This month we listed some postcards up on this website from Washington State. They all strike me as interesting, but in particular this real photo postcard grabbed my attention.
It is called Winter Scene Snoqualmie Pass which I believe is apparent from the stark reality that you can barely see the dwellings for all the feet of snow around them. Snoqualmie Pass is in Washington State which travels through the Cascade Range. Interstate 90 is the road that goes through it. This road is kept open year round even if it has an average of 400 inches of snow yearly. In doing the research it looks like on average, August is the only month that does not have snow.
Even though it was interesting to learn about Snoqualmie Pass it was the name Ellis that I found on the postcard that caught my attention. I wondered who is Ellis?
As it turns out Ellis on the postcard referred to Ellis Postcard Company from Arlington, Washington. It was a father and son team, John Boyd Ellis and his son Clifford Ellis. After university John Boyd Ellis became the principal of Maryville High School in Washington until he left in 1921 when he purchased the photography studio in Arlington. John Boyd Ellis retired in 1959.
John Boyd Ellis would travel around Washington taking photographs of the scenery and then sell them in his business. When his son became old enough he would travel with his father and then eventually took over the business after his father’s retirement. With having produced around 5000 postcards can you imagine the legacy this family has left? Just looking at this postcard and reading this blog is proof that their photography has carried on long after he passed away in 1983 and his son in 1992.
There are several of his real photo postcards on our website but another one that caught a second glance from me was Along American River - Naches Pass Highway. The photo shows a serene scene of the trees, road and river, but there is a car pictured in the photo. Do you think that was his car and he walked up the road to get just the right spot to take this photograph? Maybe he climbed up the hill to get the perfect shot?
Along American River- Naches Pass Highway
The Ellis Postcard Company usually photographed locations around Washington State but I came across this postcard of At the Top of Lewiston Hill which is Idaho. I believe it is lovely that they shared some picturesque scenery from Idaho also.
I’ve never been to Washington, but when I do travel there these will be on my places to see – maybe I will wait for August though.
