Tag Archives: artwork

Dog Family Portrait, Germany

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This illustration shows a typical family portrait session with an old bellows camera, but with dogs in the place of people.

No. 4 Marcel Schumann Importers, 1355 Market Street, San Francisco, Calif.


There is no description on the back of this card.
Again in this image, the dog photographer has no pants, though the ‘father’ dog does, consistent with the rest of his formal attire. This ‘father’ dog also appears to have hands instead of paws, judging by the way they have been drawn next to the infant dog on his lap.
This card likely dates from the 1940s.

Dogs at Butcher Cartoon, Germany

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Continuing with the theme from the previous posting, this image shows a collection of various breeds of dog in at a butcher shop operated by large bulldogs.

No. 3 Marcel Schumann Importers, 1355 Market Street, San Francisco, Calif.


There is no description on the back of this card.
There are a few interesting oddities in this image as well. The dog customers all have paws, but the butcher dog on the right clearly has hands. In addition, he towers over a trio of what appear to be very small bulldog customers. And, while the ‘female’ dogs have skirts, the ‘male’ dogs have no pants.
This image likely dates from the 1940s.

Cat Street Scene Cartoon, Switzerland

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This illustration is one of the less common type of postcards: a typical street scene in a town where the people are all replaced by cats.

No. 4741 Edition Max Künzli, Zurich 6


There is no description on the back of this card.
Among the odd elements of this image is the fact that the cat that has tripped the bread seller has done so with the leash from her pet dog, the only dog in the image. The dress styles and horse-drawn trolley point to the turn of the 20th century for the setting of the image.
The postcard likely dates from the 1940s.

Mount Hood and Environs, Oregon

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This image shows the Hood River Valley and the imposing volcano known as Mount Hood which dominates the landscape as seen from the north.

E.C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, Wis


The description states:
Hood River Valley is known the world over for its apples. Excellent crops of pears and strawberries are adding to the valley’s fame as a fruit growing center.
— The volcano is considered to have a very low risk of eruption, and is generally described as dormant. The Hood River is comprised of 3 forks which merge before joining the Columbia River.
This postcard was used and is dated 15 February 1956.

El Gobernador, Zion National Park, Utah

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This illustration is of the large rock formation that dominates the canyon below in Zion National Park, Utah. It is now better known as the Great White Throne.

Union Pacific Pictorial Postcard


The description states:
A summer trip to Zion National Park. Cedar Breaks, Bryce Canyon and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon makes an ideal outing.
–This postcard illustration was made to promote the use of the Union Pacific passenger service to the places noted on the back of the card.
This image likely dates from the 1920s, as the park was established in 1919.

YMCA Camp, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

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This image shows a young man reading near the buildings which made up the YMCA Camp located near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. It has been redeveloped into the Geneva Lakes Family YMCA.
There is no description on the back of this card.
The fate of this facility is described on the YMCA National History web site, and the relevant information excerpted here:

“The need for a formal school was also felt in the Midwest, with a YMCA Training School housed in the downtown Chicago YMCA opening in 1890 with five students. It ultimately became George Williams College, after merging with the Western Secretarial Institute, a summer training school in Lake Geneva, Wis., in 1892. A century later, George Williams College became part of Aurora University, in Aurora, Ill.”

The facility is thus no longer in existence. The card was used and is dated 21 June 1928.

Little Norway Bedroom, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin

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This illustration shows the bedroom of a building on the grounds of Little Norway, a reconstructed Norwegian village near the town of Blue Mounds, Wisconsin.

Photo by Diemer


There is no description on the back of this card.
Little Norway changed hands a few times over the years, and recently was closed because of declining tourist revenue. The most famous component of the site, the stave church known as the Norway building, has been purchased by parties from Orkdal, Norway where the church was constructed, and is slated to be shipped there for reconstruction by 2017.
This image likely dates from the 1940s.

Tejm Motel, Bettendorf, iowa

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This is an artist’s rendition of the Tejm Motel in Bettendorf, Iowa, a typical mid-century structure with multi-occupancy buildings reminiscent of apartments.

Teknitone Process by E. B Thomas, Rt. 26, Cambridge 39, Mass.


The description states:
TEJM MOTEL
On U. S. Highway 6 — Bettendorf, Iowa
“We Aim to Satisfy”
Conveniently located in Quint-City Area — (Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa; and Moline, Rock Island and East Moline, Illinois). 26 modern units, especially designed for the comforts of home. Phone: TEJM MOTEL, Davenport Exchange.
–CAbins like these often had apartment style designs, including small kitchenettes and sometimes even laundry services. As motel owners learned that most travelers did not use most of these services for various reasons, they were eliminated for more popular additions such as television, air conditioning and swimming pools.
This image likely dates from the 1940s.

Holiday Inn North, Des Moines, Iowa

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This is an artist’s rendition of an aerial view of the Holiday Inn of Des Moines, Iowa and the grounds inside and out.

Curteich Color 3-D Natural Color Reproduction


The description states:
HOLIDAY INN
OF DES MOINES (NORTH), IOWA
3501 East 14th Street Zip 50316
1 Mile South of Interstate 80 and U. S. 6 on U. S. 69
Cocktail Lounge — 24-hour restaurant
Giant heated swimming pool
Color TV in every room
Complete hotel and convention service
–The small lettering on the sign in the lower left says “The Worlds Innkeeper”
The Holiday Inn chain of motels is one of the largest in the world, and a pioneer in technology and co-branding, including creating a reservation service for travelers to book another Holiday Inn when leaving the current one, and the ability to pay with a Gulf Oil credit card, as Holiday Inn did not otherwise have a credit payment system, and this was before BankAmericard (now VISA) and Mastercharge (now MasterCard).
The Holiday Inn has been demolished and replaced with a Casey’s Service Station. This postcard likely dates from the 1970s.

Shady Lodge Motel, Oscaloosa, Iowa

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This image is an artist’s rendition of the cabins making up the Shady Lodge Motel, with the main office in the left background.

Tichnor Quality Views, Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass.


The description states:
Shady Lodge Motel
102 So. 11th St., Highway 63
1/2 Mile South of 92
Telephone 3-7073
Oscaloosa, Iowa
Modern Cottages–Innterspring Mattresses–Steam Heated
“A Home Away From Home”–Hundreds of Shade Trees
Trailer Accommodations
Owned and Operated by Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Benke
–Such elaborate designs were still common in the early years of motel construction, particularly in remote or rural areas, but such buildings proved to be expensive to maintain and were supplanted with more standardized construction.
Google maps shows the site has been completely reconstructed for homes and small businesses. This image likely dates from the 1940s.