PFF - Big Tex - Texas State Fair

This postcard is a Curteich Panoramic Postcard measuring 3-1/2" X 8-1/4". It shows Big Tex, a 52 foot tall cowboy, who has been greeting visitors to the Texas State Fair in Dallas, Texas since 1952. In the postcard photo (circa 1970), Big Tex is wearing a Lee brand shirt, belt, and jeans. Nowadays Big Tex is dressed in Dickies brand apparel.

Big Tex "talks" to visitors--his talk includes saying HOWDY about 60 times a day. His body was rebuilt in 1997, and in 2000 he became able to move and wave to visitors for the first time.

Vital Statistics (from the Big Tex Fact Page):

HEIGHT: 52 Feet
WEIGHT: 6,000 Pounds
HAT: 75 Gallon, measuring 5 feet high
SHIRT: 100 inch neck and 181 inch long sleeves.
BELT: 23 feet long, with a 50 pound buckle
PANTS: Size 284W x 185L.
BOOTS: Size 70, measuring 7 foot 7 inches high

VTT - My Heroes Were Cowboys

The movie and TV cowboys on these three postcards by Movie Candid Color Cards (circa 1949) were my heroes when I was about five years old. From left to right the cowboys are Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, and Gene Autry. **I will put the text from the backs of these postcards at the end, for those who are interested.

I actually saw Hopalong Cassidy in person and had an autographed picture of Roy Rogers. My first watch was a Hopalong Cassidy watch. Hopalong Cassidy was very big business in 1950 (you can read all about him in the 1950 Time Magazine article "MANNERS & MORALS: Kiddies in the Old Corral." Below is a photomontage of me in my cowboy outfit superimposed on a photo of Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger.

Unfortunately I didn't save any of my cowboy stuff except the photo of Roy Rogers and my cowboy hankies.

**From the backs of the postcards:

ROY ROGERS and TRIGGER are one of the most successful entertainment teams in the world. Starring in Republic westerns, Roy also has a weekly radio show, makes records, has tieups with twenty-odd wearing apparel manufacturers, and his rodeo has broken all records with 12,000,000 admissions in the last six years.

BILL BOYD, or "Hopalong Cassidy," as he's better known to youngsters from six to sixty, has never been far from the top of the Cowboy Roost. This year, however, with his new series of weekly appearances on Television, Hoppy's hit the peak of a Hollywood career that began as a De Mille extra in 1919.

GENE AUTRY started a new cycle in Hollywood when he joined Republic Pictures in 1934 as their singing cowboy star. Now equally prominent on radio, screen, records and rodeos, Gene and his horse "Champion," are high on the list of America's perennial entertainment favorites.

I'm participating in Vintage Thingie Thursday

SS - Texas Cowboy Cafe, Dalhart, Texas

Since I am currently focusing on cowboy postcards, I have chosen the Cowboy Cafe of Dalhart, Texas to display this week.

Smorgasbord Sundays (SS)
restaurant and food postcards

PFF - Cowboy Boots

Just for kicks, I have been rounding up some of my cowboy postcards this week. I am kicking off my cowboy week (weeks?) with this kick-ass postcard display of kicky cowboy boots. ("Cowboy week" is an idea I got from the Postcards From the Dinner Table blog's cowboy week.)

Before the 1860s, the Wellington boot style was popular with cowboys in the United States. Although cowboy boots evolved into a fashion statement, their distinctive style elements had utilitarian origins. Pointy toes were made so that the foot could fit into the stirrup more easily. Big underslung heels helped keep the foot in the stirrup and could also be dug into the ground. Tough knee-high leather protected legs and ankles. Outside stitching on the boots kept the leather from buckling. Long mule-ear straps were used to pull the boots on. The boot tops were loose so that the foot could be wiggled out if the cowboy was hung up in the stirrup.

Now that you've learned all about cowboy boots, it's time to kick back and kick up your heels with the Cowboy Boots song:

More information:

CowboyBoots.com

Cowboy Boot (Wikipedia)

VTT - Men's Hosiery

Normally, I am not tempted to make up stories to go with my with my postcards. But when looking through my collection to find a postcard to pair with my box thingie, I found one that suggested a story to me:

She was the girl of his dreams, and she reminded him of the girl on his Eiffel hosiery box. He had made a big mistake when he addressed her as "girlie." Wearing his best suit and carefully arranging his legs to show off his new hosiery, he attempted to persuade her to give him a second chance. But, it was too late now.

This box is the type of burnt wood item that had a design stamped or scorched into the wood in a factory, rather than having a printed design to be hand burned by a hobbyist.

size 7-1/2" X 4-1/4"

This box has the Eiffel Hosiery trademark on the inside of the lid. Eiffel sold hosiery for men, women, and children. This box held men's hosiery, as indicated by the label stamped on the bottom of the box.

I'm participating in Vintage Thingie Thursday

SS - The Court of Two Sisters

The Court of Two Sisters in New Orleans, Louisiana was named after two Creole sisters who owned a notions shop on the site. The two sisters, Emma and Bertha Camors were born in 1858 and 1860 and died in the winter of 1944.

After the two sisters died, ownership changed hands many times. The current owners continue the tradition of giving visitors a memorable dining experience. The restaurant's picturesque old-world courtyard is the largest courtyard in the French Quarter.

A favorite recipe from the Court of Two Sisters is their Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce:

Recipe for Courtyard Bread Pudding

3 cups milk
1 24” loaf of day-old French bread; cut into 1½ to 2” cubes (12 cups bread cubes)
2/3 cup raisins
¼ cup salted butter, melted
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. salt

Scald the milk in a heavy 4 to 5-quart saucepan. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Then add the bread, raisins, and melted butter and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until thoroughly blended. Then add to the bread mixture and blend well.

Butter a 3 to 4-quart earthenware or china casserole thoroughly on all inner surfaces (or use a baking dish about 3 to 4 inches deep). Pour the mixture into it and stir to distribute the ingredients evenly. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the tip begins to brown and form a rough crust. Allow to cool to room temperature. Serve warm or chilled with Whiskey Sauce.

Yields 8 or more servings.


Whiskey Sauce

1 ¼ lbs. butter
1 lb. sugar
9 egg yolks
½ cup half and half
4 tsp. corn starch mixed in ½ cup of cold water
2 ½ oz. Bourbon

Melt butter and dissolve sugar over double boiler. Add egg yolks and whip vigorously so that egg yolks do not curdle. To this mixture add half and half and corn starch mixture. Let cook over double boiler for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add whiskey.

Serve 2 oz. per serving of bread pudding.

The Court of Two Sisters Cookbook has more recipes and history of the restaurant.

PFF - 1972 Winter Olympics Postage Stamp

This is a French maximum card with a first day (premier jour) cancellation of a 1972 Winter Olympics French postage stamp. The title on the back of the postcard is Jeux de Sapporo (Sapporo Games). The photo source is Office National du Tourisme Japonais.

The 1972 Winter Olympics were held in Sapporo, Japan. This was the first time that the Winter Olympics were held outside Europe or North America. Sapporo had, however, originally been chosen as host for the 1940 Winter Olympics. Japan resigned as host after invading China in 1937, and the 1940 Olympics were later canceled due to war.