Two white swans drift serenely across the rippled blue surface of Echo Park Lake in this vivid linen-era postcard, flanked by towering Canary Island palms, billowing pampas grass in blush and cream, and a red-roofed hillside cottage peering through the eucalyptus — a scene that makes 1930s Los Angeles look almost impossibly idyllic. Echo Park Lake, just northwest of downtown LA, was one of the city's great democratic pleasures, beloved by picnickers, boaters, and lotus-watchers alike, and its pampas grass plumes became one of the most-photographed landmarks in the early postcard era. Mailed from Los Angeles in July 1936 during the height of the Depression, the card carries a densely written message from a woman named M. Kashiwa — possibly to a friend or relative named Mrs. J.E. Scott in San Diego — discussing a visit, Pelican [?] notations, and warm personal regards. The card was published by M. Kashiwan Co. of Los Angeles and printed in the USA, bearing a 1¢ green Washington stamp with a Los Angeles Arcade Annex machine cancel. The penciled dealer price of 50¢ on the back suggests this card passed through early collector hands.