Monday, August 12, 2019

A Postcard from The Pyrenees

My main entree into postcard collecting was a gift to my wife of French scenes.  Here's one I chose at random.  
 Pau Le Gave et les Pyrenees vus de la Place Royale Les Basses Pyrenees
( Pau The Gave and the Pyrenees seen from the Place Royale The Low Pyrenees)

"The Pyrenean mountain range was formed between 80 and 20 million years ago as a result of the Iberian landmass (what is now Spain and Portugal) colliding with the much larger Eurasian landmass in the region of what is now southwestern France."




I couldn't find any reference online to a Mlle Genevieve Boutel.  I had better luck with the stamps.
This stamp issued on February 8, 1945 was part of a series issued in a variety of denominations. It's known as Broken Chains, a reference I assume to the liberation of France from the Nazi's.  The 50 centime stamp had a print run of 234,842, 000.

Franconville is currently a suburb northwest of Paris.  One of its notables was post-impressionist artist, Marcel L'Enfant.
You can see his work here:  https://marcel-l-enfant.com/

Thanks for stopping by.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Love the Drake!

How does one begin a blog?  Well, I guess this one has already begun.  My first post was of a Ron Santo postcard.  Not only does it express my love of sports and the Cubs but also my love of Chicago.  You will see a lot of my city here.  There's nothing particularly significant about this postal but I have to start somewhere.

I'm still really a neophyte when it comes to postcard collecting.  I know some of the lingo and the history but I'm still learning.  Feel free to correct me if I get something wrong or share your knowledge either about the hobby or the specifics of a card.
I'm a North Sider so this is a familiar sight, that is, the more recent view of this area.  What you're looking at seems to be a pre-1930 view.  The Palmolive Building is shown without it's beacon which was added in 1930.
Image result for drake hotel chicago
The sign was illuminated in 1940, a year before this postcard was mailed.
One of the things that attracts me to deltiology is the time capsule aspect.  This card has captured a specific moment in time and place.  Who were Harry and Tony?  What was going on December 29, 1941?  December 1941.  Pearl Harbor.  America was just three weeks into WWII.  I did a small bit of research on Tony Geluso.  If I have the right man, he was about 28 years old and had, at least recently, been living with his parents and younger brother.

Anthony appears to have enlisted in the Navy, survived the war and lived to age 69.  He married his wife Esther just after the war in 1946.  


The address the Geluso's were living at seems now to be occupied by a newer building housing the Kent County Human Services.

Founding member of the Moody Blues, Ray Thomas was born on December 29, 1941.

 

That's about all I have.  Please don't expect this of every postcard.  Thanks for stopping by.