Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 100+ years

A bird's-eye view of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

This postcard shows the indomitable Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as seen from the air looking south. The 559 acre facility was opened in 1909 for balloon, motorcycle and auto racing. The first 500 mile race was held in 1911.

Last year the speedway celebrated the 100th anniversary of the speedway. This year race, scheduled for Sunday, May 27, 2012, will be the 96th running of the race. It closed only during World War II, 1942-1945.

I date this photo postcard sometime after 1957 when a new control tower was built but before grandstands in the fourth turn at the southwest end were built. Today, yet another control tower is in place.

This postcard, along with several others, was purchased by me at the track during the 1964 race. I was 11 at the time and loved aerial views. Looking at the picture postcard now, I see it's publisher, the speedway, could have benefited from some cropping, flipping, and editing. Though the intent was to show the size of the speedway complex, a two and a half mile rectangular course, complete with 18 hole golf course inside and outside the race track, many details are out of focus.

In the 100-plus years of the speedways have seen many firsts. One of the novel changes to the usual racing milieu was the flying start. Instead of the cars lined up on the track at the starting, as in Formula 1 races of today, the start of the Indianapolis begins when the starter waves the green flag as the cars approach the starting line. The cars are arranged in 11 rows with three cars in each row. Most automobile races begin with cars two abreast. The effect of 33 cars exceeding 200 mph is both frightening and awe inspiring.

You can find four homemade videos of the Indianapolis 500 flying start below. The video gives you but a hint of the speed, the noise and the excitement of the flying start.

Find other Indianapolis Speedway postcards from my collection here.

Oh, say can you see...

This card of Fort McHenry was one of two cards sent recently by Stephen from Baltimore, Maryland. This was the fort the British bombarded for 25 hours on September 13, 1814, during the War of 1812. Had they passed and landed in Baltimore Harbor we Americans might be a part of the U.K. This is also the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem "Defense of Fort McHenry. The poem would later be set to music, eventually retitled the Star-Spangled Banner and designated our national anthem in 1931. The site today is a national monument and an historic shrine under the authority of the National Park Service.

Geronimo and Nachez, Chiracahua Apache Chiefs

Friends Jan and Rick sent this photo reproduction postcard while on their travels in the American Southeast. The photo was taken by Camilius S. Fly in the Sierra Madre Mountains on March 27, 1886, during a truce in the fighting between U.S. soldiers and the Apache Nation. The reverse side identifies the subjects: left to right, Son of Geronimo, White Horse, holding Nahi's baby girl: Geronimo mounted; Natches (Naiche), son of Cochise, and hereditary chief, mounted & wearing hat; Fun, considered the bravest fighter in Geronimo's band." The description also says, "The Apache Wars lasted from 1872-1886, with (U.S. Army) General Crook in constant pursuit of Geronimo and his warriors." Though the card makes no note of it, Geronimo nicknamed Crook, Nanton Lupan, which means Grey Fox, and each man respected the other and gained each others trust. Crook often defended Geronimo and the native people from unscrupulous Indian Agents and from unfounded rumors printed in newspapers of the time. Crook was repremanded for his tolerant attitude toward the Chiracahua bands and replaced by brigadier general Nelson Miles. Crook spent his last years speaking out against the unjust treatment of native peoples. See the book, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, for an account of the Apache Wars and Crooks role.
This is an AZUSA Publishing Post Card. Their web site is worth the visit. See their amazing collection of historical postcards here.

Mother and Child

This beautiful mother and child photo postcard was sent to me in July by Postcrosser Jying. She is an 18-year-old student in Taiwan studying communication design. By the looks of this homemade card she is well on her way to success in her chosen field.

In the photo Jying's hands hold a photo that was taken of her mother holding the infant Jying. She said she likes the photo because it reminds her of her mother. To me, it is both an iconic picture of love of mother for child and a daughter's way of remembering and honoring her mother's gift of life.

Thank you, Jying, for this precious postcard.

If you would like to send and receive unique and interesting postcards from around the world, join Postcrossing.

Golden Gate Bridge

Vic, one of my postcard swappers from Postcrossing, sent me this wonderful historical reproduction postcard. The postcard's picture shows Fort Point (now a National Historic Site) in the foreground and San Francisco Bay -- the future site of the Golden Gate Bridge. (Now if we can just get the postal service to quit ink-marking the face of our valued postcards.) For an unmarred view of this historical photo click this link. For a contemporary picture of the bridge, showing Fort Point under the bridge's supporting arch, go here.



Some postcards just get to you. This one did me. I think I began to imagine the sheer scale of the task. Pondering this scene with the tiny steam-powered tug and a three-masted clipper ship in the waters of the bay made me appreciate what a monumental task a bridge of this magnitude requires. Constructed during years of economic depression, 1933-1937, it was the longest suspension span bridge in the world(4,200ft). It took great vision, endless engineering calculations, and years of difficult labor to construct. It is a bridge to the future.