At first glance one might think these men dressed in crisp white jackets and bowties are a squad of waiters at a hotel restaurant. But the brass instruments and drums in front of them are a giveaway that they are an octet of musicians. They are posed outdoors under a cover along a long wall of salon doors. Yet this is not some boulevard cafe. They are on the deck of a ship.
It is not obvious that this is a ship, but there is a proper wooden deck, doorways with a raised sill, and a hint of nautical gear in the background. But what makes me certain is a postmark on the back of this postcard.
NORDKAP
9 VII 27
9 VII 27
The lengthy message is in German but the spiky handwriting defeats my attempts at even a partial translation. But NORDKAP. or more properly Nordkapp, is not in Germany. It's in Norway, a very, very long way from almost everywhere. And in 1927 the only way you could send a postcard from Nordkapp was if you traveled by ship to get there. It was a popular tourist destination for Germans.
_to_the_North_Cape,_Published1891.jpg) |
| Admiralty Chart No 1479 Norway The Naze (Lindesnes) to the North Cape, Published 1891 Source: Wikimedia |
The North Cape is located on the coastline of the Barents Sea, on the island of Magerøya in Northern Norway. It is 5 degrees above the Arctic Circle and about 2,102.3 km (1,306.3 miles) from the North Pole. The terrain at the cape is marked by a 307 meter-high cliff (1,007 ft) which tops out onto a large flat plateau. This point affords dramatic views of the Barents Sea and the surrounding coastline.
 |
| Neptun at North Cape, 1908 Source: Wikimedia |
The remote cliffs of Nordkapp became a tourist attraction in the late 19th century after the King of Sweden and Norway, Oscar II (1829 – 1907) made a trip to see it in 1873. This photo taken in 1908 shows a small Norwegian steamship, the Neptun, bringing tourists to the cape.
The landscape of the North Cape has remained largely unchanged in modern times. This photo, taken from a headland west of the cape, gives a larger view of the rugged coastal cliffs.
Tourists to Nordkapp, then, and now, could come ashore at Hornviken, a simple wooden dock at a rocky beach east of the cape. From there they hiked up a steep slope, holding onto wire hand lines, to reach the plateau at the top. This photo from 1890-1900 gives a thrilling perspective of this precipitous trail.
This next one from 2016 looks west. If you click the image to enlarge it, you can see a throng of people silhouetted along the skyline. I suspect, though, that everyone there arrived by bus or car. Traveling by steamship has to be several degrees higher on the adventure scale.
 |
| Nordkapp seen from Knivskjellodden, 2022-09-10 Source: Wikimedia |
The landscape of the North Cape has remained largely unchanged in modern times. This photo, taken from a headland west of the cape, gives a larger view of the rugged coastal cliffs.
 |
| View from Nordkapp to Knivskjellodden peninsula, September 2008 Source: Wikimedia |
That headland is called Knivskjellodden or Knifeblade and is actually the most northern point of Norway. This photo was taken from atop Nordkapp looking west to Knivskjellodden where the previous photo was taken. Nordkapp is considered the most northern point in Europe that is accessible by a public road. It is officially the E69 and was built in 1956. It is about 1,250 miles from Oslo, Norway. However, the coastline of Norway is so fractured by fjords, mountains, and islands, that traveling to the North Cape from Oslo requires a route that is almost entirely in Sweden.
This postcard shows a dramatic view on the eastern side of the North Cape promontory. A small boat, perhaps ferrying tourists over to a landing spot, floats on the glistening water. This card was not sent from Norway though, but from New York City.
The postmark is 18 July 1928 from the Hudson Terminal in New York City. It has a typewritten address to Mrs. Chas. Burkhardt of New Orleans, Louisiana. The printed message reads:
New York, July 17, 1928
The Reliance arrived early last evening at the North Cape
and left at two o'clock this morning, as reported
by radiogram, just received.
and left at two o'clock this morning, as reported
by radiogram, just received.
Midnight on the North Cape, the Northernmost
point in the Land of the Midnight Sun!
point in the Land of the Midnight Sun!
In the heart of the Artic (sic) Circle yet treading
on a vast carpet of violets and marigolds.
on a vast carpet of violets and marigolds.
At a Northern outpost of the heroic Vikings of old!
Although the drama of Spitzbergen is behind your friends,
they still are in the thrall of the Spell of Romance!
they still are in the thrall of the Spell of Romance!
HAMBURG-AMERICAN LINE
This card is an example of how radio technology in the 1920s allowed people traveling to distant places a new method to instantly communicate with their friends and families, even if it was just a generic reassurance that they had arrived safely. It must have seemed very exotic and modern for Mrs. Burkhardt.
.jpg) |
| 1929 HAPAG dinner menu from SS Reliance Source: Wikipedia |
The SS Reliance was one of a pair of transatlantic steam ocean liners that were launched in 1914 in Germany for the Hamburg America Line (HAPAG). It's original name was Johann Heinrich Burchard. In 1916 it was sold to a Dutch company and then after WW1 in 1922 it bought by an American firm. In July 1926 it returned to its first German ownes, HAPAG. The ship was 590 ft long with a beam of 80 ft. In 1922 it was outfitted with 290 1st class berths, 320 2nd class, 400 3rd class. In 1938 the Reliance was severely damaged in a fire and sold for scrap.
.jpg) |
| Nordkap. Udsigt mod Nord, circa 1890-1900 Source: Wikimedia |
Tourists to Nordkapp, then, and now, could come ashore at Hornviken, a simple wooden dock at a rocky beach east of the cape. From there they hiked up a steep slope, holding onto wire hand lines, to reach the plateau at the top. This photo from 1890-1900 gives a thrilling perspective of this precipitous trail.
.jpg) |
| Hornvika Valley, 10 July 2022 Source: Wikimedia |
The same view today show little change but the color makes it more plausible that there are carpets of violets and marigolds,
 |
| Opstigningen til Nordkap Hornviken, Norway, circa 1890-1900 Source: Wikimedia |
This photo from 1890-1900 shows the mountainous view looking up from the waterline. The snow adds another layer of peril for a hike to the top of Nordkapp. Considering it's location above the Arctic Circle, the tourist season was short, just a few months in the summer. Today, even with modern roads, travel to the North Cape can be very hazardous in winter.
 |
| Neptun in midnight sun, July 1907 Source: Wikimedia |
The highlight for visitors to the North Cape has always been to witness the light of the midnight sun. This natural phenomena, caused by the axial tilt of the Earth, occurs during the summer months in any place north of the Arctic Circle. It results in consecutive 24-hour periods of sunlight where the sun never sets. This second vintage photo of the steamship Neptun just off of Nordkapp cliffs shows the sun on the horizon.
_02.jpg) |
| Cabo Norte, July 2004 Source: Wikimedia |
Today the North Cape has a visitor center, parking lot, and various monuments at the top. This is a view from 2004 looking east.
 |
| North Cape east side, 2016 Source: Wikimedia |
I don't know the name of my musicians' ship. I suspect they might be German since the writer is German, but they could from a Scandinavian ship, too. What intrigues me is that travel in olden days was slower and lacked any of entertainment like movies or recorded music that we now take for granted. A band onboard probably provided several live concerts throughout the day to break up the monotony of the voyage. I expect these musicians doubled on string instruments to play softer music in the ship's dining room. They likely were engaged only for the summer season and returned to other musical ensembles during their off-season. I think I would have enjoyed playing in this band.
Here is a short time lapse from 2022
of the midnight sun effect at Nordkapp, Norway.
of the midnight sun effect at Nordkapp, Norway.
I didn't think it would be possible, but I did find one example
of historical film footage of musicians at Nordkapp.
Here is a clip from a British Pathé short entitled
Holiday scenes from the North Cape (1929).
The last ten seconds shows a group of couples from a cruise ship
dancing on the patio at the top of Nordkapp's dramatic cliff.
of historical film footage of musicians at Nordkapp.
Here is a clip from a British Pathé short entitled
Holiday scenes from the North Cape (1929).
The last ten seconds shows a group of couples from a cruise ship
dancing on the patio at the top of Nordkapp's dramatic cliff.
In the center is a brass band.
For all I know, they might be the same musicians as in my photo.
And to add some realism about what a cruise
to Norway's northern coast is really like,
here is a video of passengers on the cruise ship MS Maud Hurtigruten
enjoying themselves during Storm Pia in December 2023.
to Norway's northern coast is really like,
here is a video of passengers on the cruise ship MS Maud Hurtigruten
enjoying themselves during Storm Pia in December 2023.
Towards the end there is a helicopter that brings a pilot
to help navigate the ship after a wave
had broke through a window on the bridge
and disabled the steering.
to help navigate the ship after a wave
had broke through a window on the bridge
and disabled the steering.
This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday
where anything goes that floats your boat.
No comments:
Post a Comment