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Category Archives: Uncle Bob’s Pix

A site for displaying photographs by Bob Lawrence

English Cruiser “Hampshire”

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Bob Lawrence

The cruiser was launched in 1905. This card dates from around 1910. The cruiser was lost in a U-boat-laid minefield off the Orkney Islands on June 5, 1916. 643 men, including Lord Kitchener – on a diplomatic mission to Russia, were lost. Twelve survived.
The front shows some fading but the overall condition of the card is very good. Apparently, it was kept in a common picture album. The browning on the back is probably from the acidic stock of the album pages.

The Prudential Insurance Company issued quite a few postcards around this time, but this one could be an R3. It’s available on the web for around $20, in mint condition.

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged Lord Kitchener, Orkney Islands, Prudential Insurance Company postcards. Bookmark the permalink.

3-D Post Card

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Bob Lawrence

Well, it’s kind of 3-D. But it’s more a bit of 2-D fakery. There are two planes in this lenticular post card (parallax panoramagram, a word that’s as delightful as “bananarama”), the front one with the pine needles, the perplexed-looking skiiers, and the two riding the lift. The second layer is the background. Moving the card gives a feeling of 3-D, if you’re a kid and have never seen 3-D before…

Anyway, it was published by the Manhattan Post Card Company, in business from 1928 to 1974. The Xograph process was patented in 1964 (the patent expired in 2008). It’s 6.5 x 4.75″.

A friend of mine found four of the these 3-D Collector Series cards at a garage sale. On the market today, they’re worth about $2.00 each.

Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged 3-D Collectors Series, lenticular postcard, Manhattan Post Card Company, parallax panoramagram, Xograph. Bookmark the permalink.

Avianca 720-B

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

Avianca Boeing 720-B. The plane left Boeing in 1961 for Lufthansa, then to Pan-Am and, in 1973, to Avianca. Avianca moved it on to SAM Columbia in 1977 and, after a stint of private ownership, it was scrapped in 1980. Its tail number here is HK-677. HK-677 for Avianca was previously carried by a C-47 that edged off the side of the runway on takeoff in the 60s and caught fire. All passengers got out safely, but the plane went out of service.

The center credit line on the back shows this is a Banco de fotografias Movifoto out of Medellin. The card size is Continental (103 mm x 150 mm) (4″ x 6″ sort of).

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged Avianca Boeing 720-B, Banco de fotografias Movifoto, HK-677, Lufthansa, Medellin, Pan-Am, SAM Colunbia. Bookmark the permalink.

A Dude

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

This guy’s a dude. Note the scarf tie, popular in the 1920s. Driving cap in plaid, striped shirt. Sleeves rolled up. Good shoes. Odd expression, but photography was still new then.

I haven’t a clue as to where this studio photo was taken. However, it’s a Real Photo and the AZO square (on the back, upper right) with two triangles pointing up and two triangles pointing down indicates that the photographic paper was made between 1918 and 1930.

You go, guy.

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged AZO, Real Photo Post Card, scarf tie. Bookmark the permalink.

All Steel Steamer “President” On the Mississippi

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

This actually is a riverboat named “President”, but this picture of it was taken after 1978, when it was converted from steam to diesel and had some other modifications made. What’s left of the old boat under all that steel came together in 1924 as a packet boat called “Cincinnati”. It originally had side paddle wheels.

The center credit line “Published by Streckfus Steamers, St. Louis, Mo.” is just the name of the company that owned the boat. I have no idea who printed it.

The boat, at last noticed, was lying dismantled in St. Elmo, IL.

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged packet boat Cincinnati, St. Louis Mo. St. Elmo IL, Streckfus Steamers. Bookmark the permalink.

El Al 707

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

The mighty Boeing 707, delivered to El Al in 1965 and retained in service for decades. This 707 is sporting the 1960s livery (there is some wacky information on the web about the dating of this card). The card is a company issue, printed in Israel.

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged airline postcard, Boeing 707, El Al, Israel. Bookmark the permalink.

Cheers, Speedbird!

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

British Overseas Airways Corporation, incorporated from Imperial Airways and British Airways in 1940.

“Speedbird” was B.O.A.C.’s callsign until 1974, when B.O.A.C. was folded into British Airways (callsign: “Speedbird”).

This is more than likely a Boeing 707-420 with the Rolls-Royce Conway 505/508 turbofan engines. The card dates from the early 1960s or so, when B.O.A.C. began adding the 707-420 to the fleet.

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged B.O.A.C., Boeing 707-420, British Airways, British Overseas Airways Corporation, Imperial Airways, Rolls-Royce Conway 505/508 turbofan engines. Bookmark the permalink.

Capital Airlines

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

In 1957, when this mailable listing of flights and costs (Knoxville to Washington DC – $28 and change) was printed, Capital was flying high with their Vickers Viscounts (eventually foreclosed on by Vickers). Hard times were soon upon the company and it was sold to United in 1961. The piece is 4 x 9″, folded.

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Posted in Bob Lawrence Photography and tagged Capital Airlines, Knoxville, United Airlines, Vickers Viscount, Washington DC. Bookmark the permalink.

French fan

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

This lovely French fan, in paper and very fragile, dates from the early 1900s. At the lower right is “Eventails Duvelleroy” (“eventails” is “fan” and “Duvelleroy” was the company that made the fan. Over on the left side, there’s a sketch of two men, one on either side of what appears too be a crest. Each man is wearing a sash and they both have walking sticks. Then “Hotel Knickerbocker Restaurant”. The Knickerbocker Hotel was only in operation from 1906 to 1920.
Duvelleroy returned women’s fans to society in Paris, after they’d been out of fashion since the late 1800s. They’re still in business producing remarkable fans.

Every time I open this 14″ fan, something falls off. It’s the paper backing, not the mount, that’s coming apart. The gold pressed details on the guards is still visible. All in all, pretty good for a centenarian.

Posted in Bob Lawrence Photography and tagged Eventails Duvelleroy, French folding fan., Hotel Knickerbocker Restaurant. Bookmark the permalink.

Round Hill VA

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

Round Hill VA came about in 1900 as a terminus for a railroad line. The town is on Hwy 7, NW of Washington D.C.
This card is well over a century old. It is one of those fine, German-printed cards from before the start of WWI. A broad, general guess would put it to 1910 or so.
On the back: Publ. by Wallace’s Pharmacy, Round Hill, Va. No. 21 Made in Germany
That’s Wallace Pharmacy with the Coca-Cola sign on the left. The card is in pretty good shape for its age.

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged divided back post card, German-printed, Wallace's Pharmacy. Bookmark the permalink.

Jolo P.O.

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

Just a bunch of wild and crazy guys there in the Jolo P.O. (with lots of cautionary signs, too)

Photo by Lee Stone

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged Jolo WV. Bookmark the permalink.

I Hope We’ll Meet Again in Limestone, Tenn.

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

This is a generic card with the town overprinted. The postmark is from Limestone on January 28,1915. Limestone’s had a post office since 1858, seventy-eight years after Washington College Academy was founded there. Before the Civil War, Limestone was called “Anthem”.

On the back, the credit line on the left reads: Holmfirth Bamforth & Co. Ltd, Publishers (England) and New York. Bamforth’s Locals

The Message reads: “Hello! Guess Who?” (I thought this was printed on the card, but the ink is smeared on the exclamation point) The card is addressed to Miss Sarah Stonecipher, Limestone Tenn. The same lady received the card in the previous posting. Not particularly surprising, I found both of these in Limestone.

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged Anthem Tenn., Bamforth's Locals, Holmfirth Bamforth & Co. Ltd, publishers (England) and New York, Sarah Stonecipher, Washington College Academy. Bookmark the permalink.

Deaf and Dumb School, Knoxville, Tenn.

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

This building, on Summit Hill Drive in Knoxville, was built in the 1840s. In 1925, it became Knoxville’s Old City Hall. The building currently houses a law school for Lincoln Memorial University.

The postmark is September 12, 1917, mailed from Knoxville.

It was mailed to a Miss Sarah Stonecipher in Limestone TN.

It reads, as best as I can tell, “Hello I will leave for Athens this morning. (suppose?) I will go to school I would rather take a Business Course if I could Will write soon. (Adrian?)

Published by E. C. Kropp of Milwaukee, inventory number 18434

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged E.C. Kropp, Knoxville Old City Hall, Knoxville TN, Limestone TN, Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, Milwaukee, Sarah Stonecipher, Summit Hill Drive. Bookmark the permalink.

Smoky Mountains Trailways Bus

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

I don’t know squat about pre-WWII buses (or any other buses, for that matter), but I was curious about this Smoky Mountains Trailways bus. By the shape of the windshield, I think it may be a Mack. I welcome a correction on that. The card was printed in the early 40s (Smoky Mountains National Park was dedicated, by FDR, no less, in 1940.
I read a posting that stated the “founder of Trailways” had a lodge up in the mountains. I couldn’t track down who that may have been, but there was no real Trailways. It was Trailways Transportation System, comprising five individual companies, that was set up in 1936.
Darn nice-looking card, though. Asheville Post Card Company, natch. It’s linen finish, but borderless. I thought it might be a Curt Teich, but that inventory number doesn’t match up (I get a lot of that. APCC used other printers).
As I post this, the Smoky Mountains are actually quite smoky from the numerous forest fires we have going on.

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Posted in Bob Lawrence Photography and tagged Asheville Post Card Company, Curt Teich, post card, Smoky Mountain Trailways, Trailways Transportation System. Bookmark the permalink.

Natural Tunnel 1937

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

1937. Same tunnel, same tracks. Yawn. Geology is so slow.

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged Natural Tunnel VA. Bookmark the permalink.

Knoxville Train Stations (there were two?)

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

On the front of this postcard are the Southern station (top) and the L&N station. The Southern station dates from 1903; the L&N from 1905. They’re both still sitting around in K-ville, but repurposed. Passenger service persisted until around 1970.
The postcard is a Tichnor Duality Views, published by Standard News Co., Knoxville, Tenn, and dates from the 20s. I don’t have a way to tie an inventory number to a date (there’s not much of anything about Tichnor Publishing Company – they were in Boston – on the web), but the cars look to be 20-ish. It has to be from before 1945, since the clock tower on the Southern station was removed in that year.
I won’t say anything about the dealer writing his/her booth designation and price ON THE CARD. Wouldn’t do any good.

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged L&N Station Knoxville TN, Southern Station Knoxville TN, Standard News Co. Knoxville TN, Tichnor Duality Views, Tichnor Publishing Company Boston MA. Bookmark the permalink.

Northwest Airlines

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

These are two cards that were probably in a folder given to each passenger as they boarded the plane. You added your message to and address of your BFF back home, give it to the stewardess. She would then affix a stamp and mail it for you.
They are DC-3 aircraft in NWA livery (at one time, pretty much any airport worth its tarmac had a DC-3 landing there). Later, NWA became Northwest Orient, flying to Japan and other points oriental. “Northwest Orient” makes me think of elk and soy sauce…

NWA was around from the late 20s, then was absorbed, eventually, by Delta.

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged C-47, DC-3, Delta Airlines, Douglas Commercial aircraft, Northwest Airlines, Northwest Orient. Bookmark the permalink.

Nickels Department Store, Gate City, VA.

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

The writing is all in pencil. The postmark is double stamped and blurry. The interesting thing is that the card, in the upper left, is dated “Feb. 2, 1912”, but the postmark shows it was mailed on January (something) 1912.
Reading on: “Hurry answer soon Hello Hazel how are you by this time I am just fine and having a fine old time tell Bess to send me a card will be home in next month” The author was not big on punctuation.

Mailed to Miss Hazel Lessley, Arcadia, Tenn. Arcadia, formerly known as Reedy Creek Settlement, is one of the earliest clumps of humanity along Bloomingdale Road. We always used to call it Bloomingdale Pike (indicating at some time in the past it was a private road…you had to pay to have the pike across the road lifted so you could get through).

Anyway, there are 36 men, women and children all lined up across the front. The photo was maybe taken in April or May, since the people aren’t wearing winter clothes and there’s some sign, perhaps a circus sign, in the show window to the left advertising an upcoming May 30 performance.

As is common with cards of this vintage, there’s no publisher name shown. There may be an inventory number or other information under the stamp, but I’m not even going to try to steam it off.

Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged 1912, Arcadia Tenn, Gate City VA, Nickels Department Store, post card, Reedy Creek Settlement. Bookmark the permalink.

Matching Tools

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

These were at a yard sale in Johnson City. Just sittin’ there lookin’ purty.

Posted in Bob Lawrence Photography, Uncle Bob's Pix. Bookmark the permalink.

Andrea Doria

Posted on July 17, 2016 by Bob Lawrence

This is the Italian liner SS Andrea Doria. The Continental-size (4-3/16 x 5-7/8″) postcard was mailed from Gibraltar on January 17, 1955. One year and seven months later, this ship went to the bottom, 160 feet down, off the coast of Massachusetts, after a collision with the MS Stockholm of the Swedish American Line. The story is here.

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Posted in Existing photo processed by Bob Lawrence and tagged Continental-size postcard, Gibraltar, MS Stockholm. Bookmark the permalink.