Hello from Wildwood

Wildwood, New Jersey

August 6, 1988
Rio Grande, New Jersey

Hi Paula,
"The weather is great, sunny and hot. How's everything in Rockaway? It would be great if you were here! Well time to head to the beach I'll call you Sat. when I get home." See you soon, Tim

Two facts about Wildwood:

1. There is a tremendous collection of vintage motels and Doo-wop architecture in Wildwood, however they are threatened by the development of newer, larger hotels.

2. Rock Around the Clock, often credited as the first rock and roll record, was first performed on Memorial Day weekend in 1954 at the HofBrau Hotel in Wildwood by Bill Haley & His Comets.

Hotel Muscle Shoals

Unused postcard, dated circa 1950. These generically made black and white photocards are intriguing. This one was made by the W. M. Cline Company in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and almost looks like a shot taken shortly after construction was completed.

Muscle Shoals is known to music fans as the location of Fame Studios, where a slew of 60's and 70's soulful rock classics were recorded.

Pensive in Cape Cod

Distributed by E.D. West Co., South Yarmouth, Cape Cod, Mass.

August 22, 1955
Hyannis, Massachusetts

Dear Norman,

"Some friends were going up here & I came along (almost two weeks ago) as I felt that certain things were getting the best of me & I could do nothing about at the time. Will be in touch with you as soon as I get back. I don't have the Weldsteins add. please send my regards." Sam

99% of the used cards I have are innocuous little 'wish you were here' missives. A few though are very personal notes that make you wonder about the people and the circumstances. The front of this card ranks right up there on the list of worst poems ever written. Poor Sam.

The Good Life

La Bonne Vie
3475 South Ocean Blvd. (AIA) Palm Beach, Florida 33480
Palm Beach's Finest Luxury Condominium Residence. 275 feet private beach, Swiming Pool, Saunas, Game and entertainment rooms, Coffee Shop. Phone: 305-582-9017

September 11, 1968
West Palm Beach, Florida

Dear Moe:
"We are enjoying ourselves living at the above address- You should do the same. Kindest regards. Best Wishes for the New Year." Diane and Bert

Looks like the sender tried to indicate the unit they lived in on the cover, then thought better of it. Dig that swinging lobby! Constructed in 1967.

Onboard the Canberra

CANBERRA P & O - Orient Lines (45,270 tons) Colour Photograph by Beken & Son, Cowes

August 20, 1966
On Board the Canberra, en route to San Francisco

Dear Mum,
"As you will be able to see from picture we are on our way at long last. We left Vancouver at 5:00pm last night, we will be in San Francisco 7:00am tomorrow morning. The weather is glorious, food excellent. We are all enjoying ourselves, Carly and Christina particularly, they are playing in the play room right now. Be seeing you soon." XXX

Sent via air mail to Kent, England.

The Last Ocean Liners

Louisiana State Capitol

This view of the Capitol shows the Lady of the Lake, lake situated at the back.
Important facts are: Cost of Capitol $5,000,000. It is 34 stories high or 450 feet. Today it is considered the finest capitol building in the United States.

February 8, 1951
Natchez, Mississippi

Dear Sister & Frances
"Saw the Capitol of Louisiana went through & looked the city over from the top all around swell view." Lots of love to all L.T.G.

The artists in these old linen cards were often very creative with color. I see no evidence of red stone in the actual building. It's still a magnificent structure though.

The Beverly Hilton

The Beverly Hilton
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA
This world famous new hotel has added a new garage and parking accommodations which now provides parking space for 2,500 cars, largest parking facilities of any hotel in the world.

Wherever you go use CARTE BLANCHE the all-purpose credit card

December 31, 1964
Los Angeles, California

Hi "This is where we are staying- the team is here. Ann came today on the plane with the Governor." Lorayne

Could be Lorayne and Ann were in town for the Rose Bowl.... The Beverly Hilton was constructed in 1955 and owned from 1988-2003 by none other than Merv Griffin. The hotel underwent a $60 million renovation in 2004-05 and is still a hot spot for celebrity activity.

Swan Boats, Public Gardens, Boston

SWAN BOATS
Public Gardens, Boston, Mass.
A unique institution are the Swan Boats that cruise around the Public Gardens in the heart of Back Bay.

July 27, 1972
Boston, Massachusetts

Dear Grandma,
"My best friend (maid of honor) came to visit & she's coming back with me to Vernon for a visit. Quality counts more to me than quantity in friendship, but I'm lucky and have both.

Mom needs more help than I can give her, though I cheer her up for short periods. Aunt M.M. was going to take me to Sunken Gardens, but it rained, remember? She sent us a card and brought me a pretty Florida necklace."

Take care, Love Eleanor

Written in very small writing, this is one of those personal cards brimming with sincerity. No innocuous "weather is great...blah blah" here. "Quality" and "Quantity" are underlined in this note.

The Swan Boats have been around since 1877.

Greetings from Baltimore

Baltimore, Maryland
Sixth largest city in the U.S., population 939,000. World-famous port ranks second in foreign trade tonnage. The top view, overlooking Fort McHenry, the birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner, shows the outer harbor from Canton to Sparrows Point. The bottom view pictures the nearby docks in the inner harbor to the heart of the city.

[Postmark unreadable]

"We made the connection with 2 seconds to spare. Landed in S.C. & here a 1/2 hr. Sunny & cold. Will write & thanks so much." Love

Fire Island Pines, New York

May 15, 1971 - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
FIRST DAY OF ISSUE

This image reminds me of the harbor scene at the beginning of Gilligan's Island.

Moonlight Over Diamond Head

MOONLIGHT OVER DIAMOND HEAD
Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

July 14, 1980
Honolulu, Hawaii

Dear Lud,
"Saw Jim Nabors Show. Polynesian Cultural Center. Moonlite. Sail. Pearl Harbor. Shopped at Sears and Woolworth's. Daddy swims every 6A.M. Cannot stay more than 1/2 hour in Sun."

Hope you are well. Mother & Dad

Handsome Great Buddha

Entire View of Handsome Great Buddha, Kamakura.

U.S. Navy FPO 98761
August 11, 1976

Gram,
"This great statue is only about 10 miles from where we live, made from bronze in 1200 A.D. It stands some 40 ft. high and is really quite impressive. Many Japanese are both Buddhists ans Shintoists, very few are Christians. We climbed up into his head for a really nice view of the city. Will write more later." Love, Quellie

I've often wondered what it's like to get inside the head of a great Buddha....

Kotoku-in

Perfect Pocono Vacation

Water Sports At
MOUNT AIRY LODGE Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania
For a perfect POCONO vacation or honeymoon, MOUNT AIRY LODGE has everything - Private Lake... Ocean Sandy Beach...Boating...Indoor Sports Palace, 6 Indoor Tennis Courts and Indoor Ice Skating...Indoor and outdoor Swimming Pool...Health Club...Orchestra Nightly at our new CRYSTAL ROOM, ROYAL LOUNGE, CLUB SUZANNE and EMPRESS ROOM...TV...Saddle Horses...4 Outdoor Tennis Courts...Reasonable Rates - Include Delicious meals, sports and entertainment. Write for booklet: MOUNT AIRY LODGE, Mt. Pocono, PA. Tel. 717-839-8811. Open all year. "America's Leading Year 'Round Resort"

July 7, 1976
Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania

Mom & Rosie
"Having a very nice time. The place is very pretty. The food is good. So far the weather is good. We saw a good show. There is a lot to do here. Well I'll say so long. See you when we get home." Allie & Jennie

Mount Airy closed in 2001...

"Notwithstanding its unglamorous demise, many a matron can still blush when recalling nights spent amid floor-to-ceiling mirrors, velvet-swagged canopy beds and shag carpeting so blue and deep, it successfully hid several generations of dirt."

''The food was lousy, but it was a legalized orgy,'' said Mickey Freeman, a comedian who often appeared in the Crystal Room, Mount Airy's 2,000-seat show palace that hosted headliners like Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Connie Francis and Nipsey Russell. ''I used to say, 'If you break the mirror above the ceiling, you'll have seven years of bad sex.' ''

from the New York Times, November 2, 2001

Hotel Delmonico

Delmonico Hotel
Collins Avenue at 64th Miami Beach, Florida Completely Air Conditioned - Open All Year Parking Facilities - Directly on the Ocean

Unused post card, probably from the 1940s. The Delmonico was located at 6393 Collins Avenue in North Miami Beach. I have not found much information on this building, which appears to have been demolished. Nice card, though.

Here's another historic post card view: Historic Miami Beach

The Dam is just Huge

This spectacular view of Hoover Dam was taken from near river-level downstream from the huge dam. Here flanked by towering canyon walls, the dam is seen in the distance. Hoover Dam - the highest in the world- was built and is operated by the Bureau of Reclamation of the Department of the Interior.

December 22, 1958
Kingman, Arizona

Dear Everyone:
"We just came through and that is the most beautiful mountain sights I ever expect to see & the dam is just huge. Roads have been good. Sandra had an up set sumach to-day."
Love, Bertha.

At its base, Hoover Dam is 660 feet thick which is 60 feet longer than two football fields laid end-to-end. Combined with its top thickness of 45 feet, there is enough concrete (4.5 million cubic yards) in Hoover Dam to build a two-lane highway from Seattle, Washington to Miami, Florida. Yes, Bertha, that is just huge.

WIKI