Antique & Vintage Postcards

Pink-finned Fords sleep in open garages behind a tidy white picket fence at the Blackstone Motel in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho — a sun-drenched scene that perfectly encapsulates the optimism of postwar American motor travel, complete with a flamingo lawn ornament standing sentinel beside a rock-rimmed garden pond. Located at 2009 Sherman Avenue in "Idaho's city by the lake," the Blackstone offered eight modern units — singles, doubles, and kitchenettes — along with a large shaded court, TV, and radio, all the luxuries a mid-century road tripper could desire. The Spanish Colonial Revival roofline with its terracotta tiles gives the modest property unexpected architectural flair, while lawn chairs scattered across the manicured grass invite the traveler to linger. Published by the Ross Hall Studio of Sandpoint, Idaho, and printed by the Dexter Press of West Nyack, New York (catalog no. 37682-B), this chrome-era card is a crisp document of a now-vanished slice of Route-era Idaho hospitality. The reverse carries a penciled notation "EL / 1—" suggesting a price or inventory mark from a former dealer.