These postcards show the shuffleboard courts and players in St. Petersburg, Florida. The cards date between 1938 and 1951. St. Petersburg is nicknamed "The Sunshine City," purportedly averaging 360 days of sunshine per year. The city has long been a popular retirement destination, especially for those from colder Northern climates of the United States. The first postcard has the following message written in February, 1948 describing how nice it was in Florida at that time of the year.
Dear Susie,
How are you to-day. Hope you didn't get measles. I can't imagine it as being winter up home; for it is just like summer down here with pretty flowers like you see in this picture. Mr. & Mrs. R came & took us for a drive this A.M. They are fine & this P.M. when I came from having my hair done Mr. & Mrs. L had stopped to see us & had a nice visit with them. Daddy & Mother know them. Wish you could see the pelicans & gulls down here. They are tame. Be good. Love - Grandmother
According to Shuffleboard History, outdoor shuffleboard courts spread across the U. S. after the first one was built at a Daytona Beach, Florida resort in 1913. Previously there was a history of playing shuffleboard on indoor tables and ship decks. Shuffleboard was especially popular in St. Petersburg, Florida where the most elaborate courts were built. There were several shuffleboard clubs there with thousands of members and over 100 courts. The game of shuffleboard was popular up through the 1950s but declined in popularity in the 1960s.
I have never played shuffleboard, but it looks like it could be fun and social.
ReplyDeleteMy great grandmother used to travel to St. Petersburg, Florida every time the wind blew. I wonder if she was playing shuffleboard! I played shuffleboard on an indoor table when we went to Canada many years ago. After work sometimes my husband and his coworkers used to go to a bar that had a table shuffleboard. But I think that game has been replaced by corn-hole.
ReplyDeleteThis postcards are great, to show off the easy time one had in Florida! I have played shuffleboard on a ships deck but never seen it in a park in Switzerland or Australia. Great, interesting post.
ReplyDeleteI Have Never Heard Of Shuffleboard (or corn-hole either)Looks Like Fun.
ReplyDeleteWe have a pub game called shoove half-penny that used to be in vogue in the 1950s. Shuffleboard looks similar.
ReplyDeleteThere's a legendary shuffleboard court in my town, and I have postcards of it. This reminds me to post it.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, how do you highlight the typing of the writing on the back as you do? I would love to do that on my postcard posts.
never mind, I. figured it out. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteit's not often you see so long of a message on a postcard. Grandma really wrote a lot and it's interesting how her impressions of the place match the picture on the front of the card. I almost feel as if I've been there.
ReplyDeleteNancy
I used to go to the enlisted men's club with friends and we would play tabletop shuffleboard. It was great fun the more beers you drank, ha ha.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, this is quite the fun game! Very nice postcards as well!
ReplyDeleteNeat. I wondered about this game, always imagine it being played on the deck of a ship headed to Europe c. 1922...
ReplyDeleteI am like Titania I have played on a cruise ship. It is perfect for older folks. Great post.
ReplyDeleteQMM
It looks like a very sedate game. And I love reading the messages on your postcards :-) Jo
ReplyDeleteGreat postcards and I enjoyed reading the message written by Grandmother. Shuffleboard looks fun - I'd like to try it. Seeing the pictures of Florida takes me back to when I was very young. I was born in Tampa and lived there for 5 1/2 years. I still remember the brief rain showers in the afternoon,the orange trees & palm trees and wearing summer clothes most of the time. Great memories- thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteThe postcards are so colorful and I enjoyed reading Grandmother's note. Shuffleboard looks fun - I'd like to try it. Seeing the Florida pics brings back memories. I was born in Tampa and lived there 5 1/2years. I can still remember the brief rain showers in the afternoon, palm trees & orange trees and wearing summer clothes most of the time. Great memories -thanks for the reminder. :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading Grandmother's note. Shuffleboard looks fun - I'd like to try it. Seeing the Florida pics brings back memories. I was born in Tampa and lived there 5 1/2years. I can still remember the brief rain showers in the afternoon, palm trees & orange trees and wearing summer clothes most of the time. Great memories -thanks for the reminder. :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading Grandmother's note. Shuffleboard looks fun - I'd like to try it. Seeing the Florida pics brings back memories. I was born in Tampa and lived there 5 1/2years. I can still remember the brief rain showers in the afternoon, palm trees & orange trees and wearing summer clothes most of the time. Great memories -thanks for the reminder. :)
ReplyDeleteI apologize for the duplicate comments. Had trouble posting a comment using open id - it appeared not to accept my comment to begin with and prompted me to post it again. Hope Blogger can get this comment feature sorted out for Wordpress folks.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading that message from 'grandmother' I'm booking my passage:-)
ReplyDeleteI've only ever seen pictures of shuffleboard on ships, I like the geometric effect of the mass playing boards.
Interesting game but I like Grandmother's message more. No mean scribbler she.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what OpenID is, but it seems to have messed up my comment options. Name/URL is no longer shown as an option.
ReplyDeleteFlorida should have the nickname of the "Game State". Shuffleboard, Jai Lai, Dog races, etc. are all part of that retirement leisure activity scene.
ReplyDeleteI hope that she didn't get the measles either, but you never know back in those days.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your shuffleboard postcards and learning about the history of the game.
Kathy M.
Your shuffleboard postcards in St. Petersburg are beautiful - I had to laugh when I realized I had posted the same thing only for Ft. Lauderdale! I love all the old Florida postcards being a transplanted Floridian.
ReplyDeleteI believe I saw such an outdoor game at the old folks residence where my grandma lived 'till the end, but never saw anyone playing on it.
ReplyDeleteCuriosity here: was Lanark such a small community in 1948, that all you needed was a name of a person and the city, and voila? Since I've always lived in a big city, it is hard for me to conceive mail getting to its proper destination with so little info...
;)~
HUGZ