We have another person in this photo of the room styled the Chapel, presumably to add some point of reference for size and orientation. The image shows dramatic stalactites and more modest stalagmites throughout the image.
The description states:
Stalactites on the ceiling and dome-shaped stalagmites on the floor of the Chapel, Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
The woman’s attire indicates the photo is from the 1940’s.
Tag: postcard
Hall of Statuary, Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
Returning to the Cave of the Mounds, this image shows some perspective on the size of the formation though the inclusion of the woman standing along the walkway. The distance recedes into darkness from the absence of lighting further down the pathway.
The simple description states:
The Hall of Statuary in the South Section at Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
The primitive handrail shown here, made out of plumbing pipe and connections, is typical of the kinds of safety provisions present in public access caves of that era.
The woman’s apparel is consistent with indications in other photos that this picture dates from the 1940s.
Dreamland Motel, Fish Creek, Wisconsin
Now a bit of a break from cave exploration with this image of the Dreamland Motel, located in Door County, Wisconsin, in the unincorporated village called Fish Creek.
The description is extensive, as is typical of motel postcards, which were intended as marketing materials:
Open year around
1-1/2 Miles from Ski Hill
DREAMLAND MOTEL, FISH CREEK, WISCONSIN
In Air-Conditioned Door County
Highway 42
12 Ultramodern heated units, with tile baths, sitting room, choice of one or two bedrooms, carpeting throughout. Located at the entrance to Peninsula State Park.
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Seitz – Phone 2281
–The motel design far exceeds the norm for these days where a typical rental has a single modest room, a table or desk and chair, chest of drawers, a closet and a bathroom. This example is more like the suites we know now, but likely were priced much more modestly than suites are today, even accounting for inflation.
The car visible at the right side of the image indicates that this photo is from the 1950s.
Totem Pole Room, Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
Much like the previous image, this one also has an ambiguity of orientation from the lighting and symmetrical nature of many cave formations. In this case, the room is decorated with stalactites and stalagmites which have merged back into solid columns like the one shown here.
It is possible to determine orientation again by the flooring provided for tourists at the lower left of the image.
The description simply states: The Totem Pole Room at Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wis.
This photo, like the others in this series, dates from the 1940s.
The Narrows, Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
This photo shows a small section of the Cave of the Mounds called the Narrows. It’s not clear from the photo why this is so as only one side of this passage is shown here.
This photo nicely demonstrates the difficulty in identifying up and down in many cave photos. The area is lit from several sources to highlight different features of the cave floor, walls and ceiling. As a result, the picture can almost be displayed inverted from the correct orientation shown here, and be acceptable to the human eye. Only the presence of the small floor area makes it clear ‘which way is up.’
The description simply states: The Narrows, Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
This is part of a larger series of photos that date from the 1940s.
Stalagmite “Parrot”, Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
This rather cryptic photo is of a stalagmite formation (one that forms from the cave floor upwards) that the cave owner identifies as a parrot. With a little imagination, one can see, in the left side white formation, the flat top of a parrot’s head, followed downward by the swelling body that forms the area around the wings, then tapers to the smaller portion making the tail.
The description on the card is significantly less detailed:
The parrot, a stalagmite formation at the entrance to the Narrows in the Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wis.
The photos in this series date from the 1940s.
Gem Room, Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
This card shows a young woman observing some stalactites in the Cave of the Mounds.
Regrettably, the black and white photo, combined with the limited lighting in the cave, result in a photo that is not particularly evocative of the name. As a result, it is not clear why this is the Gem Room, other than the fanciful imaginations of the owners and marketers. The description states simply:
Gem Room – Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds Wisconsin
The woman’s attire indicates this photo is from the 1940s.
Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin
This week is a tour of a typical cave exhibit of the mid-century. This one, Cave of the Mounds, was discovered in 1939 and opened to the public for tours. The experience was expanded with the addition of several more rooms in the cave throughout the 1940s.
The description on the back states simply:
The Oak Grove parking area at the entrance arch to Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds, Wis.
The vehicles in this photo, along with the fashions in following images, place these photos in the 1940s.
Inner Patio, Bellingrath Home, Mobile Alabama
This image features a flower filled sunny patio within the walls of the Bellingrath home.
The description on the back states:
BELLINGRATH GARDENS, MOBILE, ALABAMA…Looking down on the patio from one of the iron lacework balconies of the Bellingrath home.
These images are part of a much larger collection, marked on the back “A Deep South Card”, and which date from the 1960’s.
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial, Azalea Trail, Mobile, Alabama
This monument stands in Mobile along a garden pathway known as the Azalea Trail. The young ladies, dressed in an interpretation of antebellum dress, are members of a group of high school seniors selected every year as ambassadors for Mobile. The group is called the Azalea Trail Maids.
The description on the back states:
AZALEA TRAIL, MOBILE, ALABAMA…The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Park is on of the most photographed spots along the Azalea Trail.
The card is part of a series that dates from the 1960s.