USA - Illinois

Published by William Darton, Jr. (English c. 1781-1854)

Walker's Tour through Ireland, a New Geographical Pastime,

Published March 9, 1812.  

This card shows a map of Ireland.  A copy of the map was used in the 2015 exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago called Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690-1840.

The exhibit was quite successful.  Originally scheduled for March 17, 2015 through June 7th, it was extended until June 21, 2015 by popular demand.  Below is an ad card for the exhibit, featuring a green portable harp c. 1820 by John Egan.

USA - Illinois

The Interior of the Stables at Carton, County Kildare; a Liveried Groom, Lord Charles William FitzGerald, and his Sister Lady Jane Seymore FitzGerald, c. 1825 - George Nairn (Irish, 1799-1850).

This painting was featured at the Art Institute of Chicago's  Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690–1840 exhibit in early 2015. 

The subject of the art is thankfully named in the title, so we can see what happened to Lord Charles William and his sister Lady Jane.  I really love this kind of investigation into postcards, either if it is the subject of the postcard or was the sender of an old, previously sent postcard I purchased.

Lord Charles William FitzGerald, pictured upon the white horse in the painting/postcard was born March 30, 1819 and passed away February, 10 1887.  He was 4th Duke of Leinster and, until 1847 stylized as Marquess of Kildare.   He would have 15 children, with the last one dying in 1955.   (via Wikipedia.) 

Lady Jane Seymore FitzGerald, pictured just below the white horses nose, was born February 5, 1824, making her about 1 year old in this painting if the date is correct.  She would marry British Conservative Politician and Member of Parliament George William John Repton (1818 – August 30, 1906).  She would die on November 3, 1898.

The estate where the painting was made, Carton, was also where Lord Charles William FizGerald would live and pass away.  In the 2000's much of the estate was transformed into two golf courses and the house into a hotel.  (according to Wikipedia.)

USA - Illinois

The Berghoff

During the 2016 holiday season I had lunch at Berghoff and the server gave us a free postcard.  Apparently they were cleaning out things upstairs and found boxes of Berghoff Postcards. 

For those who aren't from the Chicago area, The Berghoff Restaurant is one of the iconic and famous Chicago institutions.  Began in 1898 by German immigrant and brewer Herman Joseph Berghoff.  Located at 17 West Adams Street, and known for the iconic sign, the restaurant was issued the city's first liquor license at the end of Prohibition in 1933, an honor that is renewed each year. 

The restaurant closed supposedly permanently on February 28, 2006.  The announcement had been made two months earlier and for those months there were lines around the block in the frozen Chicago winter for people to get in again.  The turning off of the iconic sign was even featured on the evening news that night.   

Berghoff thankfully reopened later that year and still remains open to this day.

USA - Illinois

Pierre- Auguste Renoir, 1867 - Frederic Bazille (French, 1841-1870)

This painting of the famous artist Renoir was on loan from the Musee d' Orsay in Paris for the 2013 Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago.

USA - Illinois

The Interior of the Palm House on the Pfaueninsel Near Potsdam, 1834 - Carl Blechen (German, 1798-1840).

The painting features a number of women laying and sitting on rugs.  The painting is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.

USA - Illinois

Carolan the Irish Bard, c. 1844 0 James Christopher Timbrell (Irish, 1807-1850)

This painting was featured in an Art Institute of Chicago exhibit on Irish Art a few years ago.  The subject of the card is Turlough O'Carolan (center of the card, 1670 – 25 March 1738) who was a blind Irish harpist and bard.    

USA - Illinois

Tavern Scene: Woman fanning chestnuts

This card shows a detail from yesterday's Neapolitan Creche at the Art Institute of Chicago

USA - Illinois

Creche, (mid 18th century, Naples)

This massive Neapolitan Creche manger scene is on display for only a few weeks each year at the Art Institute of Chicago due to the fragility of the various figures inside around the holiday season and is one of the finest examples of the artwork outside of Italy.  

More can be read about the Creche at the Art Institute of Chicago page for it as well as some other close up photos of the figures inside.

USA - Illinois

Chicago

This card features a view of Buckingham Fountain in Chicago.  One of the largest fountains in the world, the fountain was inspired by some at the Palace of Versailles and was dedicated on August 26, 1927.

USA - Illinois

The Artist and His Family - Adam Buck (Irish,1759-1833)

USA - Illinois

The Interior of the Palm House on the Pfaueninsel Near Potsdam, 1834 - Carl Blechen (German, 1798-1840)

A closer image of the cards is can be found here.

USA - Illinois

Girl by the Window, 1893 - Edvard Munch

USA - Illinois

The Interior of the Stables at Carton, County Kildare; a Liveried Groom, Lord Charles William FitzGerld, and his Sister Lady Jane Seymour FitzGerald, c. 1825 - George Naim (Irish, 1799 - 1850)

This painting was a part of the Art Institute of Chicago 2014 exhibit  Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690–1840.  The two named figures in the painting Charles William FitzGerald was the 4th Duke of Leinster was born in 1819 and died in 1897 and his sister Jane Seymore (FitzGerld) Repton was born in 1825 and died in 1898.  

USA - Illinois

Are They Thinking About the Grape?, 1747 - Francois Boucher (French, 1703-1770)

This photo of a pastoral scene is housed at the Art Institute of Chicago.

USA - Illinois

Picture of Dorian Gray, 1943-1944 - Ivan Albright (American, 1897-1983)

This painting is held and on display a the Art Institute of Chicago.  It was a gift of the author in 1977.

USA - Illinois

Angela Ingersoll, Kymberly Mellen, and Kevin Gudahl in The Comedy of Errors (2008) directed by Barbara Gaines

This card comes from the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, located on Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois.  I got this in large part to send it to my Roman-born-Shakespeare-loving friend Silvia who is lucky enough to live in London where there is a ton of Shakespeare to see!

USA - Illinois

Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, about 1879-81)- Edgar Degas 

This statue was part of the 2015 Art Institute of Chicago exhibit entitled Degas: An the Track, On the Stage.  A copy of this artwork resides at the Art Institute.

USA - Illinois

Crolan the Irish Bard, c. 1844 - James Christopher Timbrell (Irish, 1807-1850)

The subject of this painting and postcard is Turlough O'Carolan, the blind harpist at the center of the photo.  This painting was on display in Chicago at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2014 for an exhibit on Irish Art.

USA - Illinois

Self-Portrait with Cigarette, 1895 - Edvard Munch

This painting was part of an exhibit on Edvard Munch (probably best known as the painter of the painting The Scream) at the Art Institute of Chicago.

USA - Illinois

The Millinery Shop, 1879/86 - Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917)

This card is the the above listed painting.  The painting is house at the Art Institute of Chicago.  There is some discrepancy as to whether the women pictured is meant to be a worker in the shop or a customer due to her brassy buckle around her dress.