My stepdad would have taken one look at this and said, “Yep, that’s one of those DAMN-ocrats.”
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.
TCRA – in 1968
TCRA in the 1968 Shell Airport Directory. Any pilots viewing this will be able to read it immediately. Everyone else goes, “Big whoops…”
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.
Sunrise
Dec. 26, 2015. I was driving east on Stone Drive and saw this shaping up.
Always have a camera with you.
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:
Dumb Buy
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.
Bellanca 1730
I found this at Tri-Cities Flea Market, next to the Boone River, in Bluff City or Piney Flats, your choice. Anyway, it’s a Bellanca 1730 with registration number N6650V. It’s a valid registration held by the RRS Viking Company LLC in Dothan AL. I paid $1 for it. It’s about 1″ wide nose to tail. Enamel.
Cool, huh?
Interesting Old Postcard
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!”
