Military Hospital Ward

I should imagine this group photograph of army officers and nurses in a military hospital ward was before WW I. It could have been a Christmas Postcard taken to send back to people at home. On the back is the message "Am going on absolutely splendid.' This is one you need to see large to see the faces from 100 years ago.

A Bishop's CV from the early 1900s

This postcard posted in 1907 and published by Russell & Sons of Baker Street London, shows Edward Stuart Talbot, first Bishop of Southwark.

Bishop Talbot was born in 1844 the son of a QC. He Studied at Charterhouse and Oxford and was ordained at 26. He was a follower of the Oxford movement, and acknowledged the Tractarians as his spiritual fathers.

He was 1st Warden of Keble College and  Bishop of Rochester in 1895.

He organised the creation of the Diocese of Southwark in 1905 by splitting the extensive Diocese of Rochester. Southwark was to include the county of London south of the Thames and East and Mid Surrey.

He became the first bishop of Southwark from 1905 to 1911, and then Bishop of Winchester for twelve years until retirement.

He died in 1934.

Adjacent to the famous Calvary Baptist Church

There are quite a lot of postcards like this in my collection picked up by people at hotels along with the free bars of soap and sachets of sugar.

The postcard says "One of the most convenient and dignified addresses in N.Y.C. Within walking distance of the Fifth Ave. Shops, Radio City, Times Square, Museums, The Coliseum, Lincoln Center, Central Park, and adjacent to the famous Calvary Baptist Church."

So, that places it better. My dad visited the huge Calvary Baptist Church in 1969. For a couple of years he worked for Billy Graham, the evangelist, and went Stateside in 1969.

Einstein's Blackboard

We went to the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford a while back. On the way out I bought some postcards including this one for 60p. The blackboard was used by Albert Einstein doing a Lecture on 'The Theory of Relativity' in Oxford on 16 May 1931. Normally a blackboard is wiped after use, but in 1931 Einstein was already an international celebrity and so the blackboard was preserved and now hangs on the wall protected by glass. I sometimes carry the postcard around and  scribble the formulae onto the back of dirty vans. It makes a change from 'Also available in white' and 'Please Clean me'.

Leonardo Da Vinci - Landscape

This Postcard is from The Exhibition of Italian Art at the Royal Academy London in 1930. I was sorting through a batch of postcards all from the same exhibition and picked this out - to me it appeared almost like a Chinese Landscape: those pen and ink hills with far reaching vistas - horizontals and verticals. Leonardo would have been about 20 when he drew this. The writing top left says "The day of the Holy Virgin of the snows 5th August 1473"

Highland Cattle - Isle of Skye

Highland cattle reared on the Isle of Skye were made to swim  to the mainland then driven along the drovers' road to the Market at Kinlochhourn. Then after that could be driven much further to their final destination. They are a hardy breed, well known because of their long horns and wavy fur. They have withstood the long cold winters of Skye for many generations without having to go inside, so maybe a sea swim and long mainland trek was no great hardship to them.

A Skye Crofter's Home

Crofting on the Isle of Skye, the largest of the Inner Hebridy Islands - off Scotland, had been going through a turbulent time up to 1886. The Crofters, who lived off their small holdings, earning their keep through agriculture and craft work, had been given large rent increases. They organised themselves and protested and refused to pay rent unless they were granted a fair rent and security of tenure. In 1886 the Crofters Holding (1886) Scotland Act was passed - giving them many of their demands.

Kenley from the Downs

This postcard, from 1920, has a message on the back that just goes to show that postcards were the facebook or twitter of their day

"I sent you a parcel last Wednesday Morning. I am wondering if you have got it as I have not heard."

Bridge of Allan

This postcard shows a small bridge in a Scottish Glen with an Edwardian Lady stitching what looks like needlework. Near the time of this picture, I read in the Stirling and Bridge of Allan Reporter "Three Bridge of Allan boys, whose ages ranged between nine and ten years, appeared before Sheriff Mitchell at a Juvenile Court held in the County Buildings, Stirling, on Friday, charged with stealing gooseberries from the garden of Glenlea House, Bridge of Allan, on
Saturday, 1st July. Two of the lads admitted having committed the offence and their parents were fined 5s each."

Note Auntie Dolly reading!

This postcard was sent on January 16th 1920 by an Uncle to my Great Aunt - back in England.

On the back he says... "This is all built up high on the banks of the Hudson River. Very pretty, even in winter. I have been on a bus ride all along Riverside Drive. The Drive goes from 72nd to 155th Streets through the Viaduct at 127th Street, and is lined with expensive looking apartments.... Note Auntie Dolly reading!"

Shady Lane

Back in the 1960s we lived not far from Shady Lane. I remember how some friends from my class at Whitehall Junior School used to regularly visit and feed the horses in the field alongside Shady Lane. Even though we lived in a large city, there was a small walkable area I knew. One boundary of it was Shady Lane which I never walked along. We only drove down that lane and I have no recollection of what was beyond.

Cavemen Days

This is a postcard from my friend Nick in 1971. He writes.... "Twopence strikes again on other dogs! I hope you enjoyed the camp. I am having great time in Holland seeing thousand of L....s relatives. "

Nick is an expert on bio-medical patenting, and has written books on new age religion. We met up about nine years ago and still exchange Christmas Cards and the occasional e-mail.

Back then I had a dog called Tuppence - a Jack Russell. Nick's family had a Golder Retriever called Honey, and those dogs loved running up and down the hedge between our two houses barking at each other.

British Butterflies not Thanksgiving Turkeys

This unused Raphael Tuck & Sons "Aquarette" Postcard from the Butterflies and Moths Series II is from 1918.

The artist R J Wealthy appears to be more well known - at least on ebay - for his Thanksgiving Turkey postcards. The butterflies on this one are:

i. Small Tortoiseshell
ii. Swallowtail
iii. Chalk Hill Blue (Male)
iv. Small Skipper (Male)
v. Camberwell Beauty

Theobaldus Stampensis

This 1907 Post Card, from The Oxford Pageant Series 1, shows Theo, a priest of Caen, who arrived in Oxford in 1110. The youth of his day gathered enthusiastically to listen to his new doctrines. He was the first notable scholar to settle in Oxford, and within a few years he had 60 to 100 clerks, the beginnings of the University of Oxford. Back in those days, the youth were monks.

Queen Elizabeth Laundry Kingston

I have three pictures of this laundry - getting hidden in the mists of time. This is the most interesting because it shows faces from the past - if you expand it.

I count 38 women, and in the background one man - possibly the boss or the cleaner.

The ladies all look towards the camera except one. They are pausing for a photograph - a nice change from all-day ironing!!!

Google translate from English to Hebrew and back

I wonder how the google translator will handle this ...

This postcard is from the Holy Land. We hope for peace not conflict. We pray for neighbours getting along not scared of each other.

 השכנים מסתדרת לא לפחד זה מזה.גלויה זו מארץ הקודש. אנו מקווים לשלום לא קונפליקט. אנו מתפללים עבור

The neighbors get along do not be afraid of each other. This postcard from the Holy Land. We hope for peace not conflict. We pray for.

I don't think the translator is the problem. It is the copy and paste of back to front writing caused the problems.  A lesson for future peace makers perhaps. Perhaps not :)

We Only Live Once Fido!

From 1969. Published by Bamforth in the "Taylor Tots" series, number K299.

It says on the back... I am having a lovely time. We have just got a kite. The weather is very hot. We are just getting ready to go down to the beach. I hope your well. Love Katie XXX