The Post War European Trip Collection-Souvenir Snapshots 1

When I was a kid, you could go to the local Stuckey's and by a package of five or ten 35mm slides of the local tourist attraction, take them home, put them in the projector, (Or one of those little hand viewers if you didn't own an Agfa Cube.) and relive the all American road trip.  Anyway, in Europe, in 1948, tourists bought envelopes of small black & white photos of the local sights.  I've got a lot of photos from Gloria Lee's trip, but only five pictures taken by members of the tour group.  I've got 39 of these commercially produced photos, but after this, I'll be taking a break from this collection, so you'll have to wait for parts 2 through 8.  If anyone can identify any of these locations, please feel free to leave a comment.

As usual. click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels to see more.

The Post War European Trip Collection-Lausanne 4

I was going to wait until tomorrow to finish up this travel brochure, but I decided to just get it over and done with.  To sum up, Lausanne is in the French speaking part of Switzerland, it's on Lake Geneva, and it's home to the International Olympic Committee.  Here's a fun fact.  The Swiss have hosted the Winter Olympics twice, the last time in 1948 and they've never hosted the summer games.  I guess they're smart enough to pass on the bankrupting thrill of sport.  Too, Lausanne is another word that Blogger doesn't recognize. 

Yes, yes, click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels.  If you don't I'll come back and haunt you after my death. 

The Post War European Trip Collection-Lausanne 3

For our English speaking friends?  Bored Englishmen going off to live in Switzerland or on the Rivera where they could indulge their more "continental" tastes.  The plot of many a bad British novel.  Lay back and think of England is my advice.

Yes, I know, click on The Post war European Trip Collection in labels to review, and review....

The Post War European Trip Collection-Lausanne 2

I can't be 100 % certain without seeing the entire Gloria Lee Bigewet archive.  As I wrote in an earlier post, there is a rare book dealer in Saint Louis who is selling thousands of pictures and documents for far more money than I have.  However, from what little I've seen from my small sample of the archive, Gloria Lee and her tour group spent a lot of time in Switzerland.  That makes sense.  In 1948, the rubble of World War 2 may have been cleared from the streets, but many of Europe's cities were years away from being rebuilt.  Throw in food and fuel shortages, and a thriving black market and the criminals who ran it, and Switzerland was a safer place for American teenagers than much of the continent. .

Note that Lucky Jordan starring Alan Ladd was playing at the ABC theater.  Lucky Jordan was released in 1942.  Even though Switzerland was neutral during the war, and there was contact with the non Nazi world, it must have been hard to get an American movie to Switzerland.  So, Swiss Alan Ladd fans had to wait to see their favorite star.

Yes, I know I'm repeating myself, but click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels to see more.

The Post War European Trip Collection-Lausanne 1

There are a few photos in this travel brochure.  Not many, but a few.  Some of the ads are great, so there is that.  As usual, click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels for more, more, more! 

The Post War European Trip Collection-Olivetti Typewriters

Leave it to the Italians to make a stylish receipt.  It looks like Gloria Lee bought a typewriter while she was in Italy.  We know she was just out of high school when she took this trip, so maybe she picked up the typewriter for college.  I did before I started my freshman year, and as a matter of fact, it was an Olivetti.  One of the reasons I purchased it was because it wasn't just functional, it was beautiful.  I'd bet that the 1948 Olivetti was also stylish.

For those who don't already know, click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels for more images, and information.

The Post War European Trip Collection-Flower Postcards

Again, the top image in the column, a photo postcard, and the rest, illustrations.  The top "printed in Switzerland."  The other two made in France.  The second and third card have the same inscription that can be found on most of the cards from the previous post, "Bought in Cannes, France-June 26, 1948."  The bottom card has a bit more information, "In Switzerland these flowers grow on the very top peaks of the mts. & they're so few & far between.  That's why they cost so much at florist shops."  And before I forget, "ETOILE DES GLACIERS-EDELWEISS." 

And if it still needs a reminder, click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels. 

The Post War European Trip Collection-One Photo Postcard, Lots of Illustrated Ones

As noted in earlier posts, I often buy collections related by theme, and when I do, I split things up.  Anything that's photographic gets posted here, anything that's not goes on my Fair Use blog.  When I buy a collection that's all from a single source, everything ends up on one or the other. 

So, Gloria Lee Bigewet was on an American Youth Hostel cycling trip of Europe.  Considering the distances between some of the places she visited, it looks like she and her group took trains between areas, and did their bike riding in an area and then moved on to somewhere else. 

Written on the back of the top card, the only photographic card, "Bought this in Cannes-June 25, 1948."  The rest, "Bought in Cannes, France-June 26, 1948."  It makes me wonder how many days she and her group were in Cannes before moving on. 

Cards 2 and 3, "EN PROVENCE."  Cards 4 and 5, "EN SAVOIE."  Cards 6, 7, and 8, "EN AUVERGNE."  Cards 9 and 10, "EN DAUPHINE."  All areas of France, but did Gloria Lee have the time to get beyond Cannes? 

Click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels, etc.

The Post War European Trip Collection-Luzern Lucerne 3

Time to finish up this postcard folder.  By the way, there are three main languages used in Switzerland, Italian, French, and German.  Lucerne is from a predominately German speaking part of the country.

As Usual, click on The Post war European Trip Collection in labels and all that that entails. 

The Post War European Trip Collection-Luzern Lucerne 2

I looked it up and was surprised to see that Lucerne, one of Switzerland's most famous cities, only has a population of a little over 81,000.  Bakersfield, California has 356,000.

Click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels to see more photos and get some background information.

The Post War European Trip Collection-Luzern Lucerne 1

Time for some more of the Gloria Lee Bigewet archive.  So, part one of three, a postcard folder from Lucerne, Switzerland.  Click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels to see more.