Hotels

This photo postcard of the Alameda Hotel in Alameda, Sask. (presumably) presents a bit of a puzzle, since it has the appearance of being a Winnipeg Photo Co. card but is credited to Western Art Gallery of Oxbow, Sask. A great view. Hotel inscribed with the year "1909" indicating that it was almost new at the time of the photo.

Nice Ed Justement image of Main Street, showing the Palace Hotel. This is taken from the CPR Bridge, I expect. It is looking north from the subway. The receipt stamp is dated December 19, 1905 at Saintes-Charente-Inférieure, France. Here the Belgian printer seems to have believed that "Ed. Justement" stood for éditions Justement, which would mean "Justement Publishing (Co.)", and took it on itself to expand the abbreviation to "Edit." Of course it actually stood for "Edmond".

Very nice photo of the Hamilton Hotel, "Dan. Hamilton, prop." in Neepawa, Manitoba. Note the livery vehicle at right and the little wheeled cart that two boys appear to be riding along the sidewalk. Despite the fact that it was one of the larger towns in Manitoba at the time, cards from Neepawa from this era are not especially common.

Interesting Valentine & Sons card showing Garry Street in Winnipeg, looking north to (and beyond) Portage Avenue. On the right the tall building is the Garrick Hotel, with the small building farther down (which is still there as well) -- the Inglis Building (or Northwest Commercial Travellers Building) was built a year or two later on the site that in this image is occupied by the Angelus Cafe. In the distance one can see the tower of the Maltese Cross Building. The Bank of Nova Scotia appears to be complete at left (the white building) -- this suggests that the image dates from 1911 (plus or minus 1/2 year). The Valentine serial number is 107,228.

Valentine & Sons no. 101,003, mailed to Mr. David Crombie (no, not that David Crombie), 47 Keith St., Barrow-in-Furness, England: "Dear Mr. Crombie: This is one of Toronto's largest Hotels. I thought I would send more than one at a time for it has such a distance to go. I have two cards from Hayle Cornwall but I expect a few more now. Kind regards. I. Tout." Nice nighttime shot of an apparently fully occupied King Eddy. No one has gone to bed yet or else they are all sleeping with the light on.

Unused card published by C. M. Bannister of Watertown, N.Y. No. 2525. Made in Germany.

Valentine & Sons oval mountain card, with the first section of a long letter across the entire back: "Brooks, Alta., Mon. Feb 12/12, My Dear Lu, Have just arrived here 3 p.m. + left Glen Avon Saturday midnight, arriving in REgina about 5 in the morning. I made my way to T. Cox about 9 + stayed with him till I left that night at one a.m. so you see I had a 14 hour train ride, covering a distance of 374 miles. I tell you I feel pretty tough, two nights without ..."

C. S. Co. card, produced for W. J. Clubb, showing Clubb's shop in the Royal Alexandra Hotel, including a postcard rack. The card was sent by Clubb to a paper box supplier (see image of reverse) on December 19, 1907. The name "W. J. Clubb" appears on the glass case surrounding the pillar, beneath the "BBB" logo.

Reverse of the Cigar Stand card, with Clubb's advertisement. Postmarked December 19, 1907.