Aerial Bridge: Pull and Return Slowly

1908 Aerial Bridge

Aerial Bridge Over Ship Canal, Duluth, Minn.
Only one of its kind in the world; clear span, 400 ft.; clear height 136 ft.; total height above water 186 ft.; size of car 34×50 ft.; capacity of car, 125,000 lbs.; motive power, electricity; speed, 4 miles per hour.

1908 Aerial Bridge postcard back

Message from Mathilde to Miss Dorothy Jordan of Minneapolis, dated Aug. 25 and postmarked Aug. 26, 1908:

My dear little girl: I hope this card finds you well again. Isn’t this a queer bridge? We hope to cross it. We are having such a good time. It is very cool up here. Today a young lady is going take [???] for a ride in his electric carriage. We’ll be back in Mpls by Saturday sure. We all send love to all. Your loving [???].

We return Friday Eve. 8.10 o’clock on Omaha.

4 Comments

jesusita

about 8 years ago

I love old postcards like this, especially when they have personal notes to be deciphered on them.

I think the missing name (in part) is "Marjorie [something]" who is going to be taken for a ride in "her [the aforementioned young lady's] electric carriage." The sign-off appears to be "Your loving aunt," although the writer appears to have started off writing it either incorrectly or weirdly and attempted to make it look better. Who hasn't done that in a handwritten letter?

(I just finished a paleography class, so the deciphering part of my brain is still engaged.)

markryan

about 8 years ago

What a great postcard, Paul! Very unusual.  Thanks for posting it. Regarding the text: I think it reads that "Marjorie & Anita" are taking the electric carriage ride. The ampersand is somewhat mangled but the "n" in "Anita" matches the "n" in "send", and the "t" has a lagging cross dash as in the word "take." Also, the "i"'s dot is slightly obscured by the descender of word above it.

Tony D.

about 8 years ago

Wow! I've seen many, many, many postcards of the bridge, but this one is new to me. Must be extremely rare to have one at all, let alone one in working condition. I'd guess you could fetch a pretty penny for that on eBay. Thanks!

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

second of its kind

This version of the same card appears on worthpoint.com. There are at least three differences between the two cards -- one of which seems important. It's not easy to see in the small image that is offered, but the text on the front of this one begins, "Second of it's kind in the world" instead of "Only one of it's kind in the world."

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