A simple composition of a traditional Scottish bagpipe player standing on the walkway leading up to Edinburgh Castle, in the city of the same name in Scotland.
The description is very short:
3. Edinburgh Castle
The card was used and mailed from Edinburgh. it is dated 22 May 1973.
Tag: used
Olive Tree, Garden of Gethsemane, Jerusalem, Israel
This is an image of an ancient olive tree in the famous pilgrimage site the Garden of Gethsemane.
The caption states the photo was taken in Jordan, which controlled this area until the 1967 war and subsequent annexation by the state of Israel. The card was used, and has the simple description:
Olive tree in the garden of Gethsemane
The sender noted that the guides claimed these trees were three thousand years old, but recent investigation indicates these are more accurately dated to about one thousand years.
Since the postcard uses Jordanian stamps which were issued in the late 1950’s, it is likely this postcard dates from the early 1960s.
Porch of the Caryatids, Erechtheion, Athens, Greede
On the Acropolis overlooking Athens, across from the Parthenon, is the Erechtheion. The most notable part of the structure is the Porch of the Caryatids, female sculptures designed to act as pillars for the porch.
The description is very short:
ATHENS: Portico of the Caryatides
The original marble statues have been removed and replaced with castings, since the intense pollution and acidic rain of modern Athens was literally melting the marble away. This photo shows them before removal and the beginning of extensive renovation of the structure.
The postcard was used and has the date of June 4, 1977.
Castle and City, Heidelberg, Germany
This photo captures both the Renaissance castle ruins and the city of Heidelberg along the Neckar River below.
The only description on the back reads: Heidelberg – Schloß und Stadt. This translates directly as Heidelberg, Castle and City.
The poem on the front of the card translates as follows:
Old Heidelberg, you fine,
You city rich in honors,
On the Neckar and the Rhine,
No other comes right to you!
This card was used, and mailed from München, which allows it to be dated 22 June 1956.
China Poblana Costume, Mexico
This is an example of the China Poblana, or Chinese Pueblan dress style considered the traditional style of Mexico now. The model is standing in front of the University of Mexico building, intricately detailed in its own right.
The description is quite simple:
CHINA POBLADO
Es la Ciudad Universitaria de Mexico (Typical China Poblana costume)
The postcard was mailed, and the airmail stamp used is from a series printed in the 1950s.
Faceted Wall of the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia
This is a detail image of a wall within the Kremlin itself, not the famous wall that surrounds the medieval fortress where notables are buried. The building itself is called the Palace of Facets.
The caption states simply:
Moscow, Faceted Chamber of the Kremlin, 1487-1491. Architects, Marco and Pietro Antonio Solari.
Thus, the wall itself dates to the last part of the 15th Century. The postcard itself was used, mailed from Moscow, and the stamps themselves are dated 1970 and 1974, confirming the date of the postcard at the 1970s.
Norwegian Goat Farm
A bit of an odd tourist attraction, this postcard features goats. Genuine goats, as it says on the sign hanging from the rustic building. It also appears to say they are for sale.
The caption states simply:
NORWAY: Herd of goats at out-farm
It appears that the Norwegian caption, ‘Norge: Fra geitestølen’, translates better as ‘From goat pasture’.
The card was used and has a date of 28 May 1976.
Odeon at the base of Athens Acropolis
The featured structure in this picture is the Odeon, or theater, in the foreground. In the high background is the Parthenon, the temple of Athena Parthenos, guardian and namesake of the city.
The description is short:
ATHENS: The Odeon of Herode Atticos
The name is more commonly spelled Herodes Atticus. This card was used, and is dated 4 June 1977.
Cretan Bull Leapers Fresco
This is an artwork from ancient Crete showing several stages in the process of vaulting over a bull. It appears to show a sequential image of gripping, leaping and catching, but there are serious problems with this interpretation.
The description is short, and states:
HERACLION (Museum) Tauromachy. Fresco of the Cnossos Palace.
The use of the term Tauromachy is probably inaccurate, as the general definition of this does not include the acrobatic activities as shown here. It is better described as taurokathapsia, or bull-leaping. The fresco was originally in the Palace at Cnossos, but was moved to Heraklion into the museum there for preservation and safety. Even so, the fresco is severely damaged, and much of the image is restoration rather than original material.
The card was used and is dated 10 June 1977.
Adoration of the Magi
This card shows the visit of the three Wise Men to the manger where the Christ was born.
The dark splotches in the image are gold foil, which does not scan well. When in normal light, the card can be adjusted to allow the gold foil to reflect. However, in this scan it looks like some odd staining.
The card was purchased in Egypt and mailed from there on November 25, 1977.