The Post War European Trip Collection-London Calling 4

It must have been a hard place to live, London 1948.  Buildings that still hadn't been repaired or replaced, food rationing.  Also fascinating I'd think.  Click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels to see more. 

The Post War European Trip Collection-London Calling 3

The sights of London.  At least in the late 1940's.  Click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels to see more.  Or hey, wait for the next post which will finish up the guide book.

The Post War European Trip Collection-London Calling 2

Let's continue with a tour of post war London, bombed out ruins and all.  Click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels to see more.

The Post War European Trip Collection-London Calling 1

It's time to return to this collection.  It's been awhile so I'll give some basics and let anyone who want's to get more detail to click on The Post War European Trip Collection in labels to get more info.

Gloria Lee Bigewet was a teenager from the St. Louis area.  She was visiting Europe on an American Youth Hostel cycling trip.  There's a much bigger collection of her travel materials for sale at a used book store in St. Louis.  At least there was when I started posting this lot.  I couldn't afford it, so I'm limited to what I originally purchased.  I thought about posting the entire London guide at once, but for those who  want to bring things up in a bigger window and actually read the whole thing, it'll have to be done in four parts.  There is some damage, making things a bit tricky in the scanning, but hey, it is what it is.

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!