Madeira, Portugal - February 25 to 26, 1922

This is the second entry in a series on Geneva Porter's 1922 trip to Europe and North Africa. The first entry can be viewed here.

A view of Funchal towards east from Pico da Cruz (261 m), Madeira, Portugal.
Picture taken by Ville Koistinen (Wikimedia Commons)

On February 25, 1922, Geneva Thompson Porter disembarked from the RMS Adriatic at the port of Funchal in Madeira, Portugal.  Her entries are wonderfully descriptive of the lush island landscape as well as the social life at Reid's Palace Hotel.  Reid's opened in 1891, and by the 1920s, catered to the rich, famous, and royal, looking for luxe accommodations.  The hotel is still operating, and Funchal remains a popular port for trans-Atlantic cruises.  Below are transcriptions and an image of Geneva's diary entries.  You can read her full 1922 travel diary; use the link under "Resources" at left.



Saturday, February 25, 1922.  Funchal, Madeira, 26 hours.  Reid's Palace Hotel. 

The Steward says it's a beautiful day and we will get to Madeira at three o'clock so I will have to pack in a little while.  The island is perfectly beautiful by the sea all mountainous - saw clouds hanging over the tops.  As soon as we stopped hundreds of little row boats came out with boys who dive for coins and men selling linens, parrots, furniture, flowers, and corals.  We all went ashore at three o'clock and drove all over the town.  It is a fairy spot on the earth the stucco houses all pale colors with tiled or straw roofs with lovely old walls and garden gates and trumpet and bougainvillea vines traveling over everything.  The houses are terraced like steps right up the mountain.  Peeping through the gates one sees fascinating...

Sunday, February 26, 1922.  Did not get good picture of gateways, terraces, or entrance to church yard.

...paths lined with flower pots on the winding steps.  We all had tea at Reid's Palace Hotel on the verandah [sic] overlooking the bay.  Had dinner with fourteen boys and girls.  Jenkins (consul), Watts (Philadelphia arts critic), Ali Bey Yehia (son of Pasha Alexandria), Vieriere de Casta (Portuguese), Boardley (or something like that, an Englishman living on island), Mr. Harrison (Philadelphia), Mrs. Wood (Philadelphia), Mrs. Murphy, Miss Murphy - were some of the guests.  After we went to the Casino danced and watched the gambling.  We sat on the terrace and drank champagne.  Drove home in the Bullock carts (burros).  The gardens around the hotel are lovely. Sunday we sent up the mountain by train.  Had lunch at Esplanade came down in sledges so tired all had a nap when we got back to the boat.  Watched Pete, Mr. Lane, Mr. Grovern [?], Mr. Sonnsberry[?] play bridge.

Vintage Travel Posters

The Rare Book Room at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library holds thousands of posters. Some of the most visually appealing graphics appear in those dealing with travel. The use and artistic merit of posters exploded with the invention of chromolithography in the nineteenth century. Originally, these posters were designed as advertisements to capture the imaginations of travelers and included imagery of exotic locales and luxurious accommodations. Today, vintage travel posters are highly collectible. Click "Read More" to see a selection of travel posters from the exhibition.

Bon Voyage!

89 years ago today, Geneva Porter and her husband Peter embarked on a 4 month cruise (February to June, 1922) on board the RMS Adriatic. At the time, cruises such as this were a posh affair and often made the New York Times as social news with lists of prominent travelers. The Rare Book Room of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library is privileged to hold Geneva's diary of her grand tour. Entries range from the quality of the food on the cruise to rich descriptions of landscapes and vistas. Joined by good friends and local notables Paul and Penn Schoellkopf, the Porters toured Algiers, Gibraltar, Egypt, France, Belgium, and Italy. Below is an image and transcription of Geneva's diary from February 18, 1922. Subscribe to this blog or check back often to read more entries from her diaries.  Can't wait?  Click here to read all of Geneva's entries regarding her 1922 trip.

Adriatic. 1922. Saturday 18 February.  What a hurry!  And what fun and excitement in the farewells on an ocean liner just about to start.  Everybody feel a bit queerly watching the Statue of Liberty disappear in the distance.  We certainly have been loaded down with presints [sic] of all sorts.  We found some Buffalonian on board.  Pete also some New York friends.  We are all sitting together- 3 children, governess, etc.  The food is very good.  It is so cold Penn and I have decided to stay in our rooms today.  Paul and Pete have gone for a swim.  It seemed very funny having wine with our dinner.  As we were at table, the new boat Paris passed.  We sat in the lounge and smoked after dinner.  We went up to the bar for beer before bed then Pete and I took a walk in the moonlight.



The Oddities of H. Phelps Clawson

Phelps was a skilled photographer and took hundreds of photographs when he traveled.  With a sharp eye for the unique, here are a few of the more unusual sites he captured.

 

Passengers playing cricket on board the Dunottar Castle ocean liner, 1911.

 

GIANT termite nest near Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais.  Brazil, December 1941.

Offerings for the Devil at the base of a tree. Bahia, Brazil 1941.  Below are Phelps' diary entries describing the custom.

 

From bottom of page:

"Tree on the road with offerings for the Exir (the Devil).  

Dish of Indian corn, a number of cigars, a piece of meat,...

"...jaw of an animal, several pots (now broken) bits of colored cloth.  All there lay at roots of tree.  Sometimes a goat or cock are left.  A man wants something.  He summons the Exir who may appear as a hen, a chicken, a pig, etc.  The fifth time he comes as the Devil.  The bargain is made then for a price (money, a goat, a cow (rarely) or the man's soul.  Then he gets his desire."

Want to learn more?  Read H. Phelps Clawson's Brazil diary here.

Homes of Geneva Thompson Porter

378 Goundry, North Tonawanda.  Photo courtesy of and owned by the Historical Society of the Tonawandas.

Geneva Thompson Porter and her husband Peter spent much of the 1920s on ocean liners, traveling throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Far East. The Rare Book Room holds 3 of Geneva's diaries, describing her 1922, 1927, and 1929 European and North African excursions, covering some 81 cities in 15 countries. But when the Porters weren’t traveling, they spent time at their residences in Western New York and Rhode Island.

Travel Advertisements

Remember when travel was glamorous?  The field of advertising and mass-circulated magazines exploded in the prosperous 1920s, and the luxury and excitement of travel was a key feature in ads from this era. Click "Read more" below to view more advertisements.

"The summer season in Venice...."  From L'Illustration, 1920s.

Greetings to Buffalo!

The Rare Book Room holds thousands of antique and modern postcards, dating from the late 1800s to the 1990s. The collection began at the old Grosvenor and Buffalo Public libraries. Most were not posted; however, some have messages sent from travelers abroad to loved ones in Buffalo. A small portion dating from the 1920s and 30s is on display here. Click on each image for a larger view.

Postcard from Cairo, Egypt. H.W.W. to Miss Emily M. Williams, February 7, 1935.

Postcard from Heidelberg, Germany. George to Jerome Wereck, July 19, 1937.

Postcard from Paris, France. Sent to Betty Williams, January 17, 1924.

Postcard from Venice, Italy. Grace R. Bials to Mrs. Lawrence Allen.

Pineapple...the Brazilian Way

In October, 1941, H. Phelps Clawson set out for Brazil. He often kept modest diaries during his travels, and this trip was no different. Endlessly curious and observant, Phelps loved the way his pineapple was served "the Brazilian way" and noted so in his diary:

Brazilian diary, page 5 detail.

Read H. Phelps Clawson's Brazilian travel diary.
Learn how to make your own pineapple boat, the Brazilian way!

Exhibit is Open!

Travelers and Cosmopolitans is open!  The exhibit is open during regular hours at Central in the Rare Book Room.  Check out the Exhibit page for more images.

Before...

...After

Exhibit Sneak Peek!

Travelers and Cosmopolitans opens on Wednesday, February 2.  Although installation is not yet complete, take a look at what we've done so far...