Parks

Postcard showing the steps leading up Santa Lucia Hill in Santiago, Chile.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Here we see the main entrance to the park at close range.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard showing Santa Lucia Hill in Santiago, Chile. Charles C. Myers notes that this was the location of the first park in the city.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “wind paths in and out to shady nooks and brooks and observation points.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

A lake in Rio de Janeiro lined with statues, and with a fountain in the middle. Palms and other trees line its banks, and a clocktower stands in the background. This postcard was created by gluing a photograph to the front of a different postcard, as indicated by a crossed-out description on the back.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “We are now well within the straits and on March 2nd we reach Sandy Point or Punta Arenas which is just at the entrance to the narrow part of the straits and is the southernmost city in the world. Punta Arenas is a thriving city of about 20,000 population made up mostly of Spanish, French, Portugese [sic] and a few German people. It is one of the leading places in the world for furs and meat. You can get the finest kind of furs at almost your own price.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

A view of the zoological gardens in Rio de Janeiro’s Republic Square. A number of swans swim in the pond of water, while other birds stand along the shoreline. Paths lined with lights run along the water’s bank. Charles C. Myers says that this is one of “several beautiful parks of the city.”

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “A corner in the zoological gardens. This is an interesting place to visit as her you see a collection of animals and birds like you see no place else in the whole world.”

Postcard of a view of a park in Rio de Janeiro. Large plants and trees grow alongside a calm body of water, while buildings are partially blocked behind trees.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “In another one of the beautiful parks of the city where you see many kinds of palm trees, many kinds of ferns, banana trees, century plant and others to [sic] numerous to mention, and also many kinds of insects and reptiles whose acquaintance you will not want to cultivate. Now perhaps we just as well know of a few of the disadvantages of these beautiful tropical countries as we go along. i presume many of you will will [sic] quite agree with me as to liking insects and reptiles best when they are farthest away, however not many kinds of the tropical insect and reptile family are poisonous, not so many as you would think. Lizards of all kinds abound there but perhaps the one to be avoided most is the white lizard. One of these little fellows crawled across the hand of one of our party when we were enjoying ourselves in the park one day and where the lizzard [sic] touched his hand it seemed to exude some sort of a liquid which caused his hand to be very sore and painful for a month or more. Mosquitoes are also very troublesome there at times and they are very large, honestly a great many of them would weigh a pound–but it would no doubt take a great many to weigh a pound.

The story is told of the captains of a couple of small sailing vessels that recently went up a river toward the interior of Brazil. When the second ship was going up the river they met the first one coming down the river and the captain called to the other, “And how did you find the mosquitoes up the river?” when the first captain replied, “I say sir they are very bad up there, a drove of them come along and eat the sales all off my ship.” “Ah yes,” says the other captain, “That must have been the same drove we met coming down the river for they all had canvass breeches on.”

This postcard shows a view of one of Rio de Janeiro’s many parks. Tall trees are reflected in the still water.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “A view of another one of the parks in the city. In this park you will not see many palm trees–mostly the eucalyptus or gum tree.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

This postcard shows a wide view over a manicured lawn dotted with trees and shrubs. A lake stands in the background. While the view looks like a park, Charles C. Myers instead says that it is a normal view from a suburb of Rio de Janeiro.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Here is a section of one of the parks and recreation grounds in the outskirts of the city. Also there is a ball ground that is not shown in this picture.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

This postcard shows a panorama view of a portion of Punta Arenas. In the foreground is a park with wide paths where people walk, while the background has numerous buildings stretching into the distance.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Here we see a panorama view of part of the city of Punta Arenas. It is summer time there and the people seem to think it is delightful weather, but after coming from the tropics we are glad to keep well wrapped up as it seems to be the coldest weather we ever saw.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard showing the Plaza Vicuña Mackenna in Santiago, Chile.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Here we see a beautiful and remarkable piece of art in this great statue which was erected in 1891 in honor and memory of Don Benjamin Mackenna, in whose honor this plaza was named. Mackenna was an Irishman and a noted Historian as well as a military man. It was he who conceived the idea of surrounding the city with a belt of trees to prevent undue extensions in a struggling form. For several years prior to his death in 1890, he had wielded his pen with much power and foresight for the further development and advancement of his country.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard showing the Plaza de Armas and Hotel de France in Santiago, Chile. Charles C. Myers comments on the weekly band concerts and socialization in the park.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Overlooking a section of the Plaza des Armas we see the Hotel de France which is the leading hotel of the city as well as one of the leading hotels of South America. Plaza des Armas is a small but beautiful park in the central part of the city and is a very interesting place to visit especially on nights when band concerts are held. It is very amusing to seat yourself near the broad walk that encircles the park and watch proceedings. It is an old Spanish custom, and still practiced extensively, that for amusement and passtime, [sic] the senoras and senoritas (ladies) will walk in one direction and on the inside of the circular walk while the caballeros (cabreelyos [sic]) (gentlemen) walk in the opposite direction. Much is said to ba [sic] accomplished by the “language of the eye” in this way.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard showing Cousino Park in Santiago, Chile.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Park cousino is to Santiago as Hyde Park is to London. There are many beautiful sections of this park.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard showing Cousiño Park in Santiago, Chile.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “There is large driveways where every one is seen driving and exhibiting their swell turnouts and beautiful steeds and in the carriages are to be seen the large-eyed beauties of the Chilean femenine [sic] world.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard showing the restaurant in Cousiño Park in Santiago, Chile.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “In this park are also ball and tennis grounds and places for all other kind of sports and here we see one of the cafe and refreshment parlors. In the summer time some of the days may seem Real hot but the cool and pleasant nights will serve as a tonic to all.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard with a black and white photograph of American naval soldiers and Japanese people at Ueno Park in Tokyo, Japan. Charles C. Myers writes of the hospitality of Japanese people towards foreign visitors on the reverse side of the postcard.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Entrance to Ueno Park where was also held mant banquets to entertain the men of the American Fleet. Everything was free. I also visited several of the noted Japanese Temples. One Temple that was built over 300 yrs ago is yet in perfect shape and finished inside in gold and the aechitectural designs would even puzzle the artizan of today. The Japanese are noted for their cleanliness and when visiting any of their churches as well as many other buildings you are required to leave your shoes at the entrance and you will find everything within as clean as a dining room table.

Even some of the larger department stores have waiters at the door to place moccasins over your shoes so that no dirt may get in the store and that you may not scratch the smooth floor, with your shoes.”

Postcard with a colored photograph of the entrance of Hibiya Park in Tokyo, Japan.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “Entrance to Hybia park where many banquets and entertainments were held while the American sailors were there.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Postcard with a colored picture of Ziunisorc Tsunohatsu Tokyo, Japan.

Comments and Context

In Charles C. Myers’s own words, “A view in one of the Japanese Parks near Tokyo.”

Collection

Charles C. Myers Collection

Pictured are scenes in Ponta Delgada, St. Michael’s, Azores, including the Mae de Deus (Mother of God) church. When Theodore Roosevelt stopped at this island on his journey to Africa he visited this spot, which was then called Roosevelt Park. A tablet on the church bore the inscription “Passeio Público Theodore Roosevelt.” The caption “Remembrance of the 30th of March 1909” – the date of Roosevelt’s visit – appears below.

Collection

Fritz R. Gordner Collection

Creation Date

1909

William Boyce Thompson, a wealthy financier, founder of the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research at Yonkers, and first president of the Roosevelt Memorial Association, actively began supporting Theodore Roosevelt for the 1920 Republican presidential nomination just before Roosevelt’s death in January 1919. He appears here with friends, posing in front of an unidentified monument and walking through a city park; the woman standing beside him may be his wife, Gertrude Hickman Thompson.

Collection

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Creation Date

1920

Theodore Roosevelt responds to Richard Lieber’s “scheme” regarding giving parks to the people of Indiana in a celebration of the state’s centennial.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1916-05-21

Uncle Sam and a female figure identified as Liberty stroll through a park among trees labeled “Equal Rights, Free Press, Free Schools, Free Speech, Free Ballot, Constitution, [and] Religious Liberty.” Around the bases of the trees are many mushrooms labeled “Total Abstinence Fanatics, Monopoly, Socialist, Nihilist, Dynamiter, Communist, Anarchist, Demagogism, Bribery, [and] Corrupt,” and a vine labeled “Protection” is beginning to strangle a tree labeled “Unrestricted Commerce.” Puck, sitting on a tree branch, tells Uncle Sam that he needs to clear out the fungus before it destroys “Liberty’s” park. Some of the mushrooms have faces that might be identified. Caption: Uncle Sam – Hello, Puck, are you “up a tree”? – Puck – No, but you will be if you don’t clear this stuff out pretty soon!

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1885-02-25