Two Cliff Walk Newport RI Postcards

The other rectangular pieces of cardboard that I collect are postcards. I mainly limit myself to two subjects, Drexel University (my alma mater) and Cliff Walk, Newport RI (my namesake). I haven't bought any new cards for awhile (too preoccupied with baseball cards), but I just acquired these two and I have 4 more coming. I thought I'd show these two as they represent my least favorite type of card and my most favorite type of card. You can click on the images to get a better look.

This first one is my least favorite type. It features a glossy color photograph on the front and it is unused. I'm not showing the back because it's not interesting. The seller claims that this card is from 1953 but I have no way of verifying that so I'll just take his word for it. I paid $4.20 including postage which is close to the upper range of what I'll pay for a card. I have several cards depicting this same scene, from various years. It's in pretty good shape, just the lower right hand corner showing some wear. I suppose if somebody went into the postcard grading business, the cards would be graded along the same lines as baseball cards. This second card is more what I like. It has a linen finish and the colors are vibrant. It has some corner wear but not too bad. Also the postmark has bleed through which is a common problem with this sort of card when it has been used.
Here's the back. It was mailed on August 12, 1937. It is addressed to Hi Kids, and it's from Marion. The handwriting is hard to read but she seems to be writing about going to all the stores in the area. Also it was hot but is better today. Pretty typical stuff for a vacation postcard. I love how it is addressed to Main Street, Dexter Maine. No house address. Cliff Walk, at this time was a refuge for rich people from New York and Boston, so it's interesting that she is visiting here from Maine.

Many of these postcards have a publisher and a manufacturer on the back. Although the cards were published by different companies, they were manufactured by the same company, the Curt Tiech Co., out of Chicago.

Cliff Walk Postcard - The Breakers

The Breakers is probably the largest of the mansions along The Cliff Walk in Newport Rhode Island. It has 70 rooms with approximately 65,000 square feet. It reportedly cost $7 million to build in 1895. That's about $150 million today. That works out to about $2,300 per square feet. It was built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II. Among other things, Vanderbilt is the great grandfather of CNN's Anderson Cooper. He also had a stroke the year after the Breakers was completed. You can read a short article about him here.What does $2,300 per square feet buy you. Something like this next picture which is the mansion library. According to the back of the card, the Library is "paneled with Circassian walnut stamped in gold and decorated with bas-relief carvings in High Renaissance style". I have no idea (and neither does Wikipedia) what Circassian walnut is but it's got to be something special.
The mansion is a National Historic Landmark and has been owned and operated by the Preservation Society of Newport County since 1948. It is open to tours by the public during summer months. If I ever get to Newport this is one of the places I really want to visit.

Cliff Walk Postcard

Cliff Walk is a path that runs along the ocean in Newport, Rhode Island. I naturally have an interest in the place. Some years ago, Brian and Jo Anne Gallagher sent me a post card from there. Later, I found that I could buy Cliff Walk post cards on eBay. I currently have about 100 of them. Some are used and some are not. The earliest postmark I have is from 1904.


I actually like the used (that is mailed) cards better as they tell a little story that is generally a mystery to me. This card is postmarked March 28, 1906 and pictures a portion of the Walk called Ochre Point. I didn't mention that in the early 20th century, Cliff Walk was a get away place for wealthy people. Several mansions are pictured on this card. I'm not a postcard expert but postcards of this period apparently had the address on the back and any message is written in the white space below the picture. Divided back postcards, where the address and message are on the back, were developed later. I paid $1.83 for this card in February 2002.

This card was mailed by Margaret M. Nolan to Mr. J. R. McDonald in Chicago. Her message reads "I am patiently waiting for that surprise. Will it be a pleasant one?" I can speculate all I want, but I'll never know.