Tall Lombardy poplars stand like sentinels above the mirror-still canals of Xochimilco in this lush Curteich linen card, water lilies in pink and white dotting the dark surface below — a scene that has drawn visitors to Mexico City's ancient "floating gardens" for centuries, and that traveler Howard captured for his mother in September 1951. Howard's message is warm and affectionate, telling "Dear Mother" that the boat trip was "a top better than a day" in Mexico City, and that he'd made it to "Xochimilco & Allipules (Alpuyecas?)" — a glimpse of a mid-century American tourist navigating Mexico's wonders with cheerful imprecision. Photographed by William Berlin Goolsby and produced as Curteich card 9A-H1874, the piece pairs beautifully with its companion Popocatepetl card (PC-04987), suggesting both were sold together in the same tourist set.