This card highlights a harpsichord purchased by George Washington for his step-granddaughter, Nellie Custis. The room is now more correctly called the Small Parlor, after its conversion from a bedroom in its earlier days.
The description on the back states simply “The Music Room at Mount Vernon.
This card is believed to date from the 1940s.
Tag: postcard
Mount Vernon, Virginia
This week features views of the George Washington family home and estate known as Mount Vernon. It is located near Alexandria, Virginia not far south of Washington D.C, and is a popular tourist destination. This image features the main house.
The description is simply:
The Mount Vernon Mansion, East Front.
–As can be seen on the card, this image dates from the 1930s.
Country Scene with Wagon, Mississippi
This card shows a composed scene of an African-American couple riding a cargo wagon pulled by two mules. The couple is dressed in clothes typical of rural southern farmers, and there are examples of equipment and supplies common to farmers stowed in the wagon.
The description states:
GOING HOME…A scene almost forgotten in the New South.
–Such scenes were familiar into the 1950s in impoverished rural areas. This card dates from the 1960s.
Magnolia Blossom, Mississippi
This image is of another iconic flower of the southern United States, the Magnolia.
The description states:
THE MAGNOLIA…is the State Flower of Mississippi. This beautiful flower of the evergreen tree “Magnolia Grandiflora” is seen throughout the South in the late Spring and early Summer.
–The card is part of a large series of cards that dates from the 1960s.
Live Oak Trees, Mississippi
The card image features the live oak trees prevalent in the southern United States. The exact tree shown is the Southern Live Oak, Quercus Virginiana.
The description states simply: “Live Oaks and Camellias”
This card is part of a larger series dating from the 1960s.
Child in the Cotton, Mississippi
This image is a posed photo of an African-American child viewing the bolls of cotton growing on the plants all around him.
The description states simply: “Picking Cotton”
This image is part of a much larger series labelled “A Deep South Card”, and likely dates from the 1960s.
Camellias in Bloom, Mobile Alabama
This postcard is simply an image of the classic camellia flower blossom known as a symbol of the southern United States.
The description states:
The Purple Dawn (Mathotiana Rubra) varies of the CAMELLIA JAPONICA is extremely beautiful and very popular in the Deep South.
–This image is noted as being from Alabama, since the photo is credited to the Bellingrath Gardens, located there. Along with other cards in this series, it is from the 1960s.
Mississippi River Traffic
The image on this card shows typical commercial river traffic along a southern section of the Mississippi River. There is a tug pushing 12 loaded barges while a cargo ship passes by. Along the shore appears to be a car ferry in the process of loading and unloading vehicles.
The description states only “The Mighty Mississippi”
This card is part of a much larger series of cards that likely date from the 1960s.
Medicine Bow River, Medicine Bow, Wyoming
This image shows the Medicine Bow River, which is part of the collection shown previously, but is at quite a distance from Fort Bridger, in southeast Wyoming.
The town of Medicine Bow, Wyoming is indicated as being nearby, but the lack of clear landmarks make it difficult to identify which particular part of the river is shown.
There is no other description on the card, but it is most likely this card dates from the 1950s.
Old Time Freight Wagon, Fort Bridger, Wyoming
The last card from the Fort Bridger set is a photo of a typical freight wagon used in the 19th and early 20th centuries for moving goods across the far West before the arrival of gasoline engines and motorized trucks. Even when the early automobiles and trucks arrived, many were not able to haul as much over varied terrain as these venerable old wagons.
Such wagons have been preserved and put on display in various parts of the country, including Santa Barbara, California at their Carriage Museum.
This picture has no additional description for the wagon maker or type, but the photo is part of a series dating to the 1950s.