Antique & Vintage Postcards

A dusty road winds beneath tall eucalyptus trees toward the terraced hillside town of Los Realejos on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands — captured in this early 1900s black-and-white postcard printed by Nobregas English Bazar (No. 8), one of the premier postcard publishers serving the Canary Islands tourist and maritime trade. Distant whitewashed buildings cling to a volcanic hillside beneath hazy mountains, evoking the quiet colonial charm of this Spanish island crossroads. Mailed with a Spanish 10 céntimos stamp postmarked "S. Cruz" (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), the card was sent to Adelaide Carroll at No. 1 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, USA — a reminder of the transatlantic social networks of the Edwardian era, when Tenerife served as a vital coaling and provisioning stop for ocean liners. The message, written in cursive across the left side, appears to be a personal greeting.