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Tag Archives: undivided back post card

Group of ?Bathers?

I bought this in an antique shop in Bristol.  A a group of bathers photographed in a studio against an “ocean” background.  This is a Real Photo Post Card.  A one-off.  The Private Mailing Card (PMC) stamp block on the back, along with no division between the “correspondence” and “address” sides puts this in the 1907- 1914 range.  It is an undivided back card, but, for that short period, the U.S. Postal Service allowed a message on the left side of the back with an address on the right.

And the bathing costumes are right for the era.

Then, I got a look at Frank’s feet and legs.  They have had a hard time, but he’s not in the least bit ashamed of it.  Looks like a family group.  I can’t work out the writing, except for the “Frank” below the seated man.  The word above the standing man may be “Mabel” and refer to the woman.  The long word or words along the right bottom corner…well, I don’t know what that spells.

unidentified photounidentified back

Bristol TN/VA: Early parks

In a 1915 municipal report, Bristol included these two parks as being part of Bristol’s system.
bigcreekpark
This is an early undivided back (1901 – 1907) card.  The postmark year is unreadable.
It was mailed to Mr. Jno D Cox, Jonesboro, Tenn.  “E.L.C.” mailed it with “will write you right soon” on the front border (you couldn’t put a message on the back of the card in those years).  It was published by Caldwell-Sites Co., Bristol, Roanoke and Staunton, Va.
I can’t find Big Creek Park on the map and references to it on the web are few.
islandparkboat
This is “Island Park Boat House, Bluff City, Tenn.”
Six of the people in this picture are looking at the camera.
I can conclusively date this card to 1914 by the postmark.  There’s no publisher shown, but, in the bottom right on the face there’s the number “65755”.
It was mailed to Mrs. W.H. Roberts Bristol Tenn R.F.D. 1
Her sister mailed it and there’s some writing on the back concerning an upcoming trip.