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Category Archives: Uncle Bob’s Pix
Mary Jayne’s Railroad Specialties
Mary Jayne’s Railroad Specialties…and an airline? This is the lowest inventory number I have of the airline series that MJRS issued between the mid 80s or so through to the late 90s. The company was owned by Mary Jayne and John Z. Rowe of Covington VA. The MJRS company was incorporated, though, in North Miami Beach FL in 1973 and went inactive in 1999. Mary Jayne died in 2015 but her obituary doesn’t mention MJRS. It only states that she and her husband operated a land survey company. There’s an article in a railfan mag on the web on MJRS, but it’s stuck behind a $43 paywall. Passed on that. There is no inventory list of these cards on the web, as far as I know. This is MJ354 and my highest number is MJ1297, but this isn’t a continuous sequence. There are many holes in the numbering. Either I just don’t have all the cards (likely) or these cards, which changed publisher at least once, were part of a larger print run that included other subjects. This one was printed by Alleghany Publishers, Covington, VA. I hope the pinkish hue was intentional.
The cards I have cover an amazing number of airlines and many, many aircraft. This group was a real find.
Alf Berry
So, here’s Alf.
In the writing on the reverse, there’s one word that I can’t figure out. It’s the word written over the “P” in “Post”.
Alf Berry picture gave to B (?oo?) B feb 27, 1913 at Roda Va” Roda is a coal town in Wise County, at the end of what was once an Interstate Rail Road line. It’s northwest of Appalachia, past Osaka.
Interesting that the person writing this added the “Va”. It was never mailed. The writing just serves to identify the person and give a context to the picture itself.
Alf’s not wearing any rings. The buttons on his jacket have been much used; they’re hanging loosely. Sturdy shoes. Looks like some sort of basket hoop by his right foot. Can’t say much about his tie.
The other writing is when some dumb dealer wrote his buy code and the price of the card. I wish dealers wouldn’t be so unconcerned about these real photo cards. They’re one-offs, after all.
Before KFC, there was
This was the first nationally franchised restaurant chain in the United States.
Chicken in the Rough (you ate it without silverware). Read about it here.
This card is from their Memphis location. I wonder how many people won the $100 cash prize?
Canon Snappy
This is a counter card for camera shops to advertise the then (1982-83) new Canon Snappy 20 and 50.
It shows damage from sunlight, otherwise this sturdy plastic card is in pretty good shape. The item measures 10.5 x 7″.
This first outing for the Canon Snappy series in the United States came in September, 1982. It cost $72 ($186 or so in today’s dollars). The Snappy 50 had autofocus. Which means that, just before you hit the shutter button, a measuring tape would spit out of the front of the camera, so you could measure the distance to the subject. It was unusual for its day in that the measuring tape would extend to 5,280′, at sea level. Just kidding, of course. It was an infra-red system, common in compact cameras then. Thank you, Google.
Trailways Token
I found this locally. In 1963, according to an ad in the Kingsport Times-News, Tays Farmer was the parts department manager at Daugherty Bros. Chevrolet in Gate City. The worn notch at the top indicates it was hanging off something for quite a while. There’s a blackening around the notch. In the center front is what remains of a Trailways logo. On the back it states “Travel Bus Trailways”. (Only so much you can do within a circle, word-wise)
If that is, indeed, a worn Trailways logo on the front, it’s the National Trailways Bus System logo and dates this to the ’50s.
Later: on the ‘net, I managed to find another Trailways token very similar to this one, but from Bybee VA. On that token, the side with the name on it is the reverse of this one; i.e., the “Travel Bus Trailways” side has the name on it.
This token is considered rare.
Deltaliner
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.
Piedmont Racing
From 1982 to 1988 Piedmont Airlines, apparently feeling flush in good times and with an infusion of cash from Norfolk & Western Railroad, ventured into NASCAR. They were the first airline to do so. They sponsored Richard Childress’ team from Ricky Rudd to Sterling Marlin. This iron-on patch is 3.75″ wide and 2.5″ deep. Incidentally, Piedmont was the 10th largest airline in the U.S. at the time. I think United owns the name now.
McGhee-Tyson Airport
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”
Jesse & Irwinna
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…
Honker Post Card!
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.
Flagship
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.
Tobacco Auction
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.
Wiley and Burton
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.
Couple on Beach
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.
Down the Road into Morning
We were heading down an abandoned and cleared railbed on a frosty morning. When we hit that sunny area, the temperature went up 10 degrees, easy.
Tourists, what can you say?
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.
Cinderella Stamp
This is a Cinderella stamp. It’s also called a Poster stamp. This one is about 2″ horizontal and a little over 2″ vertical.
Some time ago, I bought a lot of advertising stamps and didn’t think too hard about doing any research on them.
Turns out (as you can read in the link above) everyone was Over.The.Moon for advertising stamps in the early part of the 20th century. I don’t know exactly what these wacky ancestors did with the stamps, since they seldom had glue on the back.
American Airlines DC-7
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:
Uncle Bob's Pix 