My Favorite Postcards

Kauai's Waimea canyon from the interior looking out
Photo: Douglas Peebles

This postcard is postmarked in 2015 from Hawaii.

The senders writes:
Hi from the Island of Kauai.  A Long bus ride again today to see the canyon on the other side of the card.  When we got up there we were in the clouds so we didn't get to see much.  Tomorrow we get to watch them dig up the pig from a fire pit under ground for a luau tomorrow night.

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Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately ten miles (16 km) long and up to 3,000 feet (900 m) deep.

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a
... You can call me Humu for short

Hawai'i's State Fish
Humuhumunukunukuapua'a (Rhinecanthus rectangulus) is also known as a Picasso Triggerfish for the geometric markings on its body.
Photo by Larry Winnik

This unused postcard is from 2012.

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This triggerfish, also known by its Hawaiian name, humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa  meaning "triggerfish with a snout like a pig" is one of several species of triggerfish.  It is often asserted that the Hawaiian name is one of the longest words in the Hawaiian language and that "the name is longer than the fish."

Upcountry Maui
Ranch
A beautiful jacaranda tree watches as horses graze on the grassy slopes in upcountry Maui.
Photo by David Watersun.

This is an unused Hawaii postcard that was bought in 2013.  There are a lot of cows on the farm too, on the left hand side. 

The Sandwich Islands 1856
Ye Ole Map of the Sandwich Isles - Hawaii

Illustration by Ron Croci

Kauai, Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Molokai, Maui, Hawaii

postmarked in 2012 with a USA 'Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC' stamp (Forever a first class rate)

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Captain James Cook visited the islands on January 18, 1778 and named them the "Sandwich Islands" in honor of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, who was one of his sponsors as the First Lord of the Admiralty. This name was in use until the 1840s, when the local name "Hawaii" gradually began to take precedence.

Hula Dancers, Hawaii

real photo postcard, postmarked in 1942 from a soldier (S. H. Chiles of the United States Army Air Forces) to Betty Chiles at the Florida State Board of Health Laboratory - Soldiers were able to send mail with no stamp, I wonder why he used one??

It was examined by the U.S. Censorship

the sender writes:

Dearest Betty
Called the folks Sun. and sure wish you'd been there too.  Am at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel now and it's beautiful.  Am going swimming in the surf at Waikiki  in a little while - wish you were here to be in on it.  Am really hoping to have some fun soon.  Wish you didn't have to miss out on all of it.  Will try to send cards for a while if no more.  bye, Scabo-

The attack on Pearl Harbor happened on December 7, 1941 - and this was sent on Jul 1, 1942.

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The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States Army during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force.

Haleakala National Park

Memories of Maui
Haleakala - House of the Sun The summit of this volcano is an altitude of 10,023 feet.  It is located in Haleakala National Park, Island of Maui.

Photo by Douglas Peebles

postmarked in 2013 with two USA stamps, one Aloha (how perfect is that!) and one tiffany lamp

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Haleakalā National Park covers an area of 33,265 acres (134.62 km2), of which 19,270 acres (77.98 km2) is a wilderness area.

The name Haleakalā is Hawaiian for "house of the sun." According to a local legend, the demigod Maui imprisoned the sun here in order to lengthen the day.

 

Pearl Harbor Hawai'i
Did You Know?

Ford Island is located in the middle of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

After Ford Island was purchased by the United States military, it was turned into a Naval base and airfield.  The area along the south side of Ford Island is known as "Battleship Row".

The Memorial straddles the wreck of the USS Arizona and was dedicated on May 30, 1962.  It does not rest on any part of the ship.

Oil is still leaking out of the ship a few drops at a time.

The USS Oklahoma, the USS Utah and the USS Arizona were all sunk during the first wave of the Japanese attack.

the back of the postcard reads:
Pearl Harbor is on the island of O'ahu, Hawai'i, west of Honolulu.  Much of the harbor and surrounding land was in 1941 and continues to be a deep water harbor for the US Navy.  The USS Arizona and the USS Utah rest where they were sunk on December 7, 1941.  2390 Sailors, Airmen, Soldiers, Marines and Officers died in the attack along with many civilians with 1177 of those having lost their lives on the USS Arizona.  This was the event that resulted in the Untied States entering World War II.

Photographers - Dai Hirota and Tom Sakiymana
unused, bought at the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in 2012
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Pearl Harbor
Hawai'i

Did You Know?
Pearl Harbor was originally an extensive, shallow embayment called Wai Momi (meaning "Harbor of pearl") or Pu'uloa by the Hawaiians.

After annexation of Hawai'i by the United States in 1898, Pearl Harbor was refitted to allow for many navy ships.

Ford Island is connected to the main island by the Ford Island Bridge and the island houses several naval facilities.

Along Ford Island the USS Oklahoma and the USS Utah were among the first to be hit by Japanese torpedoes - both ships capsized trapping and drowning hundreds of sailors.  The USS Arizona was struck by an aerial bomb which ignited its forward powder magazine destroying and sinking the ship.

The back of the postcard reads:
USS Arizona Memorial and USS Missouri
The bookends in a chapter of America's history.....
The Memorial straddles the sunken hull of the battleship USS Arizona and commemorates the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the catastrophic event that propelled America's participation in World War II.
On the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the war is officially over with the signing of the instrument of surrender on September 2, 1945.
Photographer - Dai Hirota

Arizona Memorial Museum Association

unused, bought at the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, 2012
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Pearl Harbor
Hawaii
postmarked in 2012 with an Airmail USA stamp for 1.05

This is a wood, surfboard shaped postcard!

 The Hawaiian Islands DVD Postcard

It is a mailable postcard with a place on the back to write a message, address, and place a stamp.  However there is a pull tab to open the card and pull out a DVD to see, learn, and explore the history and culture of the Hawaiian Islands.  It can be watched in English and Japanese and features the islands of Aloha: Kauai, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, Lanai, and Hawaii's Big Island.

unused, bought in Hawaii in 2012, was made in 2006

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Postcard DVD Video
Pisa
Un viaggio tra immagini, canzoni e racconti
1 cartolina + diaporama di 16 mn su DVD commento multilingue in Italiano, Inglese, e Tedesco.
Questo filmato di 16 minuti e una passeggiata tra le meraviglie di Pisa, attraverso un percorso di interesse artistico e culturale.

Translation:
Pisa
A journey through pictures, songs and stories
1 postcard + slideshow of 16 mn DVD multi-lingual commentary in English, Italian, and German.
This 16-minute movie and a walk through the wonders of Pisa, through a series of artistic and cultural interest.

unused, bought in 2010

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The back has a place to put a stamp and write and address and message.  The DVD on the front is thin and seams to be pretty secure, but I don't know if it would make it through the mail or not.

Maui

Hawaii's Volcano Meets the Sea

Molten lava entering the sea at Kalapana hawaii is a rare occurrence in Hawaii. This photograph has recorded a split second explosion caused by hot molten rock being super cooled in the sea water. The explosion's pyroclastic fragments are the material which washes back to shore to form the famous black sand beaches in the area.

Photo: franco Salmoiraghi

postmarked in 1998 with a 20 cent Blue Jay stamp

Pan American Airways System

From a set of 20 postcards 1930's-2006 (2 each of 10 different cards)

Pan Am Collector Postcards of Vintage Travel Posters

Pan Am has defined modern air travel by shaping airline services since its early days.
Pan Am perfected the craft of offering passengers the ultimate flying experience. From the late 30's to the mid 60's, Pan Am was the benchmark in luxury travel & coined the term "jet-setting". During this time, Pan Am represented the sophistication & class that only the world's premier airline could offer.

Copyright - 2006

Map of Old Hawaii -
Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii

Original Engraving by Steve Strickland

Printed with Ecologically-Sound Inks on Chlorine-Free Recycled Paper

postmarked in 2007 with 26 cent 'wild cat' (Florida Panther) stamp

This spectacular shot of a sightseeing helicopter hovering over an eruption of Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii is a very rare photo. - Photo: Randy Hufford - the card reads: "Dear Mr. Cote, We received your inquiry regarding the postcard order for Mr. -----. The order was sent via air parcel post on 2/16/86." - machine stamped and dated from Honolulu, HI on March 21, 1986