Women on Postcards | L Is for Loren

One of the most Agnès Varda's iconic images is Sofia Loren in Portugal, taken in 1956 in Póvoa de Varzim, (Portugal). It shows Maria do Alívio ("woman who does laundry for others"), walking, dressed in black and barefoot, down a street, Rua das Lavadeiras, in contrast to the smiling, torn poster showing Sophia Loren and the sign "For Sale". Despite the title, no doubt who is the main character here.

The postcard was sent by Pedro (Portugal). As a bonus, a stamp of the photographer issued in 2024 that I received on a letter sent by Fabienne (France):

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

[Women on Stamps]

Sunday Stamps | Phillis Wheatley

This stamp, issued on 29 January 2026, honours poet Phillis Wheatley (ca 1753–1784), the first author of African descent in the American colonies to publish a book. The stamp art features a black-and-white ink-on-paper portrait of Wheatley by Kerry James Marshall, who imagines her later in life --That choice stirred a bit of controversy.

The envelope was sent by Phillip (the USA). More about this stamp.

Go to Sunday Stamps to see more stamps about Famous or accomplished people.

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Old Trains

I have not received any postcards with trains recently, so I am re-posting old ones...

Dampflokomotive Nr. 30 (1904)
(Germany)

Dampflokomotiven Nr. ZRS 422 0108
MÁV 22.034 und CSD 313 432 in Zvolen AM 11
(Hungary)

Nova Gorica Railway Station and Večnamenska locomotive (1944)
(Slovenia)

The Locomotve No. 23
(United States)

And remember...

Sent by Yvonne (Germany), Bertalan (Hungary), Jože (Slovenia), Catherine (the USA) and Laura (the UK).

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Thursday Postcard Hunt
August theme: TRAVELLING

• Week 1 - Trains
• Week 2 - Boats
• Week 3 - Animals
• Week 4 - Buses, Cars

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

Summer Mail - VII | Three Octopuses

One octopus, two octopuses, three octopuses...

Letter sent by Phillip (the USA).

Women on Postcards | I Is for Inspiration

This is a postcard from an exhibition of Willy Viez's works from 1999, but it was recently sent by Fabienne (France). I have not been able to find who the woman on this postcard is (as is often the case). But she certainly inspired the photographer.

There is a short text on the back:

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Sunday Stamps | Q Is for Quote

These stamps belongs to set The Romantic Poems, issued by Royal Mail on 7 April 2020. You can see the whole set here.

This is my Q-entry for Sunday Stamps.

Women on Postcards | G Is for Garland-Gumm-Gale

I used a postcard from this series to illustrate letter O (Oz) in the Women on Postcards project. Since Marina sent me another one, I thought it would work for the G.

Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; 1922 – 1969) was an American actress and singer who became a cultural icon. She achieved international recognition for her portrayal of Dorothy Gale in the musical film The Wizard of Oz (1939). 

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Year of the Fire Horse [OUT]

Mail sent to Heleen (the Netherlands), Fabienne (France) and Phillip (the USA).

Women on Postcards | A Is for Aksinia

Aksinia and Grigory are the main characters of And Quiet Flows the Don or The Silent Don (Тихий Дон), a novel in four volumes by Russian writer Mikhail Sholokhov, who on the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1965.

The postcard was sent by Eduard, and includes stamps of the author of the Nobel and other Nobel laureates from Russia in literature.

Mikhail Sholokhov 
(1905-1984)

Boris Leonidovich Pasternak
(1890-1960)

Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin
(1870-1953)

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Women on Postcards | O Is for Oz

It has been a while since the last time I received mail from Oz! 

Postcard sent by Marina (USA).

Dorothy, 2015
Janelle Dimmett

Not a postcard, but Dorothy and her friends also appear on this handmade envelope (from a calendar sheet), with the greenest stamps:

Both pieces of mail were sent by Phillip (the USA).

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Snail Mail Alert!

An entire letter was written on the back of these postcards, a paragraph on each one. There were posted around 1st October (World Postcard Day), in two batches on different days. The amazing part is that they arrived all together a month later. This time, the snails did their job!

250th Anniversary of Jane Austen’s Birth

2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and I have been celebrating throughout the year. Apart from re-reading some Austen's books... getting and sending Austen-related mail, of course!

"Nobody minds having what is too good for them."
Mansfield Park

I guess I can add a Brönte-related postcard: the earliest know image of Haworth Parsonage.

All sent by Laura (the UK).

It Is Cold Out There

"Sky-scrappers" at St Martin Quarter
Cuenca, Spain

"When it rains, it's a whole different scene. Or when there's a blizzard, it's the best time, told the filmmakers of Bill Cunningham New York, the 2011 documentary."

 

Postcards sent by Bryon (USA & Canada), and Bruno (Spain).

Bishop's Rock Real Photograph

The Bishop Rock Lighthouse is located in the westernmost part of the Isles of Scilly. The Guinness Book of Records lists it as the world's smallest island with a building on it.

The original iron lighthouse was begun in 1847 but was washed away before it could be completed. The present building was completed in 1858 and was first lit on 1 September that year. Before the installation of the helipad, visitors to the lighthouse would rappel from the base (with winches installed at the lamp level and at the base) to boats waiting away from the lighthouse.

On the back of these black and white postcards you can read: "Guaranteed real photograph".

Postcards sent by Alan and John (the UK).

Sunday Stamps | I Is for Isabella II

The first Spanish stamps reproduce the image of Isabella II, queen o Spain from 1833 until 1868. The same stamp was issued in different colours and face values. 

Spain was the tenth country to adopt the innovative system ot the stamps, and the first Spanish stamps were issued on 1st January 1850. Until 1865, stamps were presented without perforation, with a separation between stamps of one mil·límetre, and had to be separated by scissors. 

6.227.090 of these black stamps were sold during 1850. However, only five envelopes bearing it have survived.

On 7 January 2025, this self-adhesive stamp was issued to commemorate the 175th anniversary.

(This is the I-post for A-Z Sunday Stamps.)