Linda Osborne Cynowa

‘Collecting Your Passions’

Linda’s Monthly Monday Morning Mornings for September 4, 2023

What is your collecting passions?

We all know someone who loves collecting, something. Whether it’s pottery, books (me), stamps, coins or even comic books. I have always loved anything to do with photography, new images or old vintage images, which lead me to having a look at vintage postcards and narrowing that down to a love of lighthouses and then you have a lighthouse postcard addict! When it comes to collecting postcards, there is something for every taste, from vintage or modern images, cartoons, graphics, and just fun stuff, etc. I have learned in the past few years, while working on my last two books for Arcadia Publishing in their Postcard History Series the many ups and downs of collecting and bidding in auctions.

A bit about the origin of postcards in general:

The Postal Act of May 19, 1898: This act provided for the extensive private product of postcards to measure 3.25 by 5.5 inches. Messages could only be written on the front. The back was reserved “exclusively for the address”. After March 1, 1907, the law specified that messages could be written on the backs of cards. Cards of this new style were call ‘divided back’ because of the vertical line, to the left of which a message could be written, with the address on the right. “Undivided back” cards remained in the inventories of shops for many years, now they are very collectable.

Ebay is a wonderful place to find additions to your collections. I use eBay when searching for my lighthouses that I will need for my books, even as I more forward. As is usual there are things you must look out for when looking for the ‘vintage’ postcards, I am not so sure on other collections as they might be harder to ‘copy’ than postcards are. When I first started, I would get so excited to ‘find’ that rare hard to find card, and hit purchase immediately! Only to find I had purchased a copy of an original, which holds next to no value. Not that is the only reason for the purchase, but copies when scanned as I do to use in a book, are not very good when they are 2nd and 3rd generation prints, no matter how good the scanner. Bottom line, on eBay as with a lot of situations there may not be all honest people you will be dealing with, in the world of commerce. ALWAYS read carefully so you don’t come up short on what you are bidding on or purchasing. Then you will get what you want and not the frustration when you don’t.

I have found that in the case of postcard collection, and I am sure this can also be used in collecting pretty much any other item, you will find that one special super piece, the best you could ever find! When only a short time later to have an even better special super piece come available and this will do even better for what you want. This has happened many times. So when you tell yourself you only need two, and even up with four, it’s because there will always be a better one out there that you have to have! I believe that might be where the ‘addict’ part comes in? Good luck on what ever is your passion, but be aware of what you are honing in on.

On that ‘wee note’, till next month Monday October 2, 2023.

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Thorington School – Part Two

Linda’s Monthly Monday Morning Moaning’s for August 7th 2023

Today, is the National Lighthouse Day, so it is a day to give some thought to these giants of maritime navigation that are still trying to survive. While not technically needed to do the jobs their were first intended to do, their historical significance in teaching what life was like, is of such importance especially to the young.

Instead today we are going to go back to some Washington Township history from approximately 5 years ago.

James M. Thorington was born on 26 January of 1837 in Washington Township the son of James and Sally Brown Thorington. His father would work the farm for 30 years being involved with agriculture and buying land. When he retired, he owned 700 acres in Washington. When James M married Mary Starkweather in 1857 and they raised 5 children on their 320 acre farm on Mound Road between 30 and 31 Mile Roads. James Thorington Sr. owned the 1/8 acre on which the school stands, with it being a part of his 158 acre farm. When the elder James Thorington died, his son James M. took over his farm and would continue to lease the school property.

Five years ago I wrote about the school in relationship to the Arcadia Publishing book ‘Washington Township’, I was hoping to bring to the necessary people the sad state of affairs for this important historical Washington Township school building. Over these years the Township Supervisor that is in place now has seen the value in saving this old relic of early education and has been working to make this happen.

With the school building being very near the corner of 31 Mile on Mound Road, the Township Supervisor, has found on 31 Mile, that the Township owns property that will eventually consist of a fire station and park area for use by the residences. The school building could be moved a very short distance and find a new home, with restoration in its future, to use as a teaching program for students. So what’s the holdup?

This is what the school building looked like roughy 5 years ago:

Todays look at the Thornington School:

As has always been said, when neglect is there, nature will surely take over and sadly, neglect is what has happened to this piece of history. So again I mention, ‘What is the hold up’? While the owners, have left this piece of history to rot away, for reasons unknown to myself, for the sixteen years I have been watching this building. They have been approached about selling from many avenues over the years. For the rotting boards being held together, by basically, nobody knows just what. The hole in the roof continues to enlarge, and each winter, we feel will be its last.

The only hope is what the Township can make this happen, and the owners will see the long term value to the Township. Basically they need restore this historic school themselves or sell for a nominal fee to the Township and let them save this school house for future generations to see what life was like in the 1800-1900 educational system. So once again what are you waiting for?

On that ‘wee note’, till Monday September 4th, 2023, Labor Day!

The two vintage images courtesy of the Greater Washington Township Historical Society, Thorington School today from the authors collection.

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‘Lighthouses of the North Atlantic Coast’

Linda’s Monthly Monday Mornings Moaning’s for July 3, 20023

The postcards have been secured, the research and writing has been finished, the editing has been done and on Monday July 24, 2023, the latest Arcadia Publishing, Postcard History Series Book, the ‘Lighthouses of the North Atlantic Coast’ will see the light of day. This will be a second of four books on the lighthouses through out the United States in vintage postcards. Using vintage cards, the book will show the lighthouses how they looked when they were maritime’s greatest saviors at their most important time.

During the time frame when the United States Coast Guard took over the care and supervision of the lighthouses, and the light keepers were found to be an unnecessary feature, the stations did start to changed. Many of the buildings and keepers dwellings, were found to be unnecessary, and a costly part of the lights that would be much better demolished as cost saving was needed.

But thankfully, many of the light stations were take in task by societies, historical commissions, and many of the towns were the lights resided, in order to save these historical treasures from being dismantled any more than was needed. These postcards captured these lights at their best.

As much as I have always loved to visit the lights and photograph them, I soon found that the vintage postcards with their original vision of the lights became more important to save. Most taken as early as 1900-1910. So now the task to get the books into the museums, historical societies, and bookstores where these lighthouses reside. And I always have Amazon to thank for their support.

On that ‘wee note’ till next month, Monday August 7, 2023, also National Lighthouse Day!

‘Princess May’s’ Grounding

Linda’s Monthly Monday Mornings Moaning’s for June 5, 20023

Built in England by the Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. in 1888, the ship was originally named Cass, where in 1901 after thirteen years serving along the Chinese coast, the Canadian Pacific Railway Coastal Service purchased and renamed the Cass, the ‘Princess May’, after Mary of Teck, who was known as ‘May’ and would in 1910 become Queen of England.

On 5 August 1910, the Princess May departed Skagway, Alaska, with 80 passengers and 68 crew and a shipment of gold. The ship was steaming down the Lynn Canal at 12 knots under heavy fog in the command of Captain John McLeo, when it stuck the rocks near the north end of Sentinel Island early in the morning. It was high tide and the momentum of the ship forced it well up onto the rocks, with the bow jutting upward at an angle of 23 degrees.

The hull was breached, through which water began to pour in and flooded the engine room, cutting off electrical power to the ship’s instruments, including its wireless set. The wireless operator, W.R. Keller, ran to the engine room and rigged an improvised electrical connection with the engine room telegraph battery, and using this was able to send out a wireless distress call before the engine room was completely flooded. The close proximity of Sentinel Island helped prevent a major disaster. The passengers and crew were able to safely evacuate to the island, and the gold shipment was also secured. Later the passengers and crew were picked up by Princess Ena and other rescue ships and taken to Juneau.

Over a 120 plates were damaged on the hull, and the largest hole was approximately 50 feet long and two foot wide. Many attempts were made to remove the ship from the rocks, and with a cost in 1910 finances of $115,000. it was salvaged. The grounding left the ship jutting completely out of the water, where it would go on to become the subject of a very famous ship wreck photograph.

Sentinel Island Lighthouse is located in Alaska just adjacent to the Lynn Canal, between the main land and the Lincoln and Shelter Islands by Juneau City. Another famous image from the islands history shows the ‘Princess May’ on the rocks from in front of the lighthouse itself. I unfortunately have not been able to acquire a postcards of that image. Postcard images are from the authors collection.

On that ‘wee note’ till next month, Monday July 3, 2023.

Chatham Twin Lighthouse, Massachusetts

Linda’s Monthly Monday Mornings Moaning’s for May 1, 20023

In 1808 two octagonal wooden towers, forty-feet tall and seventy-feet apart were erected, along with a one-story, three room keepers house. These 40 foot brick twin lights, pictured below, were built and established in 1841 to replaced the two wood towers used from 1808. The lantern rooms on the towers are referred to as ‘bird-cage style lanterns’ because of their appearance.

Around 1857, the bird-cage style lanterns on the twin lights are replaced with new lanterns that would used a sixth order Fresnel lens. But erosion would overtake these twin towers. These lights were left to the elements and around 1879 most of the towers and the keepers house fell into the ocean. For many years, the remaining base of the north light would remained on the ledge, with it becoming a tourist attraction. When first built the twin lights were 400 feet from the edge of the cliff, with the remaining tower would going over that cliff by 1940.

In 1877, two new cast-iron and brick lined towers were built across the street from the original site along with a new keepers house. The 48 feet tall the lantern room would house a fourth-order Fresnel lens and the Chatham Light Station would take on new form, as seen below.

In 1923 the north tower was removed and taken to Eastham, Massachusetts to become the new Nauset Lighthouse. The south tower would receive a new fourth-order Fresnel lens. Over the years the Light Station would make many changes. The Chatham Light was automated in 1982.

A thank you to the ‘Lighthouse Digest’ magazine, their May / June edition for the top two images of the Chatham Lighthouse and content. Bottom two postcards, part of the authors collection. The Chatham Light Station is one of many lights highlighted in the July 26 publication of Arcadia’s new ‘Lighthouses of the North Atlantic Coast’.

On that ‘wee note’ till Monday June 5, 2023.