The Post war European Trip Collection-Florence 3

Only a few more posts to go and this collection will be done.  This one is the last without at least some photograph based image.  Captions top to bottom, "Ponte Vecchio (The old bridge)," "The Pitti Palace and view of the cathedral," "Piazzale Michelangelo," "General view (Panorama)."  Just think, only a few more posts, and it will be possible to click on The Post War European Collection in labels and see everything I've got on Gloria Lee and her cycling trip of Europe.   

The Post War European Trip Collection-Florence 2

The English captions, top to bottom.  "Cathedral's view," "Ponte Vechio (The old bridge)," "A view of the Arno with the bridge of S. Trinita."  "Grazie Bridge."  Once again, click on The Post War European Collection in labels to see more. 

The Post War European Trip Collection-Florence 1

Alright, I get how Roma gets us to Rome, but Firenze to Florence?   I promise there are a few more photographs in this collection, but for know, I'm putting up a multi-paneled folder made up of, what ever these images were originally.  Water colors, perhaps.  There are captions on the back, in Italian, French, and English.  From top to bottom, but only in English, "Cathedral and Gioto's Belltower," "The old Palace  or Palace of Signory," "The Gallery dei Lanzi."  It would possible to seperate these and use them for postcards, and that may have been intended, but Gloria Lee kept them together

As usual, click on The Post war European Collection in labels to see more. .

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.

Camp Blanding 4

I know it looks like I've got a duplicate from the last post, but not really.  The hospital area card is in the folder twice.  Was that supposed to make the folks back home feel good that there was a large hospital area, or was it a reminder that in war, people are going to get hurt?  This is the last of the Camp Blanding images, but there are still more from the military memorabilia envelope to come.

Camp Blanding 3

I know, I know.  The Greetings from Camp Blanding card probably should have gone first, but it's on the back side of the one with the address from the first post in this series, and I wanted to start with that one.  The white line that goes through the hospital area card is where the flap goes to close up the folder.

Camp Blanding 2

There's actually a bit on the history of Camp Blanding in the last post.  You might have to click on the section of written text to bring it up in a bigger window, but it's there.  Some things did get left out though, or to be more precise, had yet to happen when this postcard folder was published.

For instance, during the war, the War department leased 140,00 additional acres from local land owners.  At it's peak, Camp Blanding had 1,000 buildings, 125 miles of paved roads and was the fourth largest community in Florida.  The Camp was both an induction center, and an infantry replacement center.  I've always wondered how future replacements felt while they were being trained.  They must have known that they were being prepared to take the place of the wounded and the dead.  Camp Blanding was also a POW camp for German soldiers as well as an internment camp for 343 German, Japanese and Italian civilians who had been living in the United States at the beginning of the war.  While under the jurisdiction of the War Department, more than 800,000 trainees spent some time at Camp Blanding.  And finally, after the war, it was returned to Florida for use by that state's National Guard.  The original 30,000 acres from before the war.

Camp Blanding 1

Too many parts to this long strip of linen postcards to post all at once, so I'm breaking it up in to four sections.  It's clear that the majority of these images started out as photographs, but there are a few I'm not so sure of, and all but one are  in this first section.  The flag, I suspect is pure illustration, and the cover image too.  Still, I'm sure Emma S. Brown in Slatington, PA didn't care.  It was sent to her by "Pvt. Wilton E. Christman" and he wrote her that "Everything is fine here, in good health."  Not much of a message, but at least she heard from him.

Vietnam, A Land of Conflict 4

I've got to wonder, who would receive this small folder of images.  It would almost be cruel to send pictures of combat to a relative, especially a mother.  Maybe high school buddies.  Kind of a "Look what I'm doing!" thing.  Anyway this is the last post from the folder.  Remember, click on either Vietnam or Vietnam War in labels to see Vietnam, Pearl of the Orient.  Too,for those interested,  I've got a couple of photos from the war on my Fair Use blog.