Lot #823: Two Vintage "Michael Shenstone" Postcards - "Brockwell Park, Dulwich" (Photochrom) - "Emerson, York Harbour" (Albertype)

Two Vintage Postcards addressed to Canadian diplomat Michael Shenstone as a child. (1) First, one Vintage UK postcard, used, showing topiary bushes with caption "Brockwell Park" and number "9019 Card House" with no publisher indicated. Stamped with one Red One Penny George V UK stamp postmarked at Dulwich in April 1935. Addressed to "Master M. Shenstone, Ades Farm, Dallington, Sussex" with message "Dear Uncle Wiggly....love, Fuzzy Wuzzy" The "Card House" branding was often a retail or series-specific mark. Given the style and the location, it is highly probable that this was printed by the Photochrom Co. Ltd. for a specific London distributor. By 1935, many British parks series used a Fine-Screen Lithograph or a Real Photo process. "Card House" series often focused on London landmarks and open spaces, providing affordable souvenirs for park visitors. Brockwell Park, located in the Dulwich/Herne Hill area, is a significant piece of London's Victorian and Edwardian park planning. (2) Second, one Vintage USA postcard, used, showing a large manor house with caption "Main Street and the Emerson" with the publisher indicated as "published by Dr. Hawkes' Pharmacy, York Harbour, Maine. The Albertype Company, Brooklyn, N.Y. - Postcards of Quality". Stamped with one Purple Three-Cent George Washington USA stamp postmarked at York Harbour. Addressed to "Michael Shenstone, Janvicande Hotel, Janvicande Gardens, London, England" with message in part "This is the Hotel where we are staying. We go out rowing and fishing every morning and go swimming. The Ocean is very cold this year....Love, Bobbie" This Albertype specimen is a remarkable "Golden Age" record of the Maine coast’s resort heritage. It documents The Emerson, a landmark luxury hotel in York Harbor, during its prime as a premier destination for the American social elite. The Albertype Company (1887–1952) was famous for producing "Postcards of Quality." They used a specialized Collotype (the "Albertype" process). Unlike standard lithographs with visible dots, Albertypes are continuous-tone prints that look like actual photographs. The card was produced for Dr. Hawkes' Pharmacy, a local "stationer and druggist." This was a common business model where the Brooklyn firm would handle the high-end printing, but the card was sold exclusively at the village pharmacy. Architectural Heritage: The Emerson was a grand Shingle Style hotel, a quintessentially New England architectural movement. The Purple Three-Cent George Washington stamp was the standard domestic and international surface rate during the mid-to-late 1930s. Michael Shenstone (1928-2019) was a Canadian diplomat who served in a variety of senior diplomatic posts, including as Canada′s ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Austria, and as Canada′s representative to NATO - Warsaw Pact disarmament negotiations. He also played a role in the rescue of six American diplomats who managed to evade being taken hostage during the 1979 Iranian revolution. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}