The caption on this postcard is At the Free Baths, Harriet Island, St. Paul, Minn. It is an undivided back card, Copyright 1905 by Detroit Photographic Co.
This card was mailed August 16, 1906 with this message written in the border:
The Library of Congress has the original 8x10 glass negative of the photo used on the postcard which can be found in their Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) here.
Harriet Island is located alongside the Mississippi River near downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. Free public baths were available there in the early years of the twentieth century. As pollution of the river increased, the popularity of the baths decreased.
Harriet Island is currently undergoing flooding due to heavy rains last week. The Mississippi River is expected to reach six feet above flood stage in downtown St. Paul this week.This video shows the flooding as of June 23, 2014.
This card was mailed August 16, 1906 with this message written in the border:
Coincidentally, President Obama was in Minneapolis today for a town hall meeting at Minnehaha Park: Minnehaha Park crowd cheers Obama's talk of flexible work, equal-pay efforts.Are you with us for a picnic at Minnehaha Sunday the 19th? Meet at picnic grounds above Falls near "Zoo". Bring lunch We leave home about 10 a m – Hope to See you all – –
The Library of Congress has the original 8x10 glass negative of the photo used on the postcard which can be found in their Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) here.
Harriet Island is located alongside the Mississippi River near downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. Free public baths were available there in the early years of the twentieth century. As pollution of the river increased, the popularity of the baths decreased.
Harriet Island is currently undergoing flooding due to heavy rains last week. The Mississippi River is expected to reach six feet above flood stage in downtown St. Paul this week.This video shows the flooding as of June 23, 2014.
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The term "bath" certainly had a different meaning in those days!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous photo and card - and it's great to see them together.
ReplyDeleteWonderful! We recently were in Hot Springs Ark -=- where the old bathhouses still exist in the National Park. We've 'taken a public bath' there (on an earlier trip)...made us feel like we were living around the time of this postcard. (Well, we practically were, but not quite ;>)
ReplyDeleteI'll put the link to my Hotsprings post in the signature line below.
That is a wonderful card. However, one of the girls does not look happy to have wet feet!
ReplyDeleteA postcard, glass negative, and modern day-video clip. I'd say this is a perfect Sepia Saturday post. I love how you've brought this old photo into the present.
ReplyDeleteThe postcard & its glass negative are great, but looking at that flood I can only say I'm glad I live where I do where there are no floods of hurricanes or tornados to worry about - only the occasional earthquake which is usually little more than a bit of a jiggle. And by the way, if it's very quiet at the time, it's possible to hear an earthquake coming. It sounds something like a cross between a jet plane overhead mixed with the sound of a heavy truck rumbling by. Kind of eerie.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting to go from card to original, then the current event at the same spot. The island being flooded now reminds me how close to nature we still are, even with helicopters, airport runways, and (thank heavens) the internet.
ReplyDeleteCard and original photo go so well together but I wouldn't be so keen on the floods.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting seeing both versions of the photo. I like the glass negative best.
ReplyDeleteWhen you see photos like that you wonder what the occasion was. Are they all from one family, was it a day trip, a family get-together, a Sunday School picnic. A lovely photo.
ReplyDeleteA great photo to see in two versions. But water is something we take for granted until there is too much, or wait a few months when there may so little water and everyone will wish for floods again.
ReplyDeleteI agree, a very appropriate card and photo, although the subjects are hardly making full use of the baths.
ReplyDeleteA great match for the prompt picture though the subjects look non too happy. It’s nice to compare with the original too.
ReplyDeleteA fine comparison of the glass negative and the eventual use of the photograph. Good digging! Very interesting post. Thanks1
ReplyDeleteBaths as a public swimming area has prompted some discussion and research in our house - In Melbourne Vic we were aware of three public swimming area with Baths included in their title - the City Baths, the Brighton Baths and the St Kilda Baths. The last two are beside the sea. And googing tells me they are all still in existence with the name 'Baths'
ReplyDeleteI love that card! And thanks for showing the original. Whole different perspective.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking they need to forget about the Keystone pipeline and just build a pipeline for water to the west. As I sit here dreaming of rain and worrying if the well is going to go dry I can't help but wish that water in the Mississippi was flowing to us.
Maybe if they had charged for the baths instead of making them free, they would have had enough money to keep the river from being poluted!!
ReplyDeleteNancy
Ladies of the Grove
A lovely looking at both the original photo and the card. Both lovely but both with very different qualities.
ReplyDelete