Swedish Stamps Honoring Evert Taube

The English translation of the description on the front of this postcard is "In Roslagens arms - the 1977 tourist booklet, published May 2 in celebration of Evert Taube and his poetry." Although he is called a poet on this card, Evert Taube (1890 - 1976) was more of a songwriter and troubadour, and is best known for his folksongs. Roslagen is the name of the coastal areas of Uppland province in Sweden.

The 1977 stamps in this booklet have words and music from one of Taube's popular songs, I Roslagens famn, accompanied by appropriate illustrations. The five lines and approximate translations are, from top to bottom:

Själv blandar jag fredligt mitt kaffe med kron
Of course I mix peacefully my coffee with Crown (rum)

Se måsen med löjan i näbb han
See gull with fish in his beak

Här dansar Calle Schewen med Roslagens mö
Here dancing Calle Schewen (a waltz) with Roslagens maiden

Och vittja tvåhundrade krok
And empty the two hundredth hook (fish hook)

Det brinner i martallens topp!
It burns in the pine trees top!

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Bily Brothers Clocks - Spillville, Iowa

Frank and Joseph Bily were brothers who were Iowa farmers and carpenters. They carved clocks for a hobby beginning in 1913. For over 30 years they made intricate hand-carved clocks depicting history, art, religion and culture. Their clocks are made of many different woods. Most of the clocks have chimes and movable wood-carved figures. Some of the clocks are ten feet high.

The Bilys never sold any of their clocks. They bequeathed their clocks to the town of Spillville, Iowa, where their whole clock collection can still be seen in the Bily Clocks Museum.

The first clock below is the Apostles' Parade Clock, representing a Gothic Cathedral that was carved in the years 1921 and 1922. It is made of walnut, maple and two kinds of rosewood. Twelve Apostles parade to a set of chimes.

The next clock is the Paradise Clock, carved in the years 1934 and 1935. It is carved in butternut, oak and white ash woods.

Addendum:

By coincidence I acquired an older black & white postcard of the Bily Clocks a day after I wrote this original post. According to this card, the clocks were in Ridgeway at the time. However, the back of this card has a handwritten note that says "Trip to Spillville to see the clocks. Feb'y 5, 1939." The Bily farm was between the small towns of Ridgeway and Spillville. The clocks were moved to Spillville in 1946.

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Giant Shell Factory Sign - Fort Myers, Florida

These are 1960s views of the Shell Factory sign at Fort Myers, Florida. Both postcards have the same description on the back:

Florida's newest landmark, this 52 foot spectacular, directs thousands of visitors to The Shell Factory. Located on U.S. 41, this famous attraction features sea shells and corals from all corners of the world.

The Shell Factory dates back to the early 1950s. It was almost defunct when it was acquired by new owners in 1997. Since then the Shell Factory has been enlarged and had many attractions added. It is now the Shell Factory and Nature Park. An article from the Ft. Myers & Southwest Florida Magazine describes how it is now A Lot More Than Just Shells. The Shell Factory sign still appears to be basically the same.

In the past, there were billboards every few miles that gave the mileage to the Shell Factory. The billboards and sign were immortalized in a 1980 song recorded by Gary Link, Shell Factory Billboard Blues. The song was about a man running from a gambling debt who kept on seeing The Shell Factory sign. Don't miss this video!

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Minnesota Arrowhead Country Map

The northeastern part of Minnesota is known as the Arrowhead Region because it has a pointed shape like an arrowhead. This region includes Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and is a popular vacation area. The region also includes the Iron Range, an area with large deposits of iron ore.

Benjamin Franklin, Philately, & Postal History

This postcard has a enlarged reproduction of the first United States government stamp, issued in 1847 and depicting Benjamin Franklin. It was displayed on the introductory panel to the Hall of Philately and Postal History, Museum of History and Technology, Smithsonian Institution.

The Smithsonian's National Philatelic Collection was begun in 1886. The collection is now housed in the National Postal Museum in the historic City Post Office Building, which served as the Washington, D.C. post office from 1914 through 1986.

This 5-cent Benjamin Franklin stamp was printed with a number of variations. Information about this stamp and pictures of some of the varieties are here. More information on this stamp and Franklin's role in U. S. postal history is here. Over one hundred thirty stamps depicting Benjamin Franklin have been issued by the United States post office. Franklin was the first postmaster general of the united colonies. Earlier he had been postmaster in Philadelphia and had been appointed joint deputy postmaster for the colonies by the British.

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Dutch Haven Barn Sign - Route 340, Pennsylvania

I think the designer of this sign got a bit carried away, but it looks great on a postcard! This sign was on Route 340, 8 miles east of Lancaster, between Bird in Hand and Intercourse, Pennsylvania.

I especially like the hex signs. Although this shop advertised "Amish Stuff," hex signs are not associated with the Amish. Hex signs are a form of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art practiced by the "Fancy Dutch."

Shoo-fly pie is a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch fluffy molasses pie. Dutch Haven on Route 30 east of Lancaster claims to be the place that made shoo-fly pie famous, and they have an online store where you can order this pie.

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Nancy Reagan & White House Easter Bunnies

The postcard above shows Nancy Reagan with the White House Easter bunnies. This postcard was published by Coral-Lee of Rancho Cordova, California. The description on the back of the card is as follows:

The two White house Easter bunnies help Nancy Reagan greet the 21,000 children who came to frolic at the traditional Easter Monday Egg Roll and newly instituted egg hunt. The President, still convalescing from his painful ordeal, is upstairs re-engaging with the routine of the Presidency by easy steps as he approaches the end of the "First Hundred Days" in office - a successful period that saw a decisive U-turn in the course of American government. April 20, 1981.

The "painful ordeal" mentioned in the description was the assassination attempt that occurred on March 30, 1981.

Coralie Sparre was the woman who published Coral-Lee postcards. She was very enthusiastic about documenting the main events of the Carter and Reagan presidencies on postcards. The postcard below shows her presenting President Carter with an album of postcards she published about him. The description on the back is as follows:

JANUARY 10, 1981. A stunning climax to Coralie Sparre's (Coral-Lee) four year chronicle of a presidential administration, the first ever to be so documented. In the oval office of the White House, she presents to President Jimmy Carter a commemorative album of all her postcards of his presidency, publishing at various intervals since 1976, chronicling his four years as Chief Executive. The album will become part of the future Carter Presidential Libary.

The Coral-Lee postcards were normally published in full color. She included a note with this black and white postcard explaining that the photographer had used the wrong camera and the photo was taken with black and white film by mistake.

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