Postcards

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This afternoon, like many other island history buffs, I watched “Galveston in the Rage of Postcards, 1898-1918,” a live lecture by local native son and collector Richard Eisenhour. The presentation was hosted by the Galveston Historical Foundation and accessible via Facebook and the GHF website. (I understand the presentation will now be archived and accessible via #GalvestonHistory.com).

The presentation started at 2 p.m. and lasted for about 90 minutes and, due to the talents of the presenter, the time flew by far too quickly.

One by one, dozens of historic postcards appeared on screen as the enthusiastic and highly knowledgeable Eisenhour educated us about their origins and significance.

Admittedly, I came to the presentation with high interest, as I too am (and have been) an avid postcard collector. Now, I don't claim to possess any museum-quality postcards, but I do have a personal collection that dates back to my childhood.

Long before I bought The Bungalow, I was visiting Galveston and picking up local postcards to send to friends - and to keep. Thanks to Eisenhour, I’m now looking through all of them again to see exactly what I have.

The Flagship Hotel

Eisenhour suggested looking for postcards with pictures of landmarks that no longer dot the landscape of the island, indicating those would be considered significant now.

And, guess what? I found a few postcards just like that.

Old Galveston Causeway

• One of the Flagship Hotel
• One of the Balinese Room
• One of Murdoch’s before Hurricane Ike
* One of the Old Galveston Causeway

What fun it’s been to find these old postcards and how nostalgic it is to look at them again; it’s as though I’m looking at photographs of long-lost friends.

I will always fondly remember The Flagship Hotel and The Balinese Room and Murdoch’s the way it used to be.

As for the original causeway…? Well, I don’t remember it as depicted in this old postcard. And, that’s probably good. I would not have enjoyed driving across Galveston Bay on a low bridge with such low side rails. In this case, it’s far better for me to simply hold on to this postcard — evidence of the island’s uniquely historic past.



Murdochs

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Murdochs, located at 2215 Seawall Blvd., is the largest and most popular souvenir shop in Galveston. It is open seven days a week, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

It was built in the sand of the Gulf, on piers, in the 1800s, before the construction of The Seawall. Originally, it was a bathhouse, where island visitors could rent bathing suits and take showers.

Murdochs, with no protection from an angry sea, was destroyed by The Great Storm of 1900. It was rebuilt in 1901, but reconstruction has been required again and again - following additional violent storms in 1909, 1915 and 2008.

Today, Murdochs’ customers climb up one of two staircases to enter one of two entrances leading into one of two large showrooms, both filled with all things “beach.” There are souvenir shirts and hats, sunglasses and sandals, coffee mugs, shells of every shape and size, and hundreds of other coastal trinkets and decor items, The showroom on the west side features a bar-like, refreshment stand offering a variety of child- and adult-friendly beverages and snacks.

Connecting the two showrooms is a long covered porch, complete with dozens of big white Adirondeck chairs Often, I go there to watch waves roll onto the shore below or seagulls soaring high above. Always, there is an endless breeze that cools my skin and warms my soul.

Hanging out on the beach below Murdochs is a treat too. On any given day, you will see families or groups of friends gathering there to enjoy the sand and surf - and shade!