Theme Thursday - Memory

For this week's Theme Thursday I was sure that I had an interesting old record that had the word 'memory' in the title, but alas it would seem not to be the case ... guess my memory is failing me on that account. So, it's my vintage postcard collection that once again comes to the rescue. This is a vintage birthday greetings postcard which contains the following verse ...

The memories sweet of years

Gone by arise

Like stars that brighten

Dark and dreary skies

The postcard is postally unused so I can't be sure of the date but would guess at around the 1920's. I think I've mentioned this before in a previous blog entry about horseshoes on cards, but as a child I was always told that horseshoes should be positioned with the open end facing upwards so that the luck did not fall out. Strange therefore that this postcard, and all the postcards I have with horseshoes have it opening downwards ... given that this is a birthday card, perhaps the idea is to share the luck rather than keeping it to yourself.

Vintage birthday greetings postcard

Lots more vintage birthday postcards on my web site

    

Today's post is brought to you by the letter 'A' ... perhaps

Whenever I get what I think might be a lettercard, I always think that perhaps I'm imagining that I can see a letter in the design. I definitely felt this about the vintage postcard of the letter 'W' that I blogged about a while ago, and this recently acquired vintage postcard is perhaps causing me even more to question my vision. But I'm sure that, what I assume to be some sort of musical instrument, is in fact supposed to represent the letter 'A'. However, I've checked out more cards in the series on the Tuck database, and none of the others seem to suggest a letter at all - what does everyone think? The postcard is a hand-coloured 'carbonette' and was published by Raphael Tuck, in the Fair Women series, number 8801, and dates back to 1918.

Vintage birthday greetings postcard, c.1918

As usual, 100's more vintage postcards on my web site

Vintage Postcard of London Bridge in Torquay, Devon

Thought I'd share another of my new batch of vintage postcards for this week's Postcard Friendship Friday. This is of London Bridge, but it's not in London, it's actually a limestone arch, in Torquay, Devon. The postcard was published by S.Hildesheimer. It's postally unused so I can't be sure of the date. but these card normally date back to 1905 - 1911. The postcard is artist drawn but I cannot see any indication of the artist's name. If anyone has any more information I'd love to know.

As usual, 100's more vintage postcards on my web site.

    

Sepia Saturday 91 - Yours Sincerely, Frank

I've decided not to theme again for this week's Sepia Saturday, but hopefully what I have to offer will be of interest. I picked up a whole batch of vintage postcards last week, so now have a pile of 200+ to sort through. These will make their way on to my various blogs and websites over the next few weeks, but for now here are the first couple, with perhaps a mystery to be solved.

The postcard itself is of a cottage in Brading on the Isle of Wight, c.1902. It was published by Raphael Tuck in the "Rural England" series and is postcard number 1469. It's a vignette style postcard as, at that time, senders were only allowed to write on the front of the card, so the white space around the picture is used for the greeting. As you can see the sender of the card has squeezed in about as much as is possible.

Cottage at Brading, Sile of Wight, c.1902

I don't normally share the other side of the card, but the back of this postcard is a great example of an undivided back, allowing the sender to write only the address.

Undivided back of cottage postcard, c.1902

And now for the mystery. I picked up the postcard below in the same batch as the one above. Both seem to be signed by Frank. There is some similarity in the signatures, but also some differences. I can imagine that the signature on the picture of Frank was written very deliberately and carefully, whereas the postcard has been written a bit more impulsively. So, the mystery is, is Frank in the picture the same Frank who wrote the postcard. The postcard of Frank was published by Heyworth's Studios, St. Annes-on-Sea, Lancashire. So if it's the same Frank he must have gone to the Isle of Wight, bought the postcard, and posted it on his way home to Lancashire as the postmark on the cottage postcard is Manchester.

Yours sincerely, Frank

As usual 100's more vintage postcards on my web site, which should be updated over the next few weeks

    

Sunday Stamps 34 - Fishing

Here's my contribution to this week's Sunday Stamps. This is a First Day Cover from September 1981, commemorating the British fishing industry. The insert of the envelope refers to the abundance of cod, which is now sadly depleted in our waters. I did see a very good documentary featuring a number of chefs, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, etc., talking about eating sustainable fish, as opposed to those in danger. There's a whole wealth of information on The Big Fish Fight web site.

First Day Cover, Fishing, c.1981

    

Vintage postcard of Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, c.1902

I'm a bit late for Postcard Friendship Friday this week as I've been away with work. I've just got time however to share a recently acquired vintage postcard of the magnificent Clifton Bridge, Bristol, c.1902. I always find it incredible that structures such as these were built over 100 years ago with none of the machinery we have today.

Clifton Bridge, Bristol, c.1902

As usual, 100's more vintage postcards on my web site

    

Sepia Saturday 90 - traditional dress

I've been working away most of this week so am a little late in all my regular blog postings. Here's my submission for this week's Sepia Saturday. This vintage postcard is, I assume, of some sort of traditional dancers or other music ensemble. There's no information on the picture at all but it looks as though it might be Eastern European. If anyone has any other suggestions I'd be very glad to hear them.

As usual 100's more vintage postcards on my web site