Carriages and buggies

Another very nicely coloured Valentine & Sons card, this time no. 101,395, showing McDermot Avenue looking west from Main Street along what was then Newspaper Row. You can see the Manitoba Free Press sign extending from one of the buildings on the north (right) side of the street. At the corner are the Dominion Bank (left) and Caldwell Block (right), both now just empty lots. This is one of the highest grade of coloured lithographs that you will see from that era. The card was addressed and a message written, although it does not appear to have been stamped or mailed. The addressee was Mr. J. P. Lemoine of Millbury, Mass., and the message is in French (and is actually just part of a message that was probably written across several card backs).

Another card sent to Miss Agnes Smith of London, Ont. in August 1908. No indication of the publisher.

Winnipeg Photo Co. card with no caption. Not mailed but it has the following notation: "These horses are Bronco's. Smart looking animals, but they know how to go though. See the happy smile on the one."

Detroit Photographic Co., 1901.

Detroit Photographic Co., 1901 copyright.

Pugh Manufacturing Co. card, with the numbers "925-1" and "234978" on the reverse. Mailed on December 28, 1911 from Waterloo, Ont. to Miss Eldna James, Ayres, Maine, U.S.A., Box 89: "Rec. your letter many thanks very interesting will write more soon, Truly yours, Harry Planz (?), Waterloo".

Bloom Bros., Winnipeg, no. 24 in the Maple Leaf For Ever series, marked "C T Photochrom" and numbered R-36566 (presumably a Curt Teich numbering). "Aug. 12th/13 Dearest Little Sweetheart Minx, This subway was about completed when I came here first in 1905, It's a busy subway ??? cars pass through same every minute. Your Little Boy, Sidney xxxxxxxx"

Postmarked Bradwardine, January 15, 1909 to Miss Odessa King, Cedar Rapids, Nebraska: "Dear Cousin, I am doing a lot of skating her [sic]. I supos [sic] you are doing a lot there. I am cuting [sic] ice for the town pepal [sic] at $2.00 a load. Gilbert." Prairie Lumber Company Limited sits across the street from the pile of lumber. The taller building near the horse and buggy is the Bank of Hamilton. Looking at this location today, it is hard to believe that any of this ever existed -- goo.gl/maps/4j4p9 At least the old elevator is still there, which is unusual enough in itself.

Posted Sept. 26, 1906 with an RPO cancel to Miss Gertrude Helsman, Coalport, Pa., U.S.A. Undivided back.