wintorbos' photos

This has no identifying information, but it is a Canadian card and shows a Brandon pennant in the background, much like another card that I have with a car in it that was a souvenir of the Dominion Exhibition, held in Brandon in 1913. I expect this is another such card.

Valentine & Sons card no. 100,368, showing the Manitoba legislative building on Kennedy Street. The card is unused and in excellent condition.

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).

Valentine & Sons card no. 101,374, showing the Royal Alexandra Hotel and the C.P.R. station from Main and Higgins. Interestingly, at lower right it is signed by Eugene Haberer, who was apparently a Montreal artist and/or engraver at the time. This image may have been prepared in advance of the hotel's opening (early 1906?). It is difficult to tell whether it was done on the basis of an actual photograph or not. The buildings in the background (on the left) appear to me to be figments of the imagination (and of course there is the usual faked street life -- cars, carriages, streetcars, etc.) Would be interesting to know more about this one. The identical image is used in the Clubb/Tom Jones postcard, but the right edge is trimmed off of that one and the remaining first few letters of the Eug. Haberer signature appear to have been deliberately effaced.

Postmarked in November 1906 at Mitchell, Ont. and addressed to Miss Emma Bennewies of Brodhagen, Ont. (Perth Co.), this Russell, Lang & Co. card (no. 8) shows the Experimental Farm at Brandon. The message reads: Minto, 10/28/06, Hello Emma, How are you getting along. I have been expecting to get that photo from you but haven't got it yet. Did you get the one I sent you from MItchell. We are having lovely weather. We had our first snow to-day. Give my best respects to all. I remain your affectionate friend. Ans. soon. George H. Ratz, Box 40, Minto, Man." Why the card was posted in Mitchell, Ont. is a bit of a mystery.

Russell, Lang & Co. card no. 5963 with "Season's Greetings" message, showing two scenes in and around Portage la Prairie, Man. The card was posted on Christmas Day, 1903 at Portage to Mr. and Mrs. P. D. Fraser, 82 Shakespeare Road, Draton Park, Hanwell W., England. It is signed "E. R. Robinson" as seen above. This is one of the Russell, Lang cards that is really, to all appearances at least, an issue or reissue of a Detroit Photographic Co. card.

This unattributed image is a very sharp photo of downtown Outlook, Sask., including the snazzy new Canadian Bank of Commerce, a fascinating pastiche of Prairie Clapboard and Ancient Athens. Two well-dressed gents appear to be posing for the photographer. The letter was composed at 12:05 p.m. on December 12, 1911 and reads "We drove in here today my brother it is 16 miles from his place. We are going back with him and to-morrow we will go to Saskatoon. Snow is falling here to-day. Best wishes, Wm." This was addressed to Miss Hilda Melander, Temple, N. Dak., U.S.A. and postmarked at Outlook on December 12, 1911.

De Nobele card no. 24, showing the Stockyards. This was postmarked on April 30, 1906 at Winnipeg and addressed to Miss L. M. Wetherell, 28 Overton Road, Brixton, London, S.W., England: "A busy time, working hard as usual. " This image also appears on the WINNIPEG postcard with two images, the other being a rendering of the Merchants Bank on Main Street. www.flickr.com/photos/wintorbos/4056461703/in/photolist-7bsqJT

Nice De Nobele card (no. 33) of the CPR subway on Main Street. It was mailed in Gravesend (England) on May 31, 1906 to Matron, Port of London Hospital, Gravesend. There is no message.

A Stedman Bros. card (G. D. C. 4624) showing a fairly unremarkable scene. But the intention is to convey the image of these frontier towns as civilized places with "crescents" on which one could presumably go for a leisurely drive.

Unused C. S. & Co. card, showing the McIntyre Block.

This lithographed postcard shows settlers departing for the Last Mountain Valley area of Saskatchewan on March 27, 1911. It was produced by William Pearson Co., as indicated on the front. This company was likely the promoter of settlement in this region of Saskatchewan.