29 September, 2007

Postcard 1: Real Photo Postcard

I was rummaging a stack of old postcards in an antique shop when I came across this picture of a little girl. At first I wondered why it was included on the postcards and not on the pile of old photos that the shop also sell. Then I checked the back of the card and it has a divided back! I admit it was my first time to come across with this type of postcard.

I later found out that there was indeed an era where real photos were made into postcards! Per Wikipedia, in 1903 Kodak introduced the No. 3A Folding Pocket Kodak, which was designed for postcard-size film to allow the general public to take photographs and have them printed on postcard backs. They are usually the same size as standard vintage postcards (3-1/2" x 5-1/2"). Real photo postcard is also known by the acronym "RPPC".

I noticed that the flowers on the cards are colored. I later found out that some postcards during the era were often tinted or colored with great detail.

I also did some research and found a list of RPPC manufacturers. Unfortunately I couldn't find a match on the list with the manufacturer of my only RPPC. Below is the logo of the manufacturer printed at the front bottom part of the card. If anyone is familiar with the logo, please leave a comment. Thanks

28 September, 2007

Postcard 5: La Colonne des Girondins

Below is my first linen postcard. The "linen card" era lasted from about 1930 to 1945, when cards were primarily printed on papers with a high rag content. I had hard time translating the name of the monument (its in French and I don't speak the language) and finding its location. The back says "La Colonne des Girondins."

I later found out that the monument, The Girondists Column, can be found at the Place des Quinconces in Bordeaux, France.

Here are some interesting facts I found regarding the monument from Wikipedia and other sources.

The principal monument was erected between 1894 and 1902 in memory of the Girondists (political faction in France during the revolution) who fell victim of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. The monument is 50 m high. The column was erected by Jean Achille Dumilatre and Victor Rich.

The monument is capped with a statue known as "Liberty Breaking the Chains." At the bottom of the monument are two fountains, "Triumph of the Republic" and "Triumph of Concorde". At the feet of the tank are horses with three men that represent Ignorance (shameful attitude), Lie (the mask) and Vice (pig ears). In 1943 fascists disassembled the column to take advantage of 52 tons of bronze. In 1983 the horses that were removed during the German occupation of France in World War II were re-erected with their bronze restored.

25 September, 2007

Postcard 10: Mainz, Strassenbrücke

Unfortunately I could not gather any information about the Mainz Strassenbrucke (street bridge) on the postcard. All I could find are some other pictures of the bridge posted on eBay with German description I could not understand. I have no idea if the bridge is still standing, or it had been blown up during World War II like other bridges in Germany.

24 September, 2007

Postcard 10: Bonn, Rheinbrücke

Rhine Bridge

I had trouble gathering information about the bridge on the postcard, which might be the Bonn Rhine Bridge. But after spending almost my whole shift, I found some limited (and sometimes confusing) information about the bridge's history. I just hope that the one being discussed on my source is the Bonn Rhine Bridge on the postcard. So anyone from Germany? I need confirmation for this one.

Below is the picture of the Bonn Rhine Bridge pre-WWII.

One outstanding event was the construction of the first Bonn Rhine bridge, which was officially opened 1898. The people of Beuel, annoyed because this link did not take their shipyard into account, did not contribute a single penny towards the project. Thus, the citizens of Bonn begrudgingly had to foot the bill for what was, at that time, the biggest arched bridge in the world. A manikin on the eastern pier, however, pointed his posterior towards the people of Beuel. During the Second World War, he disappeared along with the bridge into the river but was later recovered and subsequently replaced by a copy, which still points its "ragged-trousered backside” towards Beuel, which is today part of Bonn.

What happened during the
Second World War is that Hitler had decreed that no bridges over the Rhine would be captured intact by the Allies and preparations were made to destroy the bridge to prevent capture. The Bonn Brdige was blown at 9:15 P.M., March 8, 1945, by a Captain of the 6th (German) Engineer Regiment (later captured by the First Division), who had not slept for three days worrying over whether he would be able to blow the bridge at precisely the right moment.

Here's some description on the new bridge: RHINE BRIDGE, COLOGNE-DEUTZ (1946-47)
* Combined road-streetcar bridge.
* First slender steel box girder replacing a chain suspension bridge destroyed during World War II.
* Spans: 132.1-184.5-120.7 meters, girder depth at piers 7.8 meters and at center of midspan 3.3 meters, corresponding to slenderness ratios of 1:24 and 1:56.
* Orthotropic deck with reinforced concrete wearing layer.
* Erection in large elements with heavy lifting equipment.

Too bad the pre-WW2 bridge is much more elegant!

23 September, 2007

Postcard 8: Mainz mit Mainspitze

Today I decided to gather information about Postcard 8, a German postcard.

At the back of the card:

Mainz mit Mainspitze
Aufnahme von Rolf Kellner, Karlsruhe i. B.

After doing some research, I found out that Mainz is a German city located on the river Rhine while the Mainspitze triangle is a narrow piece of land between the Main and Rhine, where the photo must have been taken. Aufnahme von Rolf Kellner, Karlsruhe i. B. must have been the manufacturer of the card because Google search returns pages with postcards done by the same company.

Now the translation of the dedication (too bad the handwriting is not legible, help anyone?):

Mr. Antonio Albert
Weidemann, Mainz, (unreadable street name)


Summer 1931

Now it makes you wonder who the recipient is and the story behind the train ride!

Here is the postcard:

Also I'm guessing that the bridge on the postcard is the Theodor Heuss Bridge (Mainz-Wiesbaden) since this is the only bridge over the Rhine river that was built pre-1931 (1885 to be exact). But I might be wrong.

22 September, 2007

Postcard 2: Embossed Postcard

Yesterday I asked my fellow YahooGroups deltiologists for some help with the problems I encountered while sorting out my recent purchase of old postcards. Some gladly helped, and then I decided to be a "postcard detective" (if you may call it) and try to date them myself and to provide more information about the postcards.

The first postcard I chose is the embossed postcard.

Per Wikipedia, Embossed postcards have designs slightly raised above the card's surface. Heavily embossed postcards have almost a papier-mache style that stands greatly above the surface. Embossed postcards, dating from the late 19th century, have a papier mache texture, and typically have designs within the card that are raised, making them quite delicate and often elaborate.

The postcard shows a vase with blue flowers (which I still couldn't identify) and a house at the background. I noticed that all the flowers are painted (?) blue.

Above is the back part of the card. One can see that it has a divided back (thus it cannot be dated as pre-1907). One fellow deltiologist gave the age of the card as pre-1920s.

Translation of dedication: (Anyone who can also help with the translation?)

January 17, 1914


Forever Yours,
Erin Ricafort

Sad to say, the recipient's name was written over, thus making it unreadable! Makes me wonder who Erin Ricafort is to the life of the recipient! haha

It's also weird that one had chosen to use the Spanish language during this time. If the year is correct, 1914, the Spaniards were long gone, and the Philippines is now under the American Regime, thus most Filipinos would be able to speak English. But then again, the recipient could have come from a rich Mestizo family where the language is still Spanish.

I also checked if the recipient's address of Sta. Rita, Pampanga was in existence in 1914. And indeed it was! I found this on the net: "The onset of the Taft administration (Governor William Howard Taft) and the governor Joven in Pampanga caused the Sta. Rita town to be merged with Bacolor. The setback was however temporary and short-lived for the town’s energetic son Don Basilio Ocampo, and Don Magno Gosioco, then the incumbent mayor succeeded in their crusade to separate Sta. Rita from Bacolor."


So the card can really be dated 1914 since its divided back dates the card post-1907.

21 September, 2007

Postcard Problems




POSTCARD 2 (Embossed pre-1920)


Translation (thanks to Bel)

Enero 17, 1914


Forever Yours,
Erin Ricafort


(thanks to Joya)
Der Rhein - the Rhine River
Bis Koln - Cologne


(thanks to Joya)


Wefermündung -- ?




Padua, Italy Basilica of Saint Anthony - Inside an Altar


(thanks to Joya)
Saint Michael and Gudula's Cathedral

(thanks to Joya)
Maison Du Roi (the breadhouse) -- UNESCO site

Grand Place -



(Thanks to Anne and Kristin)
Mr. Antonio Albert by Hans
Weidemann, Mainz, (unreadable street name)


Summer 1931


Notre Dame de Paris - UNESCO site

Mona - the photgrapher (?)


(Thanks to Anne)
Bonn, Rheinbrücke (Rhine brigde)

(Thanks to Anne)

Mainz, Strassenbrücke (street bridge)


Came across this while reading the postcard entry on Wikipedia,





