B & W grid

 

by inbetween, 14/03/2023
#the100daysproject - day 021   

Postcrossing - still great

After taking a break from writing cards due to serious work overload I sent out some card two and a half weeks ago. Here's what I received in return already! All my wishes fulfilled! 

A great ocean-related art card:
Vincent Van Gogh: The Sea at Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (1888)
sent by Nicole from the Netherlands

Inger Nilsson as Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (1969)
sent by Claudia from Switzerland

A cute illustration card:
"Peekamew" by Alicia Souza
sent by Clare from the UK

first lighthouse card, sent by Lee from the USA

second lighthouse card,
Quimper lighthouse,
sent by Christelle from Brittany, France

Amazing black and white card:
Robert Doisneau; "La Sonnette", Paris 1934
sent by Tonia, an artist herself, from Paris, France

Moominmama (Tove Jansson)
sent by Raili from Espoo, Finland

The course of the horse

photo is titled "The course of the horse"

postcrossing card sent by Irina from Russia

Robert Doisneau - The Kiss

Robert Doisneau (1912-1994), French photographer

sent as a card by Valentina from Italy

This photo made Doisneau famous, everyone believed it was an amazing snapshot. But, as stated in this article in Berlin's Tagesspiegel on an exhibition of Doisneau's work, it wasn't. Two actors were hired to kiss in front of the busy street so Doisneau could deliver the photo as part of a report on "Paris, the city of love" as ordered by the US magazine LIFE. 

The picture is - nevertheless - a great one.

real postcrossing card got damaged...

Three cards on one day

It is surprising that although I took a long break with postcrossing and just started writing cards a few days ago three cards arrived yesterday. None of my cards could have arrived yet when they were sent. I especially like the B&W portrait and of course the writing woman - I don't like still lives so much... Here they are:

portrait of Angela Carter (British author, 1940-1992), photographed by Sally Soames
sent by Mickaela from London, UK

Emile Vernon (1872-1920), Elegant Lady sent by Monique from Belgium

Still Life by Stella Blakiston, sent by nonsens from Poland

Beijing bicycle

bicycle in an alley in Beijing, China
postcrossing card sent by Vicky, China

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing
That's a fact
It's a thing we can't deny
Like the fact that I will love you till I die

We are twelve billion light years from the edge
That's a guess
No one can ever say it's true
But I know that I will always be with you

I'm warmed by the fire of your love everyday
So don't call me a liar
Just believe everything that I say

There are six billion people in the world
More or less
And it makes me feel quite small
But you're the one I love the most of all

We're high on the wire
With the world in our sight
And I'll never tire
Of the love that you give me every night

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing
That's a fact
It's a thing we can't deny
Like the fact that I will love you till I die

Nine million bicycles by Katie Melua, from the album Piece by Piece, 2005

Learning songs

Learning a song in the Gorky Park, Moscow 1950s, Russia

- apparently a typical leisure activity at the time!

 postcrossing card by Lana from Russia

Which way to go?

postcrossing card sent by Anna from Poland

Baby in a strange place

Larry Towell: A Mennonite Child Kent County, Ontario, Canada 1996.
postcrossing card sent by Ethan, Denver, USA

Irish sports

Three boys stand at the start of the Pac Fada circuit in the Cooley Mountains, Louth, Ireland. The Poc Fada is an annual competition to see who can hit a sliothar a set distance using the least number of pucks.
[=text on the back of the card]

postcard was sent by Ksenia from Russia

Cool 80s

John Sex, Los Angeles, 1987

Photograph by Greg Gorman

Card sent by Kim

Cycling in the rain...

card sent by Riikka from Finland

The New York City skyline takes me in...

card sent by Klovsja, GB

The card reminded me of a song by Luka Bloom which is called Cold Comfort. 

In days of grace this journey's a thrill to me
The New York City skyline takes me in
People at the station look and sometimes say to me,
"You never had it so easy,
Taking in the world with your guitar,
You never had it so easy ..."

I swear that's cold comfort
On a freezing New York night
Without my baby

Russian Cyclists in 1903

Cyclist in front of Winter Palace, Palace Square, ca. 1903, St Petersburg, Russia
card sent by Ekaterina from Russia

Grand Central

Amazing black and white card of Grand Central Station in New York (about 1930), an amazing building. The card was sent from Southern California by Michael-Lynn.
2013 the station turned 100 - German Spiegel article sums up its history and another article on zeit.de shows the same picture (and some other beautiful ones, too).

Finnish Ladies

"Two ladies and a cat" by Matti A. Asikainen (early 50ies in Utajärvi, Finland)

Sacred Mountain

You can find this sacred mountain in Tibet in the Transhimalaya. It is called Mount Kailash.
I think it is interesting that it is considered a sacred place in four religions: Bön, Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.

This great B&W card was sent to me by Hsu from China. 

Budapest

It has been more than twenty years since I've been to Hungary but I remember being impressed by Budapest's architecture and atmosphere. I have no pictures to prove it, this was long before the digital age. But this card reminded me of my trip there. On top of being a beautiful photo it was sent from a postcrossing meeting on 11th October and signed by fourteen different postcrossers. Just to mention that again: It's a great community.
About the building shown on the card: Paris Court is part of the Brudern House in the 5th district of Budapest, located at Ferenciek Square. It was designed by Schmall Henrik and built between 1909 and 1912. The building that has been protected since 1976.The shopping court has got a wonderful glass dome. 

In autumns that there were

by Milan Pitlach, Straznice 22.6.1975, sent via postcrossing from Czech Republic

I sit beside the fire and think
Of all that I have seen
Of meadow flowers and butterflies
In summers that have been

Of yellow leaves and gossamer
In autumns that there were
With morning mist and silver sun
And wind upon my hair

I sit beside the fire and think
Of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring
That I shall ever see

For still there are so many things
That I have never seen
In every wood in every spring
There is a different green

I sit beside the fire and think
Of people long ago
And people that will see a world
That I shall never know

But all the while I sit and think
Of times there were before
I listen for returning feet
And voices at the door

J.R.R. Tolkien

Arches National Park

This lovely B&W card was sent by Pat from the USA. She told me this card reminded her of family trips to special places in Utah. The card shows one end of an arch in the Arches National Park.
It was a reason to look at some photos from my visit there in 2006.