Category Archive for "Vintage Postcards"

January 2022 Update

Monday, January 10, 2022 0 Art Projects, Vintage Postcards No tags Permalink

I haven’t been able to do several things since October, updating catobear.com being one of them. Today I woke up feeling a little better, more able to think of what I need to do and plan for in coming months. Don’t know if it is just a fluke or an actual change. When I look and realize I’m the only one looking at this, I suppose it doesn’t matter much anyway. I have been pulling together my 2022 bullet journal, photo above. I always like a new journal when it’s compact and clean and full of possibilities.

I cleaned up my art space, as I am starting a botanic illustration course online through Cornell this Wednesday. I have a real fear that I won’t be able to keep up. I haven’t really painted or done much artistically since October. Perhaps you’re thinking the desk is still a mess, but everything I need is within easy access.

I have managed to keep some YouTube videos going up on my channel. Do check it out if you like postcards, vintage calling cards, old Christmas cards, etc.

Anyhow, that’s where we are. Miles away from spring. Treading water, but no longer going under. At least for now.

National Postcard Week 2021

Wednesday, May 5, 2021 0 acrylic painting, ephemera, Painting, Vintage Postcards No tags Permalink

It’s National Postcard Week 2021 and I didn’t get my crap together. I had selected a great vintage card and was going to photoshop Maxy’s head on, but I didn’t get it done in time to have the cards professionally printed. So this year I’ll be sending fewer cards, with an uglier, more personal touch.

I’m not counting these as paintings, because I’m doing them in about 15 minutes each. And they aren’t turning out great. Some of it is I’m trying to paint new things. Some of it is that the postcard paper is really crap. The images are inspired by various card sets…flowers and different tarot cards. Mom and Kirsten did such an amazing job on their tarot cards for the Trail of Terror, I thought some fun small cards would be good inspiration.

I’m going to have to practice the cat cards more if the shelter is going to do a pet portrait thing in June and I volunteer to paint. I mean, the middle one above looks like some kind of demon. Of course, I wouldn’t use postcard paper and probably not acrylic either. It’s easier to fudge gouache and blend it better I think.

Bob was so romantic. He found this vintage postcard of the dining hall at Brook Lodge and sent it to me for National Postcard Week 2021. The card is from the 1960s. We ate dinner here on Memorial Weekend many years ago, and Bob proposed to me by the water surrounded by forget-me-nots.

It has turned cold again. We had a fire last night and will hopefully have a few more over the next few days. I did get the radishes, arugula, carrots and beets planted last weekend. Bob and I planted 30 trees at the shelter over the past two weekends as well. We still have a few weeks before greenhouse day, so hopefully the warmer weather will catch up. Really looking forward to having the martini event behind me.

Plaza Motel

Thursday, March 4, 2021 0 Vintage Postcards No tags Permalink

PLAZA MOTEL

4410 14th Street, West
On U.S. Hwy. 41 between Bradenton and
Sarasota at Cortez Plaza and DeSoto Mall
Bradenton, Florida 33507
Modern Air-Conditioned Efficiencies and Over-nights. Restaurants, Coffee Shop and Cafeteria in Shopping Centers.
Phone (813) 755-9032

International Graphics Inc, Hollywood Florida
Coml. Photography, 2809 Auburn Ave., Tampa 33614

This lovely card is not used, but someone has written 1976 on the back. I can smell this place in my mind…air conditioning and cigarettes. Get your ice from the ice machine and an RC Cola. Pop in to the coffee shop for breakfast.

Unfortunately, it’s long gone. Shame.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Saturday, February 13, 2021 0 ephemera, Vintage Postcards No tags Permalink

Oh, but doesn’t this card have it all? Cherubs, a bird, stars and moon, forget-me-nots, embossing and gilding. Every delightful trope of love from the 1910s or so. This card was not sent, but there is some lovely fountain pen calligraphy on the back. I’d like to think it was hand-delivered. This card is from a collection gifted to me by a friend.

I’ve always preferred Groundhog Day instead of Valentine’s. It’s the halfway point between the solstice and the equinox. If you are lucky enough to have true love, which I am, it should be celebrated every day…not just on February 14. And if you are not lucky enough to have true love, I doubt you need a reminder of it.

I’ll leave you with a favorite line of mine as a Valentine’s Day gift suggestion, no matter your love status:

“Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.”

― Ogden Nash

Stowaway Motel

Monday, January 25, 2021 0 ephemera, Florida, Vintage Postcards No tags Permalink

The New Stowaway Motel
“On the World’s Most Famous Beach”
326 North Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach, Florida
Phone CLinton 2-6725
Ultra Modern Rooms and Efficiencies, all with Air Conditioning – Steam Heat – 21″ T.V. – Tile Baths, Tubs and Showers. Restaurants and Shopping Centers nearby. 1/2 Block to Boardwalk and Amusement Area.

Pub. by O’Brien Color Studios, Daytona Beach, Florida
Made by Dexter, West Nyack, N.Y.
17711-B

This lovely card was mailed using a six cent stamp from Daytona Beach on April 25, 1970. It was sent to Mr & Mrs Paul Serbak, 1048 Ardmore Manor Drive, Pittsburgh PA, 15221. This house, right here, from Google Street View:

The card reads:

Hi Ann & Paul
We are at Daytona Beach now everything is going along fine. This is a very nice place. We are staying along the area. Bye Bye for this time
Ella & Joe

Joe, or Joseph Cotyk, was Ann Serbak’s brother. Paul Serbak passed away in 1978, and Ann in 1989. Joe Cotyk passed away in 1988 and Ella in 2007.

The Stowaway itself was liquidated in 1986, with an assessed value of $320,000. It has since become another hideous condo.

Pines Motel – Mackinaw City

Thursday, January 14, 2021 0 Michigan, Vintage Postcards No tags Permalink

When in our Bridge Country,
stop at
THE PINES MOTEL INC.
Located on the Straits of Mackinac,
Mackinaw City, Michigan
A Fine Modern Motel with wall-to-wall carpeting, ceramic tiled showers, electric heat and free Television. Ferry Service to Mackinac Island from the premises. Restaurants nearby. A Deposit will hold your reservation.
Bill & Donna Battige
Box 736 Ph. 1-616-436-8251
811 So. Huron Ave.
Mackinaw City, Mich. 49701

Made by Dexter Press Inc
Pub. for L.H. Tuttle, Cheboygan, Michigan 49721

This beautiful card, featuring the AAA logo, is unsent. The motel is gone, having long been replaced by a parking lot. Wilbur “Bill” Battige passed away in 1997 and Donna in 1999. The Pines, with its 15 units, was listed for sale the summer of 1974. I would guess this postcard predates that time.

Happy New Year

Thursday, December 31, 2020 0 ephemera, Florida, Living in Michigan, Misc. Blatherings, Vintage Postcards No tags Permalink

Happy New Year! Well, almost. And holy cats, what a year. From rotten politics to COVID and quarantine, we’re not sure if we are coming or going most days. While we look forward to the new year, it’s hard to tell what it will hold. We’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.

This lovely vintage postcard features

La BreezeMotel
1114 No. Atlantic Ave., on A1A
Daytona Beach, Florida
Tel. CLinton 3-9165
Ultra Modern Rooms, Apts. And Efficiencies
Located Directly On The “World’s Most Famous Beach.”
Hot Water Heat Reasonable Rates

O’Brien Color Studios, Daytona Beach, Fla.

The card has not been used, but the writing on the back says:

Hello —–
This is a picture of our motel. It is a beautiful

and it cuts off there. The property, according to Google Street View, is now an empty lot.

Wishing you and your family much happiness and great health in 2021.

Vintage Christmas Postcards

Friday, December 11, 2020 0 ephemera, Vintage Postcards No tags Permalink

This December, I’ve been posting daily vintage Christmas postcards on the catobear.com Facebook page (click here). Although these cards are not necessarily what you would normally find in my collection (that is, mid-century chrome cards featuring motels), they are quite nice. Most are embossed and some have foil leaf on them. The writing on the back is always in black ink from a fountain pen, as these cards are from 1900 – 1915 or so.

Some of my penpals may find one of these in their mail this Christmas, provided I can actually catch up on my work and my Christmas cards and everything else I am behind on. I have yet to even put up the decorations and we’re just over a week to the solstice.

Anyhow, if you want to see the full set of cards, follow catobear.com on Facebook through this whole month. Wishing you a joyous holiday season!

The Westerner Hotel

Monday, May 18, 2020 0 Vintage Postcards No tags Permalink

The WESTERNER HOTEL
161 Colorado Place (U.S. 66) Arcadia, California
Phone: Douglas 7-3501
Luxurious Rooms and Suites. Beautiful filtered and heated swimming pool. Family Santa Anita Race Track across the street.
1/4 mile to Golf Courses
3 miles East of Pasadena
15 miles East of Los Angeles

This place no longer stands, unfortunately. Carol Libby and Karen Hou have a post on it here along with some earlier linen cards from the old place.

National Postcard Week 2020

Monday, May 4, 2020 0 Vintage Postcards No tags Permalink

It’s National Postcard Week 2020, and once again I designed and will be sending cards. The smallest package I could order was 50, and once I added up all my addresses that turns out to be the perfect amount.

This year’s theme is Maxy and quarantine. This has been an interesting year for sure. We are now required to wear masks when we go out in public. The shelter has been shut down since March 17th.

I believe this motel could be the one Mom, Dad and I stayed in when I was young and we went to Niagara Falls, Canada for the first time. I only remember it had something to do with lucky or clover.

Clover Leaf Motel
Highway 20 & 3A at Queen E. Way
3514 Lundy’s Lane
Niagara Falls, Canada
43 completely modern and air-conditioned units. T.V. in every room. Wall-to-wall carpeting. Private tiled showers and tubs. Family units, swimming pool. 3 miles to the Falls. Telephone (416) 354-1849.

Category Vintage Postcards