I sloped down to a local antique store this afternoon and, by digging a little bit, came across this tidy gem:
No publisher is noted, but it has to be a puff piece for Delta, comfortably dated to between 1949 and 1951. Delta took delivery of their first DC-6 in 1948. They were retired in the early sixties as jets took over. Why 1951? Because, as pointed out on other posts on the web, postage rates for postcards went up to 2 cents in ’51. This was printed prior to that.
A Standard News Agency, Knoxville, Tenn. issue, K-51 “Municipal Airport, Knoxville, Tenn.” (plate #OB-H2467) It shows an American Airlines DC-3 sitting in front of the terminal building. This is just eight years after McGhee-Tyson moved to this location in Blount County from a much smaller operation a little west of Knoxville. The boarding ramp is in place but, look, there’s not a soul in sight, except for, maybe, a bit of a person showing beyond the ramp.
It was mailed from Knoxville on March 30, 1943.
On the back in the upper left description paragraph (unusually wordy): “Municipal Airport, Knoxville, Tenn. One of 36 of the best airports in the United States – on the main Southern Transcontinental Air Route. Served by American Airlines and Pennsylvania Central Airlines. Complete with U.S. Weather Bureau and Civil Aeronautics Radio and Communication Station – service night and day. Cost over one million dollars – paved runways – main runway 5000 ft. long. All facilities. Complete lighting for night flying; mail and transport and private operations.”
The written message: “Hello, Mother. Well, we have gotten this far and our tickets were messed up so we are waiting for a call from Rogersville Don’t worry about us. We will leave out in a few minutes love to all will write you from camp. Boy.
Mailed to Mrs. N.D. Ewings, 122 Hasson St. Rogersville, Tenn.
The post mark says “Buy War Savings Bonds and Stamps”
Let’s just say that Irwinna was not happy about something today. Jessee, however, manages a twist of a smile.
The stories you could come up with…
Yep, this is a Giant Post Card, 7″ x 11″.
The image is of a standard 1940s post card of downtown Asheville (J11) by Asheville Post Card Company. However, the image was scaled up for this linen-finish card printed by Standard Souvenirs & Novelties, Inc., Knoxville, Tenn. This may still have been issued in the late 40s.
This is one of those post cards that I know something about, but only can suggest other things.
First, it is an American Airlines DC-2, Flagship Line. It’s at Tri-Cities airport (then McKellar Field). The first DC-2 flew into the airport in September, 1937. Judging by the way the photo was taken, I think the photographer was more interested in the news aspect of the occasion than with any person on the flight. I think the original photo (there’s no attribution) was taken to record that inaugural event. Piece of history, that. Two months later, the airport was officially recognized as McKellar Field.
I know it was published by Lisanby’s Gifts in Bristol VA. It apparently is D-6 of a series. I do not think the card dates to the time the picture was taken. I can find no reference on the web to “Lisanby’s Gifts” in Bristol.
There were a number of these for a buck or so each at Abingdon Antique Mall, as of 3/12/16.
If anyone knows anything about this card, I’d appreciate a comment on it.
These used to be a common sight in this area. They were held in big, tin buildings, called “barns”, in cities and towns and attracted a sizable crowd when the auctions were going on in fall. Sometimes they hosted music concerts in the off season. There are some good examples of these tobacco barns in Greeneville.
Title is: Auction Sale in Tobacco Warehouse, South Boston, Virginia
On the back (down the middle): A ‘Natural Finish’ Card Made by Graycraft Card Co., Danville, Va.
In pencil: Auction started September 23 – 1946
Aside: I helped tie and hang tobacco for drying once. This is not recommended if you like to keep your hands clean. Sticky. Brown. Smelled good, though. I used to smoke (a long time ago), so I can say that.
Which one is Wiley? I don’t know. Using standard dating information on real photo postcards, I can figure this was taken in the early 20s and the message on the back, written in pencil, says: “Dear Sister, got your letter yesterday and so glad to hear from you. Burton is here to day and we broke the mans camera. will write soon. your bro Wiley Love to all.”
It was never mailed.
This could be a couple in Chattanooga. The picture was, at some time, pinned to a wall or something (note the pinholes in each corner). He’s wearing a 1920s “golfing costume”. See my posting about umbrella rock to see why I think this is a Chattanooga picture.
The car in the background is also 1920s. Nice looking couple.
I hope they had a good life.
Ah, tourists! What appears to be a nicely dressed family all perched atop umbrella rock on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga. Probably much giggling going on.
Here’s what Umbrella Rock is all about:
Notice that in the picture there is only one sign. The postcard image shows three.
I think the picture is from the 1900s and the postcard from the 1940s.
American Airlines called this flagship plane the DC-7 Mercury, coast-to-coast in around 8 hours. It flew for AA from 1953 to 1958 or so, when it became widely apparent that jet engines were the sexy new kid on the block.
Here’s the reverse of this card:
I paid $3 for these. I am stupid. I actually stand in front of the mirror in the mornings and say, “Please, Bob, don’t buy anything you don’t know anything about.” And how does that all work out for me? Each one of these is worth south of 30 cents. But they’re neat as hell. I only saw two others the same day (one was postmarked and one was torn in half…and postmarked).
I like airplane stuff. This 1941 carmine air mail stamp depicts a “transport” aircraft. It puzzled the heck out of me…looked like a Boeing, kind of, in the front, but that tri-tail is pure Constellation, sort of. A website pointed out that if the wing flaps were lowered, they would scrape the runway on landing. Anyway, it’s purely fictional, some ignisfatuus in the artist’s concept brain file. Well, I like ignisfatuus (’cause it’s obscure…a crossword thing), but it’s really just a mashup.
Why, you ask, is the egregious example of tweeness interesting?
Okay, first, it’s dated. 1911, on the back.
It’s addressed to Blanche Gladson in Rogersville and I see a lot of cards addressed to her. It’s from her brother, Hal.
It’s pre-WWI, embossed, and probably lithographed in Germany. It was never mailed.
It’s got “postcard” printed in 13 different languages (it’s “open mail” in Russian) on the back. There’s also either a printer’s mark or a guild mark in the lower left on the back. Ask me if I care…
So, in Japanese, it’s “kawaii!”
From 1979. The Betavision came to the Japanese market in ’75.
Ah, progress!
First of all, Benhams, in case you might have forgotten, is about 6 miles NNW of Bristol (at the State Line) in Washington County. To jog your memory further, recall where Benhams Road, Rich Valley Road and Wolf Run Road all come together? Yep, that’s Benhams.
This is a sales sample card from the Nyce Manufacturing Company of Vernfield PA. Notice that they make no claim that the scene above is anywhere near Benhams…it’s just a random shot with an old car in it. You can get 20 different choices for your Chamber of Commerce issue!And, look, if you buy 1000 with your town name in brilliant red ink, you could flog them for a penny each to anyone who wandered into the vicinity and make $2.10, which was nothing to sneeze at in the 1920s. I’m tagging this as 1920s because the stippling of the print which, I think, was attempting to imitate the fine German litho printing that became unavailable to United States publishers at the beginning of WWI.
Nice (haha, pun intended) card in reasonably good shape for being around 90 years old.
This is a very early postcard, possibly lithographed in Germany. The issuing company is Vegnios & Zachos, Cairo & Luxor. Card 401.
I did a search of antique Cairo postcards and, while I saw similar designs, I did not find this one. Bravely I will continue on. Bravely.
There are so many comments I could make about this picture, but the more I looked at it, the less snarky I got.Here it is on hot, probably weekend, in August, 1954. Gramps is having a good day. And the charming lady is going to have sunburned toes, if she’s not careful.
No idea where this was taken or who these people are. Such is the case with many of the photos I find in antique stores.
The lady, probably in her twenties in this picture, would be in her 80s now.
Easily one of my favorite airline cards. This great 1947 shot, unattributed except for the “Kodachrome by Trans World Airline” cut line, is of a DC-3.
This same shot, on an earlier card, is noted as a “Color Foto by Trans World Airline”.
It’s a linen-finish card. On the back is the TWA logo and “Litho in U.S.A. – 3-265, 9 -47”
Yeah, I took one look at this one and thought, “That’s just bizarre. A cow. In a pond. Water streaming from the cow’s mouth, since it has just taken a drink from the, probably, scummy pond water. Looking at, what?”
You would get this from some soi disant friend. What does it mean? I miss you because you remind me of a cow?
It is totally unenhanced. Printed in New York state. Divided back. Postally unused. Holy cow…
Air France flew this Boeing 707-328 Intercontinental, or one like it, from 1959 to 1979. Boeing made 174 of these.
on the back:
Boeing 707 Intercontinental
(description in French)
The giant 140-ton four-engined intercontinental jet airliner can carry 180 passengers. Flying at 600 m.p.h., this plane operates on all major transocean routes. (in English)
Réf. 21.455/P – 5-62 – Printed in France – I.V.O. Paris-Evian
What we have here, my friends, is a professional parachutist all decked out to leap from the nearest airplane or dirigible.
I hope he tightens all those straps up.
This is a DOPS real photo post card. I am given to believe that DOPS was a real photo postcard paper tradename used by the Ansco Company of Binghampton NY between 1925 and 1942. I’ve cropped the image. The full card is 3.5 x 5.5″ and this image is 3 x 4.5″.
Uncle Bob's Pix 