This building, also known as “The Elms”, was built and occupied by E. J. Berwyn, an independent coal mine owner and operator during the time before and after the turn of the 20th century.
The description states:
“THE ELMS”, E. J. BERWIND MANSION
WITH BEAUTIFUL, FORMAL FRENCH GARDENS
NEWPORT, R. I.
The estate is open to visitors May through October under the auspices of the Preservation Society of Newport County.
–This is a view of the side of the mansion facing the ocean, which includes a large grass enclosure of which part is visible here. The building was constructed in 1901, and used for parties and social events until 1961. The elms which the building was named for have all died from Dutch Elm disease and been replaced with other species, notably weeping beech.
This card likely dates from the 1950s.
Tag: postcard
Martin’s Motel, Conway, New Hampshire
This is an image of a typical mid-century tourist motel in the New England area. An unusual feature are the lounge chairs outside the doors of the rooms, where parking spaces are normally located.
The description states:
MARTIN’S MOTEL
Route 16, 1/2 mile north of Conway, N. H.
Each unit equipped with T.V., individually controlled thermostat, and tiled bathroom with combination tub and shower. Open all year, Frank and Lolly Smith, owners.
Tel. Hickory 7-8966
–The statement ‘open all year’ was necessary in some regions as older tourist camps usually closed when the weather became colder.
The phone number uses the older word description for the first two digits of the phone number. Phones of this era had letters on the dial, starting with 2 through 9, omitting letters Q and Z. The caller would use the first two letters of the word to identify the first two numbers required, in this case HI, which correspond to 44.
This card likely dates from the 1950s.
Chocorua Lake and Mountain, New Hampshire
This image is an early 20th century photo of the natural setting around Chocorua Lake, with Chocorua Mountain in the background. This area is located in central New Hampshire, just outside the southern boundary of the White Mountain National Forest.
The description states:
CHOCORUA LAKE AND MOUNTAIN
CHOCORUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE
–This area has been protected from development and looks nearly the same a century later.
This card likely dates from the 1910s.
Presidential Mountain Range, Vermont
This image is taken from a tourist stop in the White Mountain Region of New Hampshire. The Presidential Range is so called because several have been named for U.S. Presidents of the latter 19th and early 20th centuries.
The description states:
PRESIDENTIAL RANGE IN AUTUMN, FROM THE WHITEFIELD-JEFFERSON AREA OF THE WHITE MOUNTAIN REGION, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Snow on the highest peaks of the White Mountains provides magnificent beauty while fall lingers in the lower woodlands.
— The peaks are actually part of the Green Mountain Range in Vermont, though viewable from the White Mountain range and park near the border in New Hampshire
This postcard was used and is dated 2 September 1966
Old Man of the Mountain, Franconia Notch, New Hampshire
This image is the iconic and now vanished granite outcrop with the apparently human face known as the Old Man of the Mountain.
The description states:
Old Man of the Mountains, Franconia Notch, N. H.
–This formation was discovered by Europeans and named around 1805. Its stature grew until it became the symbol of New Hampshire, and the most famous spot in the state for tourists to visit. However, it was unstable, and in the early 20th century began to weaken enough to require expensive maintenance and repair.
On the morning of May 3rd, 2003, the rock components making up the face broke free of the cliff and fell into the valley below. Some efforts were made at reconstruction or building monuments that depicted the structure, but these have ceased.
This image likely dates from the 1950s.
Old Fisherman, New England Area
This image is of a man dressed in fishing attire common to the north east United States during the mid-20th Century and before. Visible are many common objects and implements of the business.
The description states:
THE OLD SALT ALONG THE NEW ENGLAND COAST
Many’s the stories he could tell of years of sea wind and salt spray, summer’s heat and winter’s icy blast on the Atlantic Coast. Survivor of a past age, he still maintains his proud independence with dory, lobster trap, and net.
–The crates on either side could be shellfish traps, and the bright colored objects are floats to mark the trap locations. This image likely dates from the 1950s.
Church and Covered Bridge, Stark, New Hampshire
This is another iconic image, a white church and covered bridge typical of the New England area. The bridge is the Stark Covered Bridge, which spans the Upper Ammonoosuc River in Stark, New Hampshire.
The description on the back of the card states:
Famous church and bridge at Stark, N. H.
–The church is the Stark Union Church, built in 1852, visible along with the bridge in this photo. The town is still quite small, only a few hundred residents, and these structures form its center.
The postcard likely dates from the 1950s.
Covered Bridge, Brattleboro, Vermont
This is an image of an iconic structure from the early days of road building in the Americas. The covered bridge was built to protect the bridge from the elements, particularly ice and snow accumulation.
There is no description on the back of this card.
This is likely the bridge known as the Creamery Bridge. It spans Whetstone Brook.
This card likely dates from the 1940s.
U.S. Highway 5, Windham Road, Brattleboro, Vermont
This image shows the winding road leading south into the town of Brattleboro. Once known as Wyndham Road, it was subsumed into U.S. Highway 5.
There is no description on the back of the card.
As is typical of these images, the colors border on the fanciful, as they are artworks based on black and white photos of the era. Color photography and reproduction was still fairly expensive so companies hired illustrators to create colored versions of otherwise drab photos
The card likely dates from the 1940s.
Brattleboro View from U.S. Highway 5
This image, taken from U.S. Highway 5 as it approaches Brattleboro, Vermont, shows the Connecticut River which forms the boundary between Vermont on the west and New Hampshire on the east.
There is no description on the back of the card.
The highway has been overshadowed by the later construction of Interstate 91, which bypasses the town.
This card likely dates from the 1940s.