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This morning, I'm going to visit my friend Paul, who works at the League of Nations. Afterwards, I'll take a trip to Mount Salève, before continuing on to Chamonix in the afternoon.
♦️ The Palais des Nations was built as the world headquarters of the League of Nations. After the Second World War, it became the European headquarters of the United Nations.
I had a cup of coffee with my friend Paul. We spoke about world events for a while, but soon it was time for me to leave him at work and begin my excursion to Mount Salève.
Did you notice?
On this postcard, the stamp was placed in the middle of the image, almost hiding the little train.
♦️ The Salève, known as the “balcony of Geneva”, offers a beautiful view over the city.
Since 1932, visitors have reached the Salève by cable car. Before that, a rack railway carried passengers up the Salève.
In the afternoon, I continued towards Chamonix, where I had booked an excursion to Montenvers. I arrived just in time — my group was already waiting. I quickly climbed onto my mule, and we set off towards the mountains.
♦️ Today, visitors reach Montenvers by rack railway. Before the railway opened in 1908, the only way up was on foot or by mule, just like the travellers on this postcard.
Did you notice?
The spelling of Montenvers has changed over time. On this postcard it is written Montanvert. Can you find the two letters that changed?
How wonderful the mountains are! Many tourists I met in Chamonix told me that an excursion to the Bossons Glacier was a must. Tomorrow I have to return to Geneva. My holiday is coming to an end, but I'll come back next year.
Did you notice?
Look closely: the guide in the middle is carrying an ice axe, which was used for cutting steps into the ice. We also see wooden ladders that were used to help visitors cross the glacier's crevasses.
I spent the night in Chamonix, and the next morning, I returned to Geneva. Before returning to London, I wanted to buy the best things Switzerland had to offer: chocolate for my family and the latest Swiss watch.
A stereoscope to view this final postcard.
♦️ This postcard was designed to be viewed through a stereoscope. Look closely: these are two side-by-side photos taken from slightly different angles. When viewed through a stereoscope, they merge into a single image, creating a 3D effect.
Behind every postcard, there is someone, a story, a family. Each postcard has a personality of its own: Geneva in the rain, when we usually only see sunny views; a postcard where the sender has written so much that the words seem to melt into the picture; a stamp placed right in the middle of the image; another turned upside down...
These little details are part of the journey too.
Our trip through these historical postcards ends here, but Geneva has many more stories to tell. I would be happy to share them with you during a guided tour.
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