“A quaint escalera leads to the cool, shaded galleria from which one may view the Avenida de las Palmas, Agua Caliente.”
See prior post for more information.
Divided back, unused, artist-signed postcard. Artist: John Paul Burnham. Publisher information: Copyright 1929 L.G.S.
Price: $12.00
“Entrada of the Agua Caliente Hotel where scenes of Old World loveliness have been reproduced.”
This, and the following post, are two more artist-signed postcards by John Paul Burnham that we’ve recently come across. See our first post for this artist for more regarding the hotel.
Divided back, unused, artist-signed postcard. Artist: John Paul Burnham. Publisher information: Copyright 1929 L.G.S.
Price: $12.00
“Hotel Tuller and Grand Circus Park. Detroit, Mich. A cosy, cheerful home on a winter’s eve. Center of Business District. Fire Proof. $1.50 per day and upwards for room with bath.”
That’s the caption for the above tinted postcard photo. Fireproof would have been a big draw in the early 1900s, and we notice a different spelling for cozy than we use today. The card was addressed to: “Miss Rose Merkel, North Main St. Marion, Ohio.”
The sender wrote: “Hello Rose – We are having a fine time. This is where we are stopping a fine place and dandy location. Mrs. K -”
It’s kind of funny that this winter postcard was sent in August.
Rose is Rose C. Merkle, a dressmaker and long-time North Main Sreet resident. (It looks like the postcard sender, Mrs. K., had misspelled Rose’s last name.) According to the 1909 city directory Rose was boarding at 536 N. Main; later she moved to a home on 464 N. Main. The interesting thing about the 1917 city directory is that it lists Rose’s business name as “Merkle Sisters” (dressmakers) and lets us know that she and sister Minnie M. Merkle were in business together. The 1910 Federal Census for Marion shows the sisters, Wilhelmina, age 39, younger sister Rose, age 38; siblings Bertha L., age 32, saleslady; and Otto F., age 28, plumber. Head of household is widowed mother Carolina Merkle, age 64, born in Germany. The children were all born in Ohio. Next door is another Merkle family, most likely related.
Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked August 7, 1909 from Detroit, Michigan. Publisher unknown.
Price: $7.00
Sources: R. L. Polk & Co.’s Marion City and County Directory for 1909-1910, Vol. 9. p. 259. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989.)
R. L. Polk & Co.’s Marion City and County Directory, 1917-1918, Vol. 13. p 297. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989.)
Year: 1930; Census Place: Marion, Marion, Ohio; Roll: 1847; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0012; Image: 650.0; FHL microfilm: 2341581 (Ancestry.com)
Divided back, artist-signed, unused postcard. Artist: John Paul Burnham. Publisher information: Copyright 1929 L.G.S.
Price: $12.00
See the following post for more on the artist.
“Agua Caliente villa as seen from across the miniature laguna, under the cooling shade of ancient trees from which fern-filled ollas hang.”
1929 artist-signed Mexican postcard of a painting by John Paul Burnham, showing a view of the bungalows at Hotel Agua Caliente. The hotel bungalows were part of a grand Tijuana, Mexico resort, casino, race track and hot springs complex that was built in 1928, and was a major West Coast attraction for the rich and famous. (Movie star Rita Hayworth is said to have been discovered there while dancing in a show.) The resort was particularly popular since at that time Prohibition was in effect in the U.S. and gambling was also illegal in the States. With the change in gambling laws in Mexico the casino was closed down in about 1935 (another source indicates 1938) although the racetrack continued to operate for many years. Sadly, as so often happens, most of the buildings fell into disrepair and were destroyed. (Among others the notable minaret remains.) The hotel buildings were used as a school, but most of those were demolished and rebuilt years later. If you have the time, check out the websites below (and/or any others) as well as related images galore online. This short paragraph here is just by way of identifying the location of this postcard. See the post on this Laurel Cottage site for more about the artist.
Sources: “Agua Cliente & ‘the Boulevard.’ ” Tijuana Gringo, n.d. Web accessed 21 Aug 2014. [http://tijuanagringo.com/turinfo/tjmptx05.html]
Yannek. “Rita Cansino at Fox.” Hollywood Filmograph, Aug. 3, 2014. Web accessed 22 Aug 2014 [http://hollywoodfilmograph.com/]
Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel. n.d. Web accessed 22 Aug 2014 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agua_Caliente_Casino_and_Hotel]
Divided back, unused postcard, sepia tone, white border, glossy finish. Printed in England. Publisher unknown. No. 18493. Date unknown, possibly circa 1950s.
Price: $5.00
The Feathers Hotel in Ludlow, Shropshire, England is famous worldwide for it’s half timbered façade and Jacobean furnishings. The oldest part of the inn, including the façade, was built in 1619 by Rees Jones, a successful attorney. It was designed as a residence but converted to an inn by the builder’s son, Thomas. The name comes from the ostrich feather motif that appears as part of the half timbered design. The feathered motifs are located “on the collars of the three street gables,” according to their website. Although the feathers are not really discernible in this photo, you can easily see another interesting detail: that of the “faces” that are centered between the diamond shapes on the second floor.
Sources: The Feathers Hotel at Ludlow. http://www.feathersatludlow.co.uk/ (accessed February 6, 2014).
The Feathers Hotel, Shropshire. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feathers_Hotel,_Ludlow (accessed February 6, 2014).