I do not have very many postcards cancelled on either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. The oldest that I do have are a few postcards found over the years all on the Ganzachen 1899 New Year 1900 green 5-pfennig Reichspost postal card. I have one unused copy and five that were posted from different cities in the German Empire on either December 31, … Continue reading New Year’s 1899/1900: Postcards from Germany
This is an interesting card bearing a ½p green Great Britain KEVII stamp which I recently bid for and won in an eBay auction for just £1.50 (plus another £2.30 shipping to Phuket). What makes this unusual — and potentially worth somewhat more than I paid for it — are the auxiliary markings: “Contrary to Regulations – 53” and a To Pay 1p handstamp. It … Continue reading Christmas Postcards: Shepton Mallet, England – “Contrary to Regulations”, 1909
Despite having a family history rooted in southwestern Russia with ancestors on my father’s side (wealthy landowners with ties to the aristocracy up until the 1917 Revolution) and strong connections in the Voronezh and Samara oblasts, I have come out in support of Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. I have a number of close friendships with people in the capital city of Kyiv and dotted … Continue reading Lviv, Ukraine: My Ukraine
This card from Monaco bears two different scenes — the port at Monte Carlo and the changing of the guard on Palace Square. The stamps, used in 1972 but dating to the early 1960s, feature the Rainier III Swimming Stadium at the port and the Prince’s Palace lit up at night. Port de Monaco Port Hercules is the only deep-water port in Monaco and has … Continue reading Monte Carlo, Monaco: The Port & Changing of the Guard
The Niagara Whirlpool is a natural whirlpool within the Niagara River located along the Canada–U.S. border between New York and Ontario. It is in the Niagara Gorge, downstream from Niagara Falls. Its greatest depth is 125 feet (38 m). It is estimated that the whirlpool formed approximately 4,200 years ago by the upstream erosion of the Niagara Escarpment by the Niagara River. Niagara Falls is … Continue reading Niagara Falls, Ontario: Canada – The Niagara Whirlpool
The Leaning Tower of Pisa (torre pendente di Pisa) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of Pisa Cathedral. It is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. The tower is one of three structures in the Pisa’s Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo), which includes the cathedral and Pisa Baptistry. The height of the tower is 55.86 metres (183 feet … Continue reading Pisa, Italy: The Leaning Tower
The Great White Throne is a mesa, predominantly composed of white Navajo Sandstone in Zion National Park in Washington County in southwestern Utah near the town of Springdale. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a variety of life zones that allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant species … Continue reading Zion National Park, Utah: U.S.A. – The Great White Throne
Christopher Houston Carson (December 24, 1809 – May 23, 1868) was an American frontiersman, working as a fur trapper, wilderness guide, Indian agent, and U.S. Army officer. He became a frontier legend in his own lifetime by biographies and news articles, and exaggerated versions of his exploits were the subject of dime novels. His understated nature belied confirmed reports of his fearlessness, combat skills, tenacity, … Continue reading Taos, New Mexico: U.S.A. – Kit Carson House
Postcards to Phuket 