Bathing Beach, Parry Sound -45. PECO Ottawa

An elevated view looking north.

  • another sunny day, few clouds and what looks like calm water
  • the water level is quite low and much of the beach is exposed
  • our beach goers need to start swimming 30 or 40 feet from the beach
  • the dock extends our 40 or 50 feet from the Beach house and appears to take a few jobs to the elevated guard tower
  • the rock/stone breakwall on the south of the beach is evident
  • a black dog is testing the water
  • the Coast Guard dock is loaded with freight and 3 or 4 large buoys

Bathing Beach, Parry Sound, Ontario. The Photogelatine Engraving Co. Ltd.

A card from the early 60s with three good stamps of the young queen facing right (and curiously upside down). Its not clear that the card was mailed from Parry Sound since the postage mark is not decipherable.

  • A sunny day, with a few clouds and choppy water.
  • The water appears quite high again. In fact the beach house is no longer on the beach, it appears to be out into the water and the stone wall directly on the beach now appears to be a high water barrier.
  • A flag (possibly a red ensign) flaps in the wind to the left of the beach house.
  • a swing set and several people on the beach with towels wearing hats. A couple of people in the water.
  • the Lifesaver tower is empty
  • a dirt road stretches between the beach and the woods in the direction of the Coast Guard base. There appears to be telephone or electrical pole in the middle of this road.

Earl writes (actually types which must have been a labour) to his grandmother in  Harrowsmith, Ontario

He is back in school after a safe trip home (its unclear if home is in Parry Sound or somewhere else). He is enjoying the bread she sent with him. Rain has been a downer but the Teachers won their first play off game (baseball? hockey?) 6-2.

Municipal Bathing Beach at Parry Sound, Ontario. Thompson Photocraft.

Another nice photo from Jack Thompson. Perhaps taken from the High Dive. Lithographed in Canada using the Altone process. A technology improvement and presumably some cost saving from Jack’s previous card supplier out of Boston.

  • a very busy beach on a sunny day, with a few clouds and the expected chop in the water.
  • We see one buoy in the water on the far left but there doesn’t appear to be a roped off swimming area
  • The water is 10 or 20 feet lower than the high water mark and we can see much more of the beach.
  • A good sized floating dock is anchored 30 or 40 feet from shore
  • I count 16 people in the water, 3 more on the dock and dozens on the shore
  • On the beach there appears to be:
    • a good sized lifeguard tower
    • a green portable toilet to the right of the screen
    • a red tripod contraption betwen the lifeguard tower and the beach house

Amanda is writing to Ed Zukas and family in Lawrenceville New Jersey. A 7 cent stamp with a more mature Queen Elizabeth II. Postmarked in Parry Sound at 9:30PM on July 16, 1971.

A quick line from Amanda. Weather is fine and she wishes they were there with her. She’ll be home before long.

Bathing Beach at New Hotel Belvedere. Published by JE Evans Walsingham

An unusual picture from a card mailed in 1936 from Parry Sound

  • there is no Beach House
  • no other development on the beach
  • no rock pier at the north end of the beach
  • the beach seems to slope a little too quickly to the water

However there are some similarities to previous postcards:

  • the proportions and general design of the beach seem about right
  • the vantage point of the photographer seems correct for a north facing shot
  • judging by the activity in the water its a sunny day with not many clouds
  • the swimming outfits are not Victorian, shorter one pieces for the ladies for example

The card references the “New Hotel Belvedere” and the card is dated 1936. I don’t know where this fits in the naming arc of Belvedere Lookout, Belvedire Hotel, Belvedere Hotel etc. But it certainly suggests that the card was printed at the time when the Hotel, the stone / wooden steps down from the Hotel, led to the beach.

There also aren’t many clues in the note  from BD Lo to his friend Miss Hoag in Walworth, New York. Someone has lifted the stamp and the relevant pieces of the Post stamp has travelled with it.

BD arrived to  Parry Sound on aug 31st, 1936 after driving a pleasant 373 miles. He is going fishing tomorrow at 5 in the am. 

The Bathing Beach, Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada. Valentine-Black Co. Ltd. Toronto