Sunday, December 13, 2015

20 Views - Yellowstone National Park [1920s]

From our Yellowstone collection ...

Bardell Fototone Miniatures
20 Views
Yellowstone National Park
Here is a little packet of 20 black and white miniature photos of Yellowstone National Park. These little packets were available at souvenir stands in the Park, as well as, for example, railroad stations for trains that served tourists going to the Park. We are guessing these photos are from the 1920s based on the automobiles in a couple of the pictures. Actual size of the pics is about 2 1/2 by 4 inches. Information on who actually took the photos and Bardell is scarce. A web search will find a few more sets of Bardell Miniatures on other locations such as Niagara Falls and San Francisco. Several of the pictures are marked © N.P.Ry.Co. That would be copyright by Northern Pacific Railway Company. The N.P. was one of the major railroads that served Yellowstone. Their closest depot to the Park was in Gardiner, Montana at the Northern Entrance. The Official Photographer for the Park during this time was F. J. Haynes. He also did a lot of work for the N.P. Railway and may have been the photographer on some of these pictures.

Great Falls of the Yellowstone

Mammoth Hotel

Old Faithful Inn
Next photo:  Do you know the story behind "Fishing Cone"? Back in the early part of the 1900s a fisher person could stand on the edge of this hot spring and, once catching a fish in Lake Yellowstone, could swing around and cook the fish in the boiling water in the cone. The cone is still there today, but, of course, they will not let you walk out on it ... too dangerous they say.

Fishing Cone

Northern Entrance Gateway

Upper Falls

Giant Geyser

Old Faithful

Yellowstone Park Bears
Above picture:  The Park bears are still one of the great attractions of the Park. Yes, tourists actually used to feed the bears! The Rangers will not let you do that now. They say it is dangerous and it is not good for the bears to be hooked on human food.
Angel Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs

Shoshone Canyon, Cody Road

Golden Gate

Photo below:  In the early 1900s there were several business in the Park called Camping Companies. They set up tents at various locations around the Park and many tourists stayed in the Camps instead of in the more expensive hotels. The Camping Companies arranged tours and would take you around the Park in about 4 or 5 days ... stopping at a different camp each night.

View in one of the Camps

Yellowstone Station, Official Western Entrance

Elk Horns

Chittenden Bridge

Deer in Yellowstone

Tower Falls

Jupiter Terrace, Mammoth Hot Springs
Photo below:  Do you know the story about Handkerchief Pool?  Here is what the Yellowstone Park website says:  "One hundred years ago, one of the most famous attractions in Yellowstone was a small spring called Handkerchief Pool. Visitors threw dirty handkerchiefs into the water. The cloths were sucked into the depths, only to emerge a few minutes later, considerably cleaner. Other objects were also thrown into the hot spring, including coins, broken bottles, rocks, hair pins, and a small horseshoe. The plumbing system of Handkerchief Pool was damaged and eventually the spring became dormant. Today this hot spring has nearly been forgotten." You never know what you can learn on John's Island.

Handkerchief Pool

20 Views Package
Postage = 1 1/2 Cent

20 Views Package
Thank you for stopping by John's Island.

16 comments:

  1. definitely some things have changed - the bears, the handkerchief pool, the catch and cook! neat cards, john.

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  2. Fond memories and places though my childhood ones go back to the early fifties when our family visited several time...:)

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  3. While scrolling through these pictures,I couldn't help but think of the surprises people were in for when seeing Yellowstone in person and in color.The Black and whites look good,but the scenes are so much more alive in color.

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  4. Hey, we had exactly the same thing at Banff.

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  5. What a great park, but I would not be feeding the bears any food including myself !!

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  6. Interesting information here about Yellowstone. Isn't it amazing what people once did but now are not 'allowed' to do. Mostly I think it is for the better but sometimes I think we are too regulated. But that is modern life. Thanks for sharing these cards John.

    Diana

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  7. Hello, I love this post and Yellowstone. I would be scared to feed the bears, I do enjoy seeing them though. The handkerchief pool story was great, sad that it is gone now. Great postcards and post. Happy Monday, enjoy your new week!

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  8. Somehow I had trouble posting a comment but here goes another try. The Handkerchief Pool was fascinating, and feeding the bears sure did look a little sketchy. The landscape looks pretty much the same otherwise. :-)

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  9. Wow! So much interesting history in this post, and so many neat photos! Yellowstone must be a very beautiful and intriguing place. I thought the fishing cone must have been pretty neat--and the handkerchief pool as well. It must have been a very busy tourist attraction to support all those camps.

    Your remarks about the Fishing cone not being used anymore because it is now considered unsafe has me thinking. Is it unsafe now because people are too smart to do such a thing, or is unsafe now because people are too unintelligent to use it safely? Alternately, I realize it could have eroded or something.

    At Deer Park in Eldora, IA there is an old-fashioned playground. My family was remarking how the monkey bars were so high. There are the old fashioned metal slides that burn you if the sun is too hot, wooden teeter-totters, and all sorts of the old equipment. They don't make those things anymore because they're "unsafe." I feel sorry for the children who have to grow up with all the plastic playgrounds. It may be safer, but it's just not natural. I think we '90s children may have had the last of the best of childhoods before technology really took over. There were close calls, but we had fun, and God kept us alive. I guess I should be more optimistic for the future...I'm starting to sound like an older person ;)

    Anyway, forgive my ramblings, and thank you for sharing this awesome post!

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  10. Interesting information here about Yellowstone, and so many fine B&W image. Great post indeed.
    Have a nice week, many greetings!

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  11. Wow. I wonder if there's a colored version somewhere. These are beautiful vintage but I bet the view is much more interesting with vivid colors. :)

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  12. Wonderful postcards! I do find the one showing the man with the bears a little scary though. ;)

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  13. Dearest Mr.John; How interesting to read your explanation about Yellowstone National Park with the post cards♪ My fishing lover husband is dozing off watching TV after late dinner, he'll be interested in hearing about Fishing Cone and bears etc :-)
    Thank you SO much for letting us know the difference of now and back then.
    Sincerely from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

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  14. Another great collection of cards and interesting facts to go along with them. Times sure have changed.
    Never heard about the handkerchief pool.

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  15. Thanks John. It is so beautiful to see them. I love the postcard with Yellowstone Park Bear.

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