Picture Book Of Postcards Documents
Washington Coast

BOOK REVIEW

Greetings from the Washington Coast, by Cherie Christensen, is, as the subtitle states, “A Postcard Tour from the Columbia River to the San Juan Islands.”

Cherie, formerly the curator and historian of the Shaw Island Historical Society in the San Juan Islands, shares her collection of vintage postcards in this book, along with interesting historical notes of the places depicted.

The postcard journey begins just inside the bar of the Columbia River, and continues north for 342 miles, with stops at fishing harbors, coastal villages and the beautiful San Juan Islands.

At the mouth of the 1200-mile-long Columbia River, there are powerful currents and shifting underwater sands produced as the river empties its water into the resisting force of the Pacific Ocean. Hundreds of lives have been lost through the years by those attempting to cross this bar. The first postcards reproduced in the book illustrate scenes of this part of the Washington coast.

The construction of jetties on both sides of the river, and manned lighthouses, made its crossing somewhat safer, although many boats were still lost. Some of the postcards are photo cards of shipwrecks, along with text describing the event.

Fishing has always been a major activity along the coast, and there are several postcards depicting this activity. These include fishing boats, cannery operations, and, of course, fish themselves.

However, by the late 1800s, many of these villages also began to appeal to tourists and hotels, both plain and fancy, and tourist cabins were built. The Long Beach Peninsula, stretching north from the mouth of the Columbia, claims to have the “World’s Longest Beach,” stretching 28 miles.

Continuing north, there are postcards from Oysterville and other communities around Willapa Bay. (Oysterville, founded in 1854, has the oldest continuously operating post office in Washington State.) Willapa Bay had some of the most abundant supplies of oysters, clams and crab of anywhere along the coast, and early settlers made large profits selling this product to the ships which would take them south to San Francisco.

Continuing north, you’ll find postcards depicting the cranberry fields around Grays Harbor county, logging and ship building around Aberdeen, clamming at Cosmopolis, the activities of the Native American tribes from Moclips to Neah Bay, scenic photos of the Olympics mountain range, and views of many of the northern towns such as Port Townsend and Anacortes. The book ends with scenes from the author’s own San Juan Island region.

The combination of interesting bits of history and colorful postcards make Greetings from the Washington Coast a most interesting book. It is a hardback, priced at $34.99. (ISBN: 978-0-7643-3034-6) Check with your local bookseller or contact Schiffer Publishing, online at www.schifferbooks.com.

Donna Miller

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Desirable Children’s Books Influence Value

BOOK REVIEW

Values of old children’s books are the subject of the Encyclopedia of Collectible Children’s Books, by Diane Mc Clure Jones & Rosemary Jones, a recent publication of Collector Books. There are two primary factors driving the values of these books: desirability and scarcity. A book must meet both criteria for it to carry a high value. Age is not a factor in and of itself; it is only important as it may affect scarcity.

A thorough discussion of the various interpretations that the phrase “first edition” can mean and a brief history each of the numerous publishers of children’s books are part of the introductory material.

Several thousand books are listed in the book, arranged alphabetically by author in the first section of the book and by series in the second half. Early children’s books and series whose prices have dropped below $30 per volume have been excluded, even though they may be scarce, because they don’t meet the “desirability” factor.

Some of the series included are very well known, e.g., the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books, written by the Stratemeyer Syndicate writers and published first by Grosset & Dun lap and, after 1979, by Simon & Schuster.

Other series listings are little known, such as Harold and the Purple Crayon series, written for the pre-school set and published in the 1950s and early 1960s by Harper.

The Encyclopedia of Collectible Children’s Books (ISBN: 978-1-57432-575-1) is priced at $29.95, hard cover. Check with your local bookseller or online at www.collectorbooks.com.

Donna Miller

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Gilding Techniques An Art Form For Centuries

BOOK REVIEW

Gold! It catches the attention of everyone almost every time. And it is the topic of a new book for collectors by Kirsten Beuster: Gold - Gilding History & Techniques.

The author states that “in the realm of artistic handiwork, gold is a great challenge, for it sets not only the highest demands for precise workmanship, but also requires sensible application because of its colorful dominance... the greatest possible care, neatness, patience ... are required.”

Gilding is a process which has been used for thousands of years; it can be found on artifacts of ancient Egyptians, Persians, Babylonians, Mayas and Aztecs.

By the 12th century, “gold frames” were being made. These frames, gilded with gold-leaf, eventually developed to the point where they became works of art in themselves. They were one of the most portable works of art, and valuable frames were reworked, copied or made with variations in the following couple of centuries. The chapter on picture and mirror frames is a most interesting look at a form of art that tends to be overlooked today.

The book covers the tools and materials needed for working with gold; the techniques used for gilding on various surfaces; and specific decorating techniques such as engraving, hatching, trembling, chasing and rubbing. (Trembling is a procedure that is used to imitate the textures of textiles or enhance the background of a golden surface.)

If you have an interest in how gold has been used for decorative purposes, and especially if you’d like to try using it yourself in some way, this will be a very useful book. It’s also an interesting book from a historical standpoint, since gold has been such a constant in almost all societies for thousands of years.

Gold - Gilding History & Techniques (ISBN: 978-0-7643-2872-5) is a recent Schiffer publication. It is priced at $19.95. Check with your local bookseller or see the online catalog at www.schifferbooks.com.

Donna Miller