Sunday, May 29, 2011

Meubles de Jardin

        
                  Manufacture Française d'armes et de cycles de Saint-Etienne,
                  Tentes, parasols, guérites, c. 1900, advertising from their catalog.

                  Postcard printed in France, copyright 1995, Editions de Désastre,
                  Mise en couleurs Patrice Monnerie.

Manufacture Française D'Armes et Cycles de Saint-Etienne opened in that city
in the 1880s as purveyors of sporting goods.  They were the first mail order
company in France, and distributed large catalogs annually.  There were also
retail outlets throughout France and the colonies that sold things such as bicycles,
hunting rifles, fishing rods, and meubles de jardin.  The company now goes by
the name of Manufrance.

These charming vintage versions of our present-day cabanas remind us that
summer has arrived!  Here is an article from New Jersey Savvy Living
Magazine about the popularity of cabanas that have been appearing on the
New Jersey Shore in ever-increasing numbers.

                                    www.njsavvyliving.com/have-cabana

Happy Summer!   -Pat

I just found an example of some cabana-esque lounge chairs on a Florida
postcard from 2001. This card features the work of photographer Bill Bonebrake.

                   Copyright 1995, Bill Bonebrake, Just a Moment in Time Publishing
                                                        www.jamitpublishing.com                                                 
                               

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Hotel del Coronado


    -Postcard by Gaston Lokvig, from a pen-and-ink drawing, 1979, 
      Published by Carol Mendel, San Diego.                                                            

This charming pen-and-ink illustration of the Hotel del Coronado is by the late 
Gaston Lokvig, an immigrant from Denmark, who settled in Southern California 
in 1959.  He did many drawings of San Diego landmarks, and was featured in a 
number of travel books.

The Hotel del Coronado has been the playground of presidents, potentates and 
celebrities since it opened in 1888.  This massive wooden structure is one of the 
finest examples of a Victorian beachside resort, and was designated a U.S. 
National Historic Landmark in 1977.

The "Hotel del" has been the setting for books and movies.  Scenes in the 1959  
movie "Some Like It Hot" starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack 
Lemmon were filmed on location at the hotel.

Today the Hotel del Coronado is a resort with all the amenities, and is also 
available for conferences, wedding receptions, and other special events.  
Day trippers are welcome! 

The Hotel del Coronado has a superb website:
                                              

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Sacher Torte


             (click on postcard to enlarge)                  (postcard from 1970)

In 1832, at the Viennese court of Prince Metternich, a chef's apprentice was
assigned the task of creating a special dessert for some distinguished guests.
Franz Sacher, aged 16, came up with a rich chocolate cake containing a secret
ingredient:  apricot jam.  The dinner guests were delighted with this delicious
confection, and "Sacher Torte" became a Viennese tradition.  Sacher's descendants
founded the Hotel Sacher in 1876.  The hotel is in the heart of Vienna, next to the
Staatsoper, and still serves its famous Sacher Torte.  

www.sacher.com/en-hotel-sacher-vienna.htm