The Lake Calhoun Public Bathing Beach in Minneapolis, Minnesota is shown on the above postcard. The Minnesota Historical Society has a black and white photo dated circa 1911 that is obviously the source of the image on the postcard. It is interesting to compare the colorized postcard to the black and white photo. There are actually very few differences between the two. The most obvious differences are that the plain dark umbrellas have been given colorful patterns on the postcard, a post has been removed, and a some sailboats have been added. The postcard sky could have used a bit more work. It is an odd solid peach color with no clouds visible.
Source: Minnesota Historical Society Visual Resource Database, ca. 1911
The last two photos are also from the same source and approximately the same time period. They show some closer views of people enjoying themselves at Lake Calhoun.
Source: Minnesota Historical Society Visual Resource Database, ca. 1908
Source: Minnesota Historical Society Visual Resource Database, ca. 1920
This last picture has nothing to do with the rest of this post. It is from a totally different time and place. It is me at the Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan. You can probably guess the age.
That’s interesting, the way has been added to perk up the picture, but I have to say I just love the picture of you at Lake Michigan.
ReplyDeleteNow you have me looking for my beach photos from the Homestead on Lake Michigan. There will be no picture as delightful as yours.
ReplyDeleteHow fascinating to see the original photograph and the tinted one, but yes the peach sky is most peculiar!
ReplyDeleteSweet photo of you as a little one.
I guess when people were asked about the day they simply say, "It was peachy. Literally peachy. Look at that sky and tell me you don't see how really peachy it was."
ReplyDeleteFor this week's Sepia Saturday, I also posted two of the same pictures, one tinted and one not ... but the spooky thing was that I did not read your post until afterwards. Maybe with Alan in the mid-Atlantic, he is channeling some mysterious magic, which is linking up all of his followers.
ReplyDeleteThe second image has to be the most lively. You can almost hear her saying, "Come on in, it's not THAT cold." And the last photo of you as a child is classic - colelcting shells is still one of my favourite activities at the beach. Excellent images, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAh, Lake Calhoun Beach, famous for its peach skies! Very interesting how the postcard publisher has tried to dress up the photo. Nowadays we would be concerned by the sheer amount of people, and modern postcard publishers would be trying to photoshop out big chunks of the crowd.
ReplyDeleteAh you've posted one of my favorite lakes of Minneapolis, although my most favorite is just a short walk away...Lake Harriet!..you look just darling at the lake...great photo! It sure looks different these days at the lake....doesn't it!
ReplyDeleteLooking at the two postcards reminded me of the old children's magazines where they would ask "can you find the differences in these pics".
ReplyDeleteNancy
Ladies of the grove
The first four photographs are good but the last photograph of you is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteA very popular place by the look of it. The colours make it look much more like summer. Lovely pictures...
ReplyDeleteOne of so many many lakes in MN, land of 10,000 lakes. These were great, especially the final at MI!
ReplyDeleteHaving a family that is only two generations removed from Minnesota, I can relate to the photos from visits as a child. My first exposure to freshwater lake swimming was there and I well remember the cold water and frustrating attempts at floating.
ReplyDeleteOh darn, I would like to have believed that the umbrellas were striped to begin with. It's so interesting to be able to contrast these photos.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of you is both classic and adorable.