Renae

I love map postcards, especially art-map postcards like this one by Lucie Rice.

Tennessee is a long state, east to west. Look for Gatlinburg on the right side of the state. Gatlinburg is the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. When you come from the Cherokee side of the park, and then exit out into Gatlinburg, it’s like a circus suddenly smacking you in the face!

You leave the sanctuary and peace of the mountains and find yourself smack-dab in the touristy (but fun!) city of Gatlinburg.

You can also see Nashville, the capital, on the card. That’s where I was when I picked up this lovely map card 🙂

My husband and I went to Nashville for the first time in late summer of 2023. It was SO HOT. I was melting. So we decided to head to a nice cool space: The Frist Art Museum.

Here’s my postcard showing the building, which is in the heart of downtown Nashville.

What’s cool about this museum, beyond the magnificent art, is that it’s housed in the city’s historic U.S. Post Office building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Just look at this photo I took of the beautiful metalwork and doors! Then run the full length of the very long interior hall.

Here’s a close-up of the metalwork.

If you’re in Nashville, I highly recommend this museum.

When my children were little, we read lots of Peter Rabbit. So when my husband and I were in the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, and I saw this (and a few other) Peter Rabbit postcards in one of the museum stores, I had to get them.

From the back: The cover of Beatrix Potter’s original privately printed edition of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, 1901.

HINT: If you’re a momma looking for great stories for your littles, check out Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter.

This is one of my favorite Philly art cards. I especially love the “YO!” over the top of the word Philadelphia 🙂

It’s by April Melchior. From the back:

“Native Philadelphian April Melchior creates hand-drawn, urban-centric illustrations. Pen and ink iconography in the foreground paired with splashes of color in the background are the staples of her unique urban style. Her work captures the culture, history, and personality of cities worldwide.”

YO!

We visited the Barnes Foundation Museum in Philadelphia; it’s noted as being one of the best museums in the United States, holding one of the world’s finest collections of French paintings, including lots of works by Renoir (my favorite), Cezanne, and Matisse. If you’re planning to visit, give yourself plenty of time!

Personally, I’d rather see art than a building (although I do like architecture). If you’re like me, check out a preview of the Barnes collection!

This card says absolutely nothing about it or its maker on the back. But it’s still worth sharing because of the stunning colors!

While walking around in the neighborhood where Elfreth’s Alley and the Betsy Ross house are, we came across this cool store filled with unique Philly gifts. I grabbed a few postcards, a t-shirt, and a beautiful 36 x 24 art poster of the city! I’ve got to find it online so I can share it with you here.

Here’s the back of the card, which shows the store:

And here’s the front of the card, which shows some of the goodies inside!

If you’re searching for unique Philly gifts, check them out!

P.S. I know this isn’t really a postcard, but I wanted to share it anyway 🙂

I love art cards. This one, showing a view of the Philadelphia skyline, is from anathorne.com.

Lovely!

The word Schuylkill has to be one of the strangest I’ve come across in years. Here’s what Bing Chat has to say about the name:

“The word “Schuylkill” is of Dutch origin. The river was initially called the Skokihl, which means Hidden Creek, by the first European to voyage up the Schuylkill, a man named Arendt Corssen of the Dutch East Indies Company¹. The Unami tribe of the Lenni Lenapes was the first known group of humans to settle along the Schuylkill, a river they called Ganshowahanna, which means “falling waters” ¹. The name Schuylkill was probably given in honor of the river’s clever disguise¹.”

The back of the card says:

“The nightlights [Nightlights? It’s daytime in the photo] of Philadelphia’s modern skyline reflect in the waters of the Schuylkill River. The vibrant glow of the city mirrors its commitment to the preservation of its history and advancement of culture, commerce, and entertainment.”

Photographer: Richard Cummins

This iconic sculpture is a lot smaller than I thought! I’ll share a pic of us standing underneath so you can see for yourself.

On the back:

“Perhaps the most familiar of Philadelphia’s many artworks that embellish public spaces is the painted aluminum LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana. It was erected in 1976 as part of the nation’s Bicentennial celebration.”

And now… for the size comparison: