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Greetings from Chicago
Curteichcolor card 4C-K635 with pencilled date of June, 1957 on reverse, together with large black rubber stamp from travel agency. Card was never mailed. Front shows Midway Airport, pre-O’Hare. Grade: 4
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Zion, Illinois Beach State Park
Now the caption on this unused Dexter Press card (99176-B) from about 1966 says that the park “attracted over one million visitors in 1964.” We don’t doubt this, though the scene portrayed makes you wonder if some of those one million had nothing else to do. Grade: 1
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White Pines Forest State Park
This would be a case where you really, really wanted a card from this location, no matter what condition. The front has postmark smudge and the reverse has a full 1954 postmark but stamp was torn off and there is also a travel agent’s rubber stamp marking. Grade: 5
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Chicago, Guey Sam’s Chinese Restaurant
Since 1901 and still there! And Mike S. and Jim F. were there too, though a bit later than 1901. This Curteich card 4B-H40 from the 1950s is unused except that it has a travel agent’s black rubber stamp on the reverse. It’s a linen finish, and has a crease on the upper right front corner. Grade: 4
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Des Plaines, Hapsburg Inn
We weren’t certain from Google whether this restaurant was still there or not, but a thoughtful informant tell us that it’s gone. We ate there once … maybe didn’t tip enough? The card was mailed in 1955 with a 3-cent stamp and full postmark, but also has a travel agent’s rubber stamp and then another date stamp on the reverse. Postmark ink on the front, too. Grade: 4
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Wheeling, Chevy Chase Country Club
Linen-finish, Curteich-Chicago, C.T. Art-Colortone card 2C-H872 from 1954. It’s unused but has the travel agency rubber stamp on reverse. Minor creasing on lower right front. Grade: 4
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Chicago, Stouffer’s
From Stouffer’s “Top of the Rock,” atop the Prudential Building. Plastichrome card P19111, unused, but with the date “June 1957” pencilled on reverse, and also the travel agency large rubber stamp, and a significant stain too. None of these affect the front, which is fine. Grade: 4
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Springfield, state capitol
Very nice unused Dexter Press card 58783-B from the 1960s. Apart from being just a little dull on the front, it’s in excellent shape. Grade: 1
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Chicago, Swift & Co., beef cooler
Unused Curt Teich card R-81794 with a bit of tape stuck inside the postage area. The card is just a little bit spooky. Grade: 3
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Chicago, aerial view
Mailed from San Diego in 2000 with a 55-cent Billy Mitchell stamp. Grade: 1
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Chicago, U-505 submarine
Aero Distributing card 5C-K442 (and CK-200) showing the submarine at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. We were there when the sub moved to that location–we just won’t tell you when that was. The card has a large rubber stamp from a travel agent on the reverse. Grade: 4
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Evanston, Fountain Square
Unmailed linen card 1B-H1379 from J.O. Stoll Co., looking north on Sherman and Orrington Avenues showing the center of the Davis Street business section. That’s on the front. The reverse has a travel agency rubber stamp. Grade: 4
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Chicago, Oak Street Beach
This unmailed card would have come from the late 1950s (we think) and has a travel agent’s rubber stamp on the reverse. We don’t doubt the scene once looked like this but wonder if it is the same now. Anyway … Grade: 4
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Chicago, Northwestern Station
If you’re a railroad buff, this card is a nice complement to cars and engines. The date “June, 1957” is pencilled in on the reverse, together with a travel agency rubber stamp. The Aero Distributing card CK-208 wasn’t mailed. Grade: 4
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Chicago, Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain
This (1960s?) unused Dexter / Nelson Jones card 50843-B (and #10) claimed this Buckingham Fountain to be “the largest fountain of its type in the world.” We always enjoy those little provisos, like saying Global Postcard Sales is the “largest postcard website of its type in the world.” We suspect other sites might argue. Grade: 2
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Chicago, skyline at twilight
Captioned “Chicago at Night,” the Chamber of Commerce provided this “recent twilight view” most likely in the 1960s. Unused card. Grade: 2
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Chicago, Natural History Museum
Unused Dexter / Nelson Jones card 55156-B of the museum, formerly the Field Museum of Natural History, which was founded in 1893. Grade: 2
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Chicago, Merchandise Mart
Unmailed, probably 1960s card of this “vast structure” (an understatement), which was built in 1930. Published by Dexter Press 55158-B. Grade: 2
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Chicago, Union Stock Yards
The essence of historical Chicago. Was one of these Mrs. O’Leary’s cow? Unused Franklin Post Card Co. card no. 71 (and 58386), made in Germany, and with minor album indents on the reverse corners. Grade: 2
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Chicago, greetings
In 1986 this card was mailed to Malaysia. The Verville 33-cent airmail stamp is there, but uncancelled as there’s no postmark. Some edge and corner battering. Grade: 4
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Chicago, New Court House
Unused but heavily aged and battered, with tears and stains. Still, it guarantees that the “New Court House” is now, well, “old”. If it’s even still there. Grade: 4
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Zion, Illinois Beach State Park
Mailed in 1966 with four one-cent stamps and most of the postmark. It’s a bleak view but we’ve noted that before. Dexter Press card 99174-B. Abrasions on front of card. Grade: 4
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Chicago, nighttime glitter
Could this card be any darker? It has serrated edges, a ten-cent stamp, and most of a postmark. Grade: 1
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Chicago, State Street and Marina Towers
Can’t quite make out the postmark so we don’t know exactly when this was mailed, but it has a 9-cent stamp and is aging rapidly. Grade: 3
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Chicago, Veterans’ Administration Research Hospital
Mailed in 1959 with full postmark and 3-cent stamp. Grade: 2
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Princeton, Holiday Inn
Unused, generic Holiday Inn card but with details of the Princeton property printed on the reverse. Grade: 1
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Chicago, John Hancock Building and aerial view
Aging card with serrated edges was stamped for mailing (8-cent) and definitely mailed judging by the ink smudges on the front. But there’s no postmark. So you get an 8-cent rebate if you soak off the stamp. Just kidding. Grade: 4
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Chicago, John Hancock Building seen from North Avenue Beach
Another card of the same building, stamped for mailing (20-cent), and mailed, but without any postmark. Grade: 4
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Karbers Ridge, Garden of the Gods
Unused Dexter Press card 34630-D, with inked initials over the postage area. Grade: 3
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Champaign-Urbana, University of Illinois, Alma Mater statue
Unused Mike Roberts chrome card C16781. Grade: 3
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Oregon, Black Hawk statue
This is one of those cards where the caption writer ran amok and told us more than everything. Unused card 8442. Grade: 3
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Chicago, skyline
Unused Dexter Press card 54822-B, aging–probably from the early 1960s or so. Grade: 3
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Moline, River Side Park Cemetery, Mausoleum
Unused Dexter Press card 37591-B. Grade: 2
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Springfield, The Centennial Building
Unused Dexter Press card DT-86267-B, and dated 1964. Heavily aged. Grade: 3
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Rock Island, Watch Tower Hill
Unused card 73733, telling us that “This hill was the favorite resort of Chief Blackhawk of the United Nations of the Sauk and Fox Indians,” now Blackhawk State Park. Grade: 2
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Springfield, Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon
Unused but aging Dexter Press card DT-86268-B, dated 1964. At the time, if not now, the Carrilon was “one of the largest and finest in the world,” at 132′ high. Grade: 2
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Chicago World’s Fair 1933, Federal and States Buildings at Night
This card was mailed in 1933–the postmark is there, but the stamp was peeled off. Even so, if you’re a World’s Fair collector, you might need this. Grade: 4
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Starved Rock State Park, Council Cave
Unused old E.A. Bishop card 112802 (790), in great condition. Grade: 1
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Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry, U-505 Submarine
Mailed in 2011 with 98-cent stamp and much of the postmark. Grade: 3
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Hinsdale Sanitarium and Hospital
Unused Curteichcolor card 8C-K2937. Grade: 2