Lot #736: Vintage 1907 Ontario Postcard - "Great Gorge Route, Niagara" (Closed 1930s) - Electic Trolleys - 1¢ Green "Edward VII" stamp

One Vintage 1907 Ontario Canada Postcard, used, showing a railway car on tracks at the "Great Gorge Route, Niagara". Warm Gold Gilt Border surrounds the image. This richly coloured postcard is labelled as "Ullman's Gold Border Series. American Postcard View Num,ber 3034. Published by the Ullman Manufacturing Co., New York." The Postcard does not have a divided back (and is discouragingly labelled Includes One Green 1903 One-Cent "King Edward VII Coronation Robe" Stamp. Postmarked and dated November 1907. Ink message in faint hand: "Annie arrived safe". This is a premier example of the Ullman Gold Border Series, a highly collectible line that represented the "luxury" tier of the postcard market during the early 20th century. The Great Gorge Route (the Niagara Falls Park & River Railway) was one of the most spectacular scenic trolley lines in the world. It ran along the very edge of the Niagara River at the bottom of the gorge. A 1907 view captures the line at its peak, using open-sided electric cars that allowed tourists an unobstructed (and often spray-soaked) view of the Whirlpool Rapids. route was an engineering marvel of the era, and your card provides a crisp record of the specialized rolling stock used before the line was eventually closed in the 1930s due to rockslides. The Ullman Manufacturing Co., based in New York, was famous for their "Art" cards. The Gold Gilt Border was their signature. Unlike standard cards with a simple white border, Ullman used a metallic gold ink that was embossed or "gilt" to give the card a framed, gallery-like appearance. The metallic ink used by Ullman has a unique texture—if you tilt the card in the light, the border should have a distinct shimmer compared to the matte or gelatine finish of the central image. Ullman used a high-quality chromolithography that often leaned into warmer tones (golds, deep reds, and forest greens) to complement the metallic border. This card was mailed in November 1907, the very year the "Divided Back" was officially authorized in both the U.S. and Canada. This card was likely "old stock" printed just before the rule change, or printed by a manufacturer who was still complying with the older, stricter regulations to ensure it wouldn't be rejected by more conservative postmasters. The Stamp: The 1-cent King Edward VII stamp was the standard for the domestic postcard rate. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}