Wish You Were Here

I’ve got a thing for postcards. I love the pictures on them, I love reading the messages on them, I love the stamps, etc. And, yes, I love looking up the places on Google (especially hotels) and seeing if those structures are still around. Today I scanned in over 200 postcards and I am going to share them ALL with you. Buckle in, people!

#1

Pam sounds like the bee’s knees. Hey, Pam? I want a trip to Europe!
Clara’s house in St. Louis.

#2

Nancy’s cute little house in Des Moines.

#3

Sorry, Vicky . . . I do not think your postcard got delivered. The Schmidts will NEVER KNOW how much you appreciated their house sitting.

#4

The caption got cut off during scanning. It reads “South Saint Vrain Canyon, Colorado.”
From the same little house in Des Moines that Nancy lives in, Mildred is getting her own postcards as well.

#5

#6

Not going to say anything about the title. Nope. I am not. I am way more mature than that. <shakes uncontrollably>

#7

Sadly, the Grand View Ship Hotel is no more.

#8

I used to think that run-on sentences were an epidemic in modern times, but apparently they were pretty common in 1930s as well.
A. Schroeder’s house in St. Louis

#9

One would almost expect a tiny little Loch Ness monster emerging from somewhere in this picture.

#10

Hello right back atcha, Mary Ann!
The Ivanko house in St. Louis

#11

The scanner cut off the edge of this, but that’s probably not the reason you can’t read this.

#12

On the day Elvis died, Ann and John arrived in Philadelphia. Did not seem to affect them much.

#13

#14

It always amuses me how many postcards contain weather reports. Oh, and make sure LEO reads the weather report too! This is important info!

#15

#16

#17

#18

Kind of a cryptic message with a tinge of sarcasm. “By now I’m sure you’ve heard from Arlene.”

#19

#20

#21

#22

So much to process here. First, the odd juxtaposition of the words “thrill upon thrill” right next to the info that they visited John and Priscilla’s graves. Also, how can one cottage be “old, new, small, AND big”?

#23

The horror of caps without earflaps!

#24

Imagine getting a postcard and getting all excited about it in the midst of the Depression, only to realize it’s a request to forward mail on to someone else. Way to be a downer, Lucie.

#25

#26

I’m going to wager that the “Geo. Whitney Guns” sign no longer exists.
This one is kind of sad; this seems to be a teacher sending a student a postcard from Disney, only to have it returned.

#27

Of all the moments to put on a postcard . . . let’s choose the time when mom licks the birthing fluids off her baby.
Was Belle or Jack a music teacher? Imagine thinking that you’re out of your piano teacher’s grasp because he/she is on vacation . . . and then you receive this.

#28

Vintage Disneyland from 1957!

#29

#30

Another hunch – I don’t think “pray for peace” can be stamped onto mail anymore.

#31

#32

This is me, contemplating what the hell I was thinking when I sat down to scan in 200+ postcards and put them on the internet.

#33

#34

#35

Someone had too much faith in the power of the postal system to not only guess which house number you wanted, but what city. Edward and his wife never got to hear about this family’s great time at Disney World.

#36

#37

Makes you wonder if he made it, doesn’t it?

#38

#39

What a coincidence! This is the most interesting and fascinating postcard I have ever written.

#40

#41

#42

#43

#44

Um . . . what?

#45

Making pickles on vacation? Oooh-kaaaaaay. I can think of better things to do.

#46

#47

#48

Herbert’s wife does not deserve a name.

#49

#50

Bon with her shopping habit had to wait until Hong Kong – what torture!

#51

The Palmer House still exists, but RIP to the Newhouse. Too bad. That staircase was something.

#52

195″ of snow on the ground????

#53

#54

I’ve never understood why postcard makers allowed a writing service to be all bumpy and awkward to write on. Sounds like Alex was worth the extra effort!

#55

Whatevs, Esther.

#56

#57

Um, Alma? Does your last line ask “How do you like this fine SMUT”? Can anyone else decipher that writing?

#58

Awwwwwwww.

#59

Sounds like a great time — all with one dress!

#60

C’mon, Leo! Quit being a jerk and ANSWER poor Stanley!
Here is the humble abode where Stanley waited patiently for Leo’s answer.

#61

11 week safari in Africa? Wow.

#62

A little quick internet search of Wales and Mame Nye led me to this interesting page from a book about Pittsford, New York.

#63

Seems like Miss Berg has a little bit of a secret admirer!

#64

No time for punctuation!

#65

#66

Winning travel clocks at the hat parade sounds like a swell time. Good for you, Mabel!

#67

Label was from a previous seller and I forgot to remove it before scanning. My bad.

#68

#69

The kids are already tired of traveling AND they have 2 weeks left? Yikes.

#70

#71

#72

Bill and Mildred write the most boring postcard in history of the world. OK, maybe not, but geez. Fine. Pretty. Interesting.

#73

#74

#74

#75

#76

Louis makes Vienna sound like a total drag.

#77

#78

#79

OK, a youth hostel in an 11th Century castle sounds pretty flippin’ epic.

#80

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#82

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#86

#87

#88

#89

#90

#91

#92

#93

#94

#95

#96

#97

Woodmere Country Club seems to have closed down a couple years ago, sadly.

#98

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#102

#103

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#105

#106

#107

#108

#109

#110

#111

#112

#113

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#114

#115

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#120

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