Simmons company, still made today. The term ‘in connection’ indicates there are restaurants and filling stations near by, but not part of the business. In later years more elaborate and larger such accommodations would indeed have restaurants as part of the establishment.
The varied size of the cabins showed indicate a selection of accommodations for larger or smaller groups. Of special note is the handwritten number on the bottom of the card. This was an amendment made by the provider, and not by the customer, as it is present on two different cards, one used and one unused. This change indicates a revision in addresses after the card was published, usually by the post office to normalize and standardize postal services and delivery.
The used card is postmarked August 1947.
Whispering Falls, Watkins Glen, New York
A different image this time, looking almost like a painting rather than a black and white photo that has been colored. The posterization of the details gives it a hand painted look. Whispering Falls is one of 19 named waterfalls in the park.
There is no description on the back of this card. The date is uncertain, but it is consistent with other cards that date from the 1940s.
Minnehaha Falls, Watkins Glen, New York
This card shows a couple of different natural features of Watkins Glen State Park. The face of the card indicates it is a view of the Stone Gorge, but the description comments on another aspect of this location.
The description states:
Minnehaha Falls is one of the chief attractions of Watkins Glen, N.Y., one of America’s great beauty spots said to be over 50,000 year in the making.
–From the description, Minnehaha Falls is part of the Famous Stone Gorge, and while it is not clear from the description which of the two falls depicted is Minnehaha, in fact it is the one in the foreground.
There is no indication of the age or publisher of this card, but its similarity to others posted here indicates it is from the 1940’s.
Rainbow Falls, Watkins Glen, New York
This image features the Rainbow Falls area and a nearby cascade and walkway that illustrates the paths visitors might take when viewing the various sights in this park.
The description on the back of the card states:
Acclaimed one of the most beautiful waterfalls in America, Rainbow Falls in Watkins Glen, N. Y. derives its name from the brilliant rainbows that flash in the Summer sunlight.
As this was originally a black and white photo that was manually colored, there was no opportunity to capture the color effects mentioned in the description. There is no other commentary on the card, or indications of maker or publisher. It is very similar to other cards in this series that are believed to date from the 1940s.
Pluto Falls, Watkins Glen, New York
This image is from another postcard series, a different collection of painted black and white photos. This is the same image as seen here from earlier in the week. The elevation is higher, and the colors more fanciful.
There is no description on the back of this card, as was typical for postcards in the first half of the 20th century. It is believed this card dates from the 1940s from the style of photo and card design.
Central Cascade, Watkins Glen, New York
This image highlights the so-called Central Cascade of the Watkins Glen State Park. Beside the lower cascade is an observer, and above the falls is an observation point with two spectators to provide scale.
The scan illustrates the textured card stock used to provide a more complex look and feel. There is no description on the card, so there is no definitive indication of the date. The clothes on the observers points to the 1940s
Suspension Bridge, Watkins Glen, New York
Next postcard image is of the bridge above the river in Watkins Glen State Park. This image was obviously black and white originally, then creatively colored by an inspired illustrator.
There is no description on the back of the card. It is believed this card is later than the previous one, which did not have a series number in the lower corner, and is tentatively dated from the 1940s.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
This folio collection of images and illustrations from Tulsa, Oklahoma have several examples of views that bear a striking resemblance to recent graphic representations in such computer games as the Sim City series. The images appear to be primarily artist’s renditions, with a few colored photos included.
While Tulsa continues to style itself the Oil Capital of the World, the many decades of changes in oil production world wide and even recently via tar sand development likely have made the claim moot.
This folio can be best dated by the illustrations which show automobiles consistent with the 1940s.