A postcard 'barn find'. Century-old postcard album salvaged.

Rummaging through old boxes of stamps, photos and stuff at my mum's, I came across this old postcard album. Story goes that my uncle salvaged it from a house about to be demolished next to his wrecking yard on Port Road at Kilkenny. This would have been in the 1960s. There was also a cigarette card album.

Still in reasonable condition, more than 100 years later

 I'd forgotten all about this treasure which contains 200 cards in an album branded "Wrench". Some of the cards are written, others are blank, but are dated 1904-1909. It seems they were sent by a relative who spent a considerable time in England back to family in South Australia. Here are just a few highlights.

RPD Gneisenau (dated May 14, 1909)
it seems the sender sailed aboard this vessel and the card is
postmarked Southampton, four days later.
Gneisenau was a Nord-deutscher Lloyd Imperial Mail steamer
sailing between Australia and Bremen 1907

'London's new motor cab'
This looks like a Renault of about 1907 vintage

London - Omnibus
Apparently Hackney Downs Station, Dalston Lane, Hackney, London. 1905

London - Regent St

Japanese Admiral Togo
(A series of cards celebrating the Japanese victory over Russia in the 1904-5 war)

The musical 'All Blacks' - from Maori Land
The Black Family Musicians came out of Invercargill and in those early days of 1897 the group consisted of Mr and Mrs Black, three daughters (Misses Nellie, Elsie, and Doris) and a son (Master Bertie). Source: partofpastnzhistory.blogspot.com.au

More Fascinating Postcard Finds

Rummaging in antique shops can turn up some wonderful cards.

Here are a few I selected from piles of vintage ship cards while on a shore excursion in Napier NZ.

HMS Hood

HMS Repluse

SS Orcades

RMS Berengaria

TSS Aquitania

P&O Iberia

Ranpura

Dominion Castle

SS Orford

These are the ones I had to leave behind :(

Latest postcard arrivals. Is yours here?

Postcards are sorted (roughly) in reverse chronological order. ie the newest ones are first.

Napier NZ, the art deco city

click to see more cards

Napier NZ - the original town was destroyed by earthquake in 1931 and the rebuilt in the art deco style. Many buildings remain and the city is making full use of its unique assets. More: Napier NZ.

Portland Light Rail and Trams

Blackpool Car 48 in Portland OR

These Type 1 cars were manufactured by Bombardier and began
operating on the Portland MAX system in 1986

Thanks to Francis in Portland for these cards

I visited Portland myself a few years back and recall travelling on the MAX from the airport on the last flight in and the last tram out. It was like a ghost train ride - Portland goes to bed early!