Street = Portage Ave. (Winnipeg)

Unused T. Eaton card, printed in Germany. Nice colouring.

A new example in Russell, Lang & Co.'s "Beautiful Manitoba Series" -- this shows the YMCA Building at Portage and Smith, which shortly thereafter was purchased by Birks Jewellers and extensively altered to become their Winnipeg store. The Birks Building remains in this location in almost unchanged form 100 years later. While the c. 1912 renovation from YMCA (above) to Birks made major changes to the exterior of the building, the window pattern is mostly recognizable and one of the peaked towers (the one around the side) was retained. In this version, the central window on the uppermost floor (which window was removed during the renovation) has the name "Young Men's Christian Association" carved around the semi-circular arch that encloses it. The letter, addressed to "Miss Gilbert, Coventry Road, Hinckley, England", has a Fort William & Winnipeg RPO cancel. It reads: "6/7/04 Dear Minnie, Altho I am here in Winnipeg, I can make no advance in seeing George. I have been to the Emirgration office + the C. P. Railway but they are much too busy to answer inquiries -- they are swarmed with new arrivals. This is a most wonderful town, better laid out than any I have ever seen + with better warehouses + business places than anything in England. Streets 44 + 60 feet wide - avenues of trees - Beautiful lawn mown grass 10 feet wide in the centre + on either side between the roadway + causeway. It is marvellous. Both well. Hope you all are. Frank."

An Ed. Justement card, unused. Note the William Pearson & Co lands office at left (in the Northern Crown Bank building) and the Free Press's typically boastful advertising. The YMCA also has a big sign on its building.

Unused.

A group in some sort of ethnic dress. Maybe Masonic, a triangular sash with an "S" in the middle (of some but not all of them). No. 55 in the Charles A. Meyers series. This one was used. Postmarked August 23, 1915 to Miss R. Barr, Box 61, Sudbury, Ont.: "Dear Rosie, Just arrived at Winnipeg 2 clock Monday afternoon. Leaving here 11'clock tonight. Hoping you are well will write soon with love from Alf." Interesting that someone would have bought this card -- which depicts an event nearly two months before -- immediately on arriving in the city. So presumably Meyers had an outlet for the public sale of his postcards at or near one of the train stations. Note that my copy of card 39 in the series was posted just four days later (Aug. 27) by someone who'd also just arrived in the city. www.ipernity.com/doc/wintorbos/31336535//in/album/880636

The Ancient Order of Foresters with their appropriately forested float. Charles A. Meyers, photographer, no. 43 in the series.

Not sure who these guys were; their sign was blown inward by an unfortunate gust of wind so it's impossible to make out. They are wearing kilts and military uniforms so I imagine that it is a regimental group of some sort. No. 41 in the Meyers series.

Valentine & Sons no 103,386 ... Portage Ave. East. This one interests me because it shows a lot of autos and seems to be from a later date than you'd expect for a Valentine & Sons card in the 103.xxx series. I wonder if it is a replacement for an earlier view with the same title. (Just speculating) [edit 2022 -- very astute speculation!]

Valentine Edy card no. 113,056, likely c. 1920 or later. A rare view in the Valentine style showing the Paris Building (a latecomer to Portage Avenue) as well as the Marlborough Hotel under that name.