03/05/2016

‘PACIFIC PRINCESS’

IN THE KIEL CANAL

Published by

CHANTRY CLASSICS

Ref: CC/S104

 

The private publisher ‘Chantry Classics’ issued a long running series of shipping postcards and was the brain child of Tom Chantry (from Market Weighton, York). This was a series I bought into from the very start and I have all the cards from number one right through to somewhere in the 130’s when I ceased buying every single issue. This is one of the best modern publishers for shipping collectors, and some well - known and famous ocean liners and ferries have appeared on their cards. Any UK collector who specializes in modern shipping postcards will have some Chantry Classics in their collection.        

 

 

03/05/2016

SAD CLOWN – MAD BRIDE

OPERA FOR UNDER 30’s

AVANTCARD AUSTRALIA

Ref: #19625

(Issued 2016)

 

Lucia di Lammermoor

The one about the mad bride

12 – 21 April, Her Majesty’s Theatre

 

Laughter and Tears

The one about the sad clown

13 – 18 August, Palais Theatre

 

Advert postcard for two opera’s using a two faced man on the front.

 

 

My thanks to Stan Beecham for this card

(and all the other cards he kindly sends me)

 

03/05/2016

BENHAM POSTCARDS

150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNIFORM 1d POST

(150TH Anniversary of the Penny Black)

“The stamps illustrated on this card can be seen at the National Postal Museum, London. They are ‘The Rainbow Trials’ done to decide the best colour for the 1d stamp”

(This text appears on the reverse side of all the cards in this set)

 

The illustrated block of four stamps on each of these cards is printed on silk and then attached to the card. The stamps applied to the bottom of each card were issued to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the penny black. Each stamp has the portraits of both Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II. The stamps were issued on 10th January 1990 and the cancels used on these stamps are all dated for the first day of issue.

 

Ref 1990 BPC1 – 15p second class value blue stamp

Ref 1990 BPC2 – 20p first class value (printed in black to represent the original Penny Black stamp)

 

 

Ref 1990 BPC3 – 29p stamp – National Postal Museum special hand stamp. The museum has had many names and closed down for a while – a new one is being constructed as we speak and will be opening sometime soon)

Ref 1990 BPC4 – 34p stamp

 

 

Ref 1990 BPC5 – 37p stamp – the last card in this series.  

 

03/05/2016

HOLLYWOOD HEROES

&

VILLAINS

“The Hollywood Heroes are a group of volunteer fundraisers who attend events up and down the country to raise money for worthwhile charities”

 

This was a free postcard given away at a Memorabilia show at the N.E.C. Birmingham a couple of years ago. The ‘HOLLYWOOD HEROES’ are a group of people who dress up as characters from mainly science-fiction and horror movies. They attend fairs and conventions and collect for charity. Some of their costumes are exceptionally good. So what you get here on this cracking postcard are characters from Star Wars (Clone Trooper and in shadow, Darth Vader), Iron Man, an alien Predator, Lara Croft (from the Tomb Raider series of films and computer games), Freddie Kruger (from the horror film ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ – I’ve only ever seen this once and it was on a coach during a Haunted House Tour, in Kent I believe) and the Rocketeer. The last creature to mention is a Dalek which makes this another, and quite unusual, addition to my Doctor Who collection (and I cannot resist a postcard with a Dalek on it)    

 

02/05/2016

SOUTHEND-ON-SEA

WEST CLIFFS BAND STAND

Published by

Photochrom Co Ltd

Exclusive ‘Celesque’ Series

Has hand written message dated 1920

 

A nice painting of visitors at the Bandstand that used to be located on top of the cliffs in Southend. The area was known as Westcliff (although here on this postcard it is called WEST CLIFFS for some reason). Although the written message is dated as 1920 I suspect this postcard is older as it may have been issued towards the end of, or just after the end of WWI. The inclusion of a soldier tends to confirm my opinion. Other than the Pier the Band stand is probably one of the most depicted on postcard landmarks Southend had. Although this is an art piece there are also many photographic image postcards of this structure.     

 

02/05/2016

ROYAL DAFFODIL

Twin Screw M.V. ROYAL DAFFODIL

2,060 Gross Tons.  Length 313ft.  Speed 21 knots.   Capacity 2,073 passengers

Printed by J. SALMON LTD

S.S. SERIES No. 10

Copyright of The General Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, London

This particular postcard was posted 24th August 1956 from Southend-on-Sea

 

The Royal Daffodil was built in 1939 and launched on 24th January 1939 but was not completed until May 1939. She was operated by the General Steam Navigation Company and her inaugural year was used for trips to Ostend. But soon she was requisitioned for war service and was initially used for the evacuation of children from South East England to East Anglia.

On the 15th Sep 1939 she transported BEF (British Expeditionary Force) soldiers to France. Later she was one of the ships that took part in the evacuation at Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo). On 2nd June 1940 a bomb passed straight through her and exploded underneath her. The explosion made a hole in her starboard side but she avoided sinking because the Master got everyone onboard to stand on the port side which raised the hole out of the sea so they could make a temporary patch (mattresses and wood).

 

 

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

After the war the Daffodil was used from Gravesend or Tilbury for views of the French coastline. She also called at Southend (thus my interest and the postmark applied to the reverse side of the card as depicted here). She made her last voyage in 1966 because the trips were becoming less profitable. She was sold for scrapping in Ghent, Belgium and sailed there under her own steam in 1967.

 

 

MV ROYAL DAFFODIL

Published by

Ernest Joyce & Co., Ltd Norwich

Printed by

PLASTICHROME

(Colour by C. J. Nicholas AIBP)

Ref: EJE 585

 

“Seen here leaving Southend on Sea Pier for her journey up river to the Pool of London”

(Text from reverse side)

 

If you put ‘MV ROYAL DAFFODIL’ in a google search this is actually the first image that come up at the top of the page. It is nice to have an image of her leaving the Pier in my home town as she was well known locally because of her strong connections with Southend Pier.  

 

 

02/05/2016

CANADA POST

Postcard to colour and mail

“This postcard celebrates the International Year of Mountains stamps issued in October 2002. Canada Post”

October is Stamp Collecting Month

 

It is not unusual to find postcards designed to be coloured in and issues have been released by The Isle of Man Post Office as well (Thomas the Tank Engine and Postman Pat).

Clearly this is a simple design and I suspect it is designed to appeal to children and for them in particular to colour in.  

 

 

02/05/2016

DEATH RACE 2000

Published by

PYRAMID

Ref: PC 8606

“In the year 2000 hit and run driving is no longer a crime. It’s the NATIONAL SPORT!”

 

I first saw this film way back in the early 1980’s and I remember then thinking that the year 2000 seemed like a world away. Makes me laugh now that the same year seems like ages ago (how things change).

Death Race 2000 starred David Carradine as the driver called ‘Frankenstein’ and also had an appearance by Sylvester Stallone as Machine-Gun Joe Viterbo. The film was released on 27th April 1975 and has been described as a political satire action film. It went on to become a cult classic (the gore factor seems almost comedic these days but in fact it was never really that gore filled as most of the impacts appeared off screen). I have not seen this for some time and as I think I have it on DVD somewhere I might have another look at it.    

 

 

02/05/2016

BOOMERANG

SCHOOLS ISSUE

“Ring a ring a roses

A pocket full of posies

Atishoo atishoo

We all fall down”

 

“During The Plague (1665 – 66) also known as the ‘Black Death’, children were forced to carry small posies of herbs to protect them from infection”

(Text from reverse side of postcard)

 

For a while (I am not aware if they do it anymore – but I think not) the Boomerang company placed racks inside schools and universities. The interesting thing about this set up was that the postcards placed in these specific locations were exclusive to them. They were hard to get ahold of too as you needed to have a child in the school or know someone with access (after all you should not be able to just walk into a school and take stuff – at least I hope you wouldn’t be able too). Fortunately, at the height of their issue, and popularity there was a rack in my children’s school and I obtained copies.

The cards mainly had either an educational slant (like this design here) or the advertised stuff which would appeal to children or teenagers.

The issues can be identified by a smiling boomerang design in the stamp box on the reverse side (this appeared on most of the designs my kids brought home – but some may have had different designs later)   

 

 

02/05/2016

L’ AN 2000

Published by

EDITIONS DU TRIANGLE

CREATION: JACQUES LARDIE

Limited Edition of 30

Each card here is hand numbered as No 2 of 30

PRINCESS DIANA

 

There has been a tradition in France of producing individual postcards and postcard sets in low limited edition numbers. This set of six postcards was produced in a limited edition of just 30 sets. These can be very popular depending on the subject matter. Princess Diana related collectibles have been popular since her untimely death back in 1997 (although some of that interest has dropped off over the past two years). Jacques Lardie is a French postcard artist who specializes in very low number issues with a photo-montage effect. Here you have the same firework image but with a different Diana face in the centre of each design. A set like this can be valued anywhere between £30 - £50 (although I suspect it would be difficult to find one)

 

02/05/2016

OUT OF HOURS

DOCTOR PATIENT PARTNERSHIP

When the surgery is closed your doctors will have out-of-hours services, for urgent problems only in the evenings, at night and at weekends.”

(text from reverse side of postcard)

(This copy here used and postmarked 20th April 1998)

 

The young doctors have recently been on strike on the UK and the two strike days were the first in the history of the NHS (according to the papers and news broadcasts). I have been following their dispute with the Health Minister and when I came across this postcard in one of boxes in storage it seemed relevant despite being 18 years old. Even back in 1998 there were issues and worries around evening, night and weekend doctor’s visits.  

 

02/05/2016

COACH and BUS SHAPED POSTCARDS

 

RED COACH

PICTURESQUE NORTHUMBRIA

Published by

COLOURMASTER INTERNATIONAL

Ref: NOV 39

 

I keep mentioning that I actually like large shaped postcards. They have actually been around for many years and were very popular in the 1970’s and became so again in the 1990’s. They are also popular in the major foreign tourist areas, especially around the Mediterranean towards the Spanish end.

This one here is from the UK and has images from around Northumbria

The castles are not names but from left to right I am going to guess that they are:

BAMBURGH CASTLE, LINDISFARNE CASTLE, Hadrian’s Wall and lastly ALNWICK CASTLE

(I would like to hear from anyone who can confirm these for me)

 

 

YELLOW COACH

PICTURESQUE DERBYSHIRE

Published by

COLOURMASTER INTERNATIONAL

Ref: NOV24

 

Same driver and same bus, but different colour (I could perhaps describe this as Amber then with the below bus we would have a traffic light effect).

Unfortunately, the locations depicted here are a bit harder to identify so if anyone can help it would be appreciated.

 

 

 

GREEN BUS

CLACTON-ON-SEA

Greetings from St Osyth – Clacton-on-Sea - Walton Dovercourt

 Published by

COASTAL COLOUR Ltd

“A Super Card’

Ref: B/2

 

This time you get a double decker bus with driver and conductor and two sets of images, one along the top set of windows and another along the bottom. This is my favourite of the three as it depicts images from a location in Essex and somewhere which I know and have visited and occasionally worked in.  

 

 

 

02/05/2016

ISLA DE MALLORCA

© CROMATICA, S.L.

DISTRIBUYE IMAGINA, S.L.

Ref: MTRO 14

Large shaped Postcard

 

These are very unpopular with actual collectors, but ordinary tourists seem to like these and you do find posted copies as a result. I like posted ones because you get the stamps and other details. But there is the problem that because of their unusual shapes, with lots of little edges, these usually get damaged in the post. So you have to accept that these will be knocked about a bit like this one has been. But I still think these are impressive  

 

01/05/2016

HADLEIGH CASTLE

 

Hadleigh Castle was built after 1215 during the reign of Henry III by Hubert de Burgh. Although the original castle did have a defensive role it also had an important economic role as well. Hadleigh was later expanded by Edward III who turned the castle into a more defensive role in preparation for a believed French attack, although the grander new construction was also a private residence for the king which was close to London.  

The castle was built on geologically unstable London clay and has always been susceptible to subsidence but despite this it remained standing only to be dismantled for its stone, sometime between 1551 and 1575. The castle was thus totally ruined and has ended up, after further natural slippage, looking as it is today although there was some considerable slippage and subsidence between 1998 and 1923 and a southern wall collapsed during this time. There were also further issues with subsidence in 1950 when the north-east tower mostly collapsed. Sadly, this is ongoing with even more slippages occurring in 1969, 1970 and 2002.

The castle is now owned by English Heritage and it is free to enter and walk around the remaining standing segments. The castle has been a well-known landmark for many years and those, like me, who travel on the ‘Shoebury – Fenchurch Street, London’ rail line can see it as the line passes under the castle skyline.

As a result, postcards of the castle abound and can be found throughout the history of postcard production. Here are a few from my collection.  

 

RAPHAEL TUCK & SONS

TUCK’S POST CARD

OILETTE – PICTURESQUE CASTLES

Postcard 7591

HADLEIGH CASTLE

An artist’s impression of the main standing tower (although having any sort of fire now would be against the rules)

 

 

 

HADLEIGH CASTLE

Published by

A.  A. PINCKNEY, SOUTHEND-ON-SEA

My copy here was posted on 27th August 1903

 

 

 

NEAR SOUTHEND-ON-SEA

HADLEIGH CASTLE

Unknown printer, publisher

This is one of my favourite postcard images of the castle as it imparts some of the feeling of damage the castle has sustained but also shows how it remains fascinating.

 

 

 

HADLEIGH CASTLE ESSEX

Locally produced by the look of it but no printer or published is named. With this card I love the fact that ‘Hadleigh Castle Essex’ has been hand written onto the actual card.

 

 

 

HADLEIGH CASTLE

Ref: 41110

Another locally produced postcard which has no details of who has produced it. This view is similar to the third card down in this selection but this one here is slightly further around and you can see through the front facing windows on the castle tower

 

 

LEIGH-ON-SEA, HADLEIGH CASTLE

Published by

THE PHOTOCHROME Co., Ltd, London

Exclusive ‘Grano’ Series

Ref: 53079

My copy here was posted from Southend on 6th Sept 1923

 

 

YE OLD CASTLE RUINS, HADLEIGH, ESSEX

Ref: W.2

A very simply produced local postcard which just the words POST CARD hand applied to the reverse side via a simple printing process. So basically this is a photograph which has been taken and someone has applied the two important words on the back to turn it into an official postcard.

This copy here was posted from Southend on 17th Aug 1954.   

 

01/05/2016

 

OLYMPEX 2012

‘Collecting the Olympic Games’

A free exhibition at the British Library

25 July – 9 September 2012

 

Whilst the Olympic Games were on in London there was also an Olympex 2012 stamp exhibition which was on display at the British Library. For anyone interested in stamps, covers and other Olympic Games philatelic material this was really worth a visit, and I did so, twice (I visited the exhibition on the very first day of the Games).

Outside the Library building in the square area to the front there was also an Olympic hut set up where visitors to buy Olympic Games related postcards and stamps and from where you could post a postcard (or I suppose a letter – but everyone whilst I was there sent postcards) which would receive a special postmark. For this I used the official Olympex 2012 exhibition advertising postcard which you can see here. Infact it was this visit, and the general success and good feeling around the London Games that set me off collecting all the related postcards I could find.

 

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

Here you can see the special hand-stamp that was applied to the postcards (I chose to use an Olympic Games 2012 Weightlifting 1st Class stamp):

 

LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES

BRITISH LIBRARY, LONDON nw1

Olympex 2012

11 AUG 12

 

Visitors could also access a special purple cachet which was only available at this hut so if you find any item which has this cachet on it you know it was applied here outside the British Library in the hut. The cachet reads:

July 27th-

August 12th

XXX OLYMPIC GAMES 2012

 

And it has the 2012 unusual logo which was used throughout the lead-up and into the games themselves. This card here is my personal souvenir of my visit.  

 

01/05/2016

MATTHEW WATERHOUSE

“ADRIC” in Doctor Who

OFFICIAL DOCTOR WHO POSTCARD

Printed by

LARKFIELD PRINTING Co

 

Matthew played the character of Adric alongside the fourth and fifth Doctors. The character appeared in eleven stories (40 episodes). At the time Matthew Waterhouse was the youngest male actor to play a companion (which I think may still be the case). Adric first appeared in the story ‘Full Circle’ which was travelling in E Space at that time. He stowed away at the end of the story and travels with the Doctor and then companion Romana.  

The star you can see on his pocket in this photograph was given to the character for mathematical excellence. It has been said that the character was one of the most disliked (some reports even say ‘Hated’) companion in the series, partially because the character was quite arrogant but this has softened a little over the years and now that Matthew himself has returned talking about these years he played the character.

Adric was of course one of the very few Dr Who companions to die in the series. This was in the story ‘Earthshock’ when Adric dies on a space freighter that has been overtaken by the Cybermen but which crashes into the earth (in the story this freighter crash is the impact that kills of the dinosaurs!!)

Matthew has autographed the front of this postcard and also signed and drew a little doodle on the reverse side – so you get two signatures for the price of one.

 

 

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Here you can see the message, signature and doodle written and drawn by Matthew Waterhouse

 

 

 

MATTHEW WATERHOUSE

BLUE BOX BOY

Advert postcard for the release of Matthews book titled ‘Blue Box Boy’. The image here is taken from the cover of the book and depicts the fourth and fifth doctors with whom Adric was a companion. This copy has been signed by Matthew in the centre over his shirt.

I was never a real fan of the character Adric, but I never disliked him as much as others seem to have done. I am glad that Matthew has gotten over this feeling against the character he portrayed, which lead to him distancing himself from the series. I am glad he has battled those demons and is back under the Dr Who fold.  

 

If you are interested the book is published by HIRST PUBLISHING

 

 

 

01/05/2016

MADONNA

THE NEW SINGLE

‘LIKE A PRAYER’

TURN MADONNA ON BETWEEN 8.11 & 8.15pm

MARCH 2nd

ITV – ALL REGIONS

 

For reasons I can-not fully explain I have always collected MADONNA postcards and have several hundred different (the number of Madonna postcard images never ceases to amaze me and this number probably indicates that these are popular and that I may well be not alone in collecting them).

It is the more unusual ones which maintain popularity and scarcity and this one here is very interesting. For me there is the added television connection as the postcard advertises the television showing of the ‘Like a Prayer’ single. As the single was released in March 1989 I can assume the postcard is from this same year.

The postcard is clearly a promotional item but who printed it is not known. I suspect this was orchestrated by Madonna’s PR team or the record company (although if it was them they made no mention of their company which is what leads me to suspect it was not them).  

 

 

 

REVERSE SIDE OF POSTCARD WITH DETAILS OF TELEVISION SHOWING OF THE SINGLE

 

 

01/05/2016

EASTER RISING CENTENARY 1916 – 2016

PACK OF 8 ASSORTED POSTCARDS

Published by

WILLOW DESIGN & PUBLISHING (Irish Made)

 

THE FULL PACKAGE WITH TOP POSTCARD VISIBLE

 

Other than the official pack of postcards I found in the GPO Building this set here was the only package of postcards I found on general sale (and I only found them in Dublin itself – it was not on sale in any of the other locations I visited during my two weeks in Ireland). As you can see from the price tag this set was 4.99 euros, which seemed reasonable for eight postcards.

 

JAMES CONNOLLY

Unfortunately, the individual cards are not separately titled or described via any unique text. All 8 postcards have the same piece of text which reads as follows:

 

“EASTER RISING 1916-2016

CENTENARY CARD COLLECTION

FEATURING PHOTOGRAPHY BY T.W. MURPHY

T.W. MURPHY (1872-1953) was born at Marlborough Street, Dublin. He worked as a photographer and journalist, with his writing and photographs appearing in The Irish Times, Belfast Telegraph, The Weekly Irish Times, The Freeman’s Journal, Ireland’s Saturday Night, and with his keen interest in Motor cycling and cars, worked with the Motor Cycle, Motor Illustrated and Car and Autocar. The photographs that are reproduced on these cards are from the book Dublin After the Six Days Insurrection and convey more eloquently than words, the damage that Dublin suffered during the Black Week”.

 

 

JAMES CONNOLLY

P.H. PEARSE

This second card has a nice central dated flag image, which is surrounded by two images of those involved and further images of the damage to the area around the GPO Building

 

 

Further images of the GPO area including one of soldiers escorting one of the rebels.

The main image on the right side is titled:

‘LOYAL VOLUNTEER ON DUTY AT GENERAL POST OFFICE’

 

 

 

PEARSE and CONNOLLY again, along with:

T. MACDONAGH

T.J. CLARK (spelt without an ‘E’ on the end – on my other cards it has the ‘E’ on the end)

MAJOR McBRIDE

 

There is also the front of the GPO Building after the rising

 

 

 

 

T. MACDONAGH

T.J. CLARK

MAJOR McBRIDE

This is the image which appears on the right side of the above postcard – so you get this one twice

 

 

 

THE PROCLAMATION

This probably appears on more postcards than any other Easter Rising related image. This is no great surprise as the Proclamation went on to be pretty much used as the document for the Irish Republic and has real importance beyond that of the Easter Rising itself – and postcards of it will continue to be sold long after the centenary cards cease.

 

 

 

FOUR IMAGES OF THE DESTRUCTION AND DAMAGE CAUSED

Interestingly these are all images of postcards which were sold after the Easter Rising came to an end. A postcard depicting postcards – not quite as unusual as one might think as often in the early days of the 1900’s the best images were used on postcards and that is where they are found today

 

 

FOUR IMAGES OF THE DAMAGE AND THE BUILDINGS INVOLVED

Top Left – the bridge leading up to the front of the GPO Building (which is out of view)

Bottom Left – The College of Surgeons – scene of fighting and a position held by the rebels

Top Right – The Four Courts

Bottom Right – damage as a result of an explosion  

 

01/05/2016

EASTER RISING

COMMEMORATING THE 1916 EASTER RISING

Postcard set – sold by An Post

 

As previously mentioned I was in Ireland in late March and attended the Easter Rising Parade. I also visited the GPO building and I have already posted an image of the cards sent to myself from there. Whilst at the counter buying the stamps I saw that they also had a special postcard strip which was an exclusive issue for the An Post (their Royal Mail equivalent).

This was a set of seven postcards which came in a strip with the cards connected by perforated edges.

 

FRONT COVER

NON-POSTCARD

 HAS AN INFORMATION BACK GIVING A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF THE RISING

 

 

Thomas James Clarke

Sean Mac Diarmada

Eamonn Ceannt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patrick Henry Pearse

Joseph Mary Plunkett

Thomas MacDonagh

 

 

 

 

James Connolly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Irish Republic Flag

 

 

The Proclamation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GPO Sackville Street

 

 

Jack Doyle and Tom McGrath

(one of what I believe are only two photographs which were actually taken inside the GPO building during the rising)

This one is a quite famous image because of the scarcity of images taken inside the GPO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reverse side of bottom information card – on the other side is images of all the postcards contained within this package and details of who appears on them – SEE BELOW IMAGE (which is as I have listed them above – these are also the only pieces of text information on the back of the cards as well)

 

 

 

 

Simple in design but none the less a very nice souvenir of my visit to the GPO building and a set of postcards which was otherwise not seen by me in any other post office I visited. I suspect these can be picked up through the internet, but that is not confirmed.

 

 

 

BACK COVER - HAS INFORMATION TEXT ON REVERSE SIDE (SEE ABOVE)

 

30/04/2016

MICKEY MOUSE

CINDERELLA CASTLE

Official Magic Kingdom postcard

 

On our last holiday in Florida back in October 2015 Jo and I met Mickey Mouse in the Magic Kingdom theme park. Now, it’s very easy to get caught up in all the Disney stuff and Jo and I love it and that’s why we keep going back. Each time I try and find something unusual postcard wise to place in my collection so I thought, why not, and I got a Mickey Mouse’s signature on a mickey mouse postcard. Sad I know, but something for my Disney collection. That’s the thing about Disney, it allows kids of all ages to have fun.     

 

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

AUTOGRAPHED BY MICKEY MOUSE

 

 

 

PHOTOGRAPH

OCTOBER 2015

 

 

30/04/2016

LET IT BE ROOFTOP CONCERT-  LIVE - OCT 1969

Published by

RADIO DAYS

Distributed by

FILM FREAK PRODUCTIONS

Ref: FF958

(Printed in the Netherlands)

 

A smashing late 1960’s concert poster designed in the psychedelic style of such posters of this era. The poster design itself would be enough of a reason to buy this postcard but you also have the fact that the woman depicted appears to be the actress Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe is of course one of the most collected of actresses, if not the most collected. Like many collectors I am always on the lookout for more unusual Monroe issues and this one is a cracker. It is also a very indicative design of the era and I think it would bring back memories for those of a certain age (not me though as in 1969 I was just seven year’s old).   

 

30/04/2016

NEDERLAND POSTAL STATIONERY CARD

1940 – 7 ½c Overprint on 3c Red on cream

 

Postal Stationery card posted from Nymegan (I wonder if this is Nijmegan) in Holland to Wesel in Germany during the second World War. The pre-printed (overprinted) stamp has been cancelled with a slogan cancel dated 30th August 1941. Upon arrival in Germany the card has received a red circular Nazi cachet (I think this might be some sort of censor mark showing that this has been passed for onward travel to its destination).

 

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This has a message written on it and has a red boxed dated company cachet (many companies still place a dated cachet on incoming mail to show when received for auditing reasons). At the end of the message I also note that the sender has signed off with Heil Hitler which was being used then.  

 

30/04/2016

THE EARFFEL TOWER

DISNEY M.G.M. STUDIOS

Ref: 0100-71101

“The Earffel Tower stands as a gleaming 130-foot landmark above The Disney-MGM Studios Production Center, inviting guests to discover a world of filmmaking magic below”

(Text from reverse side of postcard)

 

Disney MGM is now of course called ‘Disney Hollywood Studios’ and at this precise moment the theme park is undergoing some major work. Overnight into the 29th April 2016 the Earffel Tower, depicted here, was removed. This is to make way for the expansion of the ‘Toy Story’ themed area. The Earffel Tower has been used as the parks official icon and has appeared on promotional material for many years. I believe that the tower is going to go back up in another part of the park but that is not yet confirmed.

 

DISNEY M.G.M. STUDIOS

Ref: 0100-71130

“Aboard a Backstage Shuttle, guests on the Backstage Studio Tour travel from the suburban quiet of Residential Street to the urban glamour of New York Street in no time flat! In the background, the rest of Studio Tour promises more adventure beneath sunny Florida skies”

(Text from reverse side of postcard)

 

Probably no other image shows the change that has recently gone on in this area better. The ‘Backstage Studio Tour’ has now ceased, having closed on 27th September 2014. The brown field area bottom left is where the more recent ‘Lights, Motors, Action!’ stunt show was built. This opened in 2005 (14th March) but again has closed down with the last performance on 2nd April 2016. Jo and I went to see it for a last time on our holiday last year. The Backstage Studio Tour area and the Lights, Motors, Action! Structure and also the Streets of America area, which appears in the centre of the postcard image here, have all now been pulled down (or are almost down). So this postcard here depicts a scene from the past and therefore has real interest, and for people like me and Jo, brings back memories.

 

 

 

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Here you can see how the Earffel Tower has been used as the iconic landmark within the logo depicted centre bottom. As it has become such an iconic sight (although you could only get a clear view of it when you used to be able to go on the ‘Backstage Studio Tour’, but the top of it could be seen from some locations) this is the reason I think it might go back up again somewhere else on the park.

 

30/04/2016

NAPOLEON EMPEREUR

Edition de la Societe des Amis du Musee de l’Armee

Published by

A. Vagne, Phot,.Edit, Paris

 

A nice portrait illustration of the Bonaparte family. Now, I am going to have to be honest here and admit that I can-not remember where, how or why I ended up with this particular card. In fact, when I came across it in a box the other day I did not even remember having seen it before. But it is certainly an interesting item and there is no doubt the French do have a reverence, an understandable one admittedly, for Napoleon Bonaparte. For us in the UK he was of course the enemy, defeated by Wellington at Waterloo, but the story of Napoleon is a very interesting one. This card appeals to my interest in history (and maybe that was why I have it – I normally have a good memory of when and why I have bought cards in my collection, so I am surprised that this one’s story eludes me)         

 

30/04/2016

SHREK 4-D

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

OFFICIAL POSTCARD

Ref: SKU#1075124

 

This postcard is a good example of what Jo says is my postcard Radar and my persistence with searching. Last year we spent four weeks in Orlando, Florida with the first week staying in the Hard Rock Hotel on the Universal Studios site and as a result had a whole week to track down all the available postcards in the two theme parks and in any surrounding shops. Despite this the postcard depicted was not to be found in any of the theme park locations. I did pick up a lot of other postcards though.

On the last day, as usual, we had time to kill at the Orlando airport and there are some great shops here connected to all of the theme parks including both Universal and Disney ones and shops for Sea World and Kennedy Space Centre. I always check out each and every one of these and it was in the airports Universal Studios store that I picked up a copy of this depicted card. The moral of this story is never stop looking (which is especially relevant for the theme parks themselves as well).

Shrek 4-D is a theatre show where you wear 3D glasses but where, also, the seats move and water is sprayed at you etc, thus the 4-D tagline. The show (they call it an ‘Experience’) was officially opened on 12th June 2003 (it had what they call a ‘Soft Opening’ – a type of test run with real visitors – in May 2003) and it is still running today.

        

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