Pictured is a winter scene of the picturesque mountains and landscape of Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona.
The description on the back states:
Winter’s blanket of white contrasts with the Red Cliffs of Oak Creek Canyon.
This postcard was mailed, and the postmark is 7 June 1965. I sent it as a child to my great-aunt Dorcas Jacokes just after our family visited the Petrified Forest, Arizona on our way to California that summer.
Tag: postcard
Mackinac Bridge Construction, Michigan
This 59 cent folio of postcard photos depicts the construction of the Mackinac Bridge across the straits of the same name in the mid-1950s. It was opened to traffic on 1 November 1957.
This folio was produced before the completion of the bridge in 1957, as evidenced by the absence of photos of the opening or vehicles on the bridge. Also, the Toll Gate and Administration building card is an artist’s rendition and not a photograph, since the structures were not complete either by the publication of this collection.
There is an ongoing controversy about the ‘longest bridge’, which is hinted at in the last illustration above. Some have championed the Bay Bridge spanning the distance between San Francisco and Oakland, CA. However, this is a multi-span bridge that ‘island hops’ along the way. The illustration above compares only single-span suspension bridges, but even in this comparison there is room for dispute. While the Big Mac, as it has come to be called, is longer from pier to pier, the Golden Gate is longer between towers. Both have since been surpassed on this measure by the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.
Avery’s Restaurant, Mancelona, Michigan
This postcard depicts the recently closed Avery’s Restaurant as it looked in its earlier days. This appears to be a photo taken after at least one renovation and expansion, as earlier photos do not show the enhanced entrance or expansion on the back of the structure.
According to some news web sites, the restaurant was victim of the economic crisis of 2008 which saw business drop off drastically.
The description on the back of the card reads:
Avery’s Restaurant
US 131 North
Mancelona, Mich. 49659
Good Food – Pleasant Atmosphere. Open at 6 A.M. Closed Tuesdays. Dining Room Available for Parties.
Phone Area 616-587-7011
Chuck and Lil Avery
— The presence of a zip code in the address and the van shown in the image put this photo in the late 1960’s or so.
High Life Motel, Indian River, Michigan
This is a promotional postcard for the High Life Motel, Inc. It would appear there are not a lot of rooms or that the entire structure is not shown in this photo, since there are only two entry doors, two parked cars and the elevated center section, which presumably houses the office.
The motel was located in the northern central area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, near the town of Indian River.
The description on the back reads:
High Life Motel, Inc.
The North’s most modern. Overnight – Shuffleboard – Miniature Golf – Picnic Grounds – Fishing – Artesian well – On U.S. 27 1/2 mile north of Indian River, Michigan.
The card is dated 1956, which is confirmed by the cars in the photo. US 27 has largely been abandoned or absorbed into state highways in the Michigan area.
Red Cedar Restaurant, Munising Michigan
Pictured is a motel in Michigan paneled on the outside completely in the local red cedar wood product common in the Michigan forests.
The description on the back reads:
The Red Cedar, In the Heart of the Motel Area, Open 6:30 A.M. Every Day Year Around
Specializing in Fine Steak, Chicken, Fresh Lake Superior Fish. (Children’s Portions) Homemade Baked Goods, Cocktail Lounge – Gift Shop. 2 Miles from Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore.
Munising, Michigan Phone 906 – 387-2535
The restaurant has changed hands over the years and still exists in this location. It is not apparent when the photo was taken, but it is consistent with the early 1960’s.
Drummond Island Ferry
This is an Ektachrome postcard of the newly deployed car ferry serving Drummond Island, Michigan. It was christened Drummond Islander II.
The description on the back reads:
New Drummond Island Ferry
Drummond Islander II
This new ferry transports automobiles and passengers between DeTour and Drummond Island, Michigan, in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
The postcard is dated 1962
Clinch Park Zoo, Traverse City, Michigan
Pictured is an accidental performance by some bear cubs that once lived at the Clinch Park Zoo in Traverse City, MI. This is in past tense both because the bears likely died of old age long ago, but also because the zoo closed September 6, 2010, victim of budget cuts and the outdated and restricted habitats available to the animals. It had been in operation for over 75 years.
These three young entertainers were probably drinking milk or some similar formulation, and the fact they all reared up at the same moment upon receiving their meal made for the memorable photo.
This postcard was mailed and postmarked, the date being June 19, 1939, so the picture dates from the 1930’s.
Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan
This is a delightful reflecting photo of the Seminary Chapel and Pond on the grounds of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. It is an educational institution of the Christian Reformed Church.
The description on the back of the card states:
At the south end of the campus stands the Seminary complex of classrooms, offices, an auditorium and a beautiful chapel shown here on the edge of the campus pond. The first unit of the Seminary was completed in 1960. An addition was dedicated in 1975.
Chillon Castle, Lake Geneva, Switzerland
The last postcard in this series is a photo of the Château de Chillon, built on a promontory extending into Lake Geneva, Switzerland. It is much larger than it appears from the angle of the photo, as most of it extends back from the current point of view.
There is no description on the back except for the printing company, noted above. This is marked as 1495 in the series. It is not the date of the castle, which has existed at least since the 12th century.
Reuss River Bridge, Train Station and Alps, Lucerne Switzerland
This postcard is an elevated view of the bridge across the outflow of the Reuss River (at right) as it enters Lake Lucerne. In the near background is the Lucerne Train Station, and the far background is lined with Alps.
The photo likely dates from the late 1920’s, as the card was purchased during a holiday visit in 1930.
It is number 1517 in the series.