Description

Although not dated, these two real picture postcards are from somewhere between 1909 and 1911. The first one shows the hustle and bustle of Belle Isle’s Central Avenue. Judging from the appearance of the visitors, it looks like they were taking in a leisurely Sunday afternoon at the park. The handwriting at the top is part of the card’s printing. On the back of the Central Ave. card is something interesting. It was all set to send, but it was never sent, leaving the original Ben Franklin stamp unmarked. Maybe it was not marked because the sender didn’t have the complete name of the city on the address, just “City.” Back in the early 1900s, deer were scarce in southern Michigan. Also, Belle Isle had its own zoo at the time. So the deer pictured on the second card are either part of the zoo or allowed to roam freely throughout the park. Like the first card, this one was never sent. It was taken home as a souvenir, courtesy of The Detroit News, “The Great Daily of Michigan.” As you can see, both cards are in good shape and have been stored away carefully through the ages.