Men's Gymnastics

This original artwork by Robert Peak was used for the design of the men's gymnastics stamp from the 40¢ international airmail block of four honoring the 1984 Summer Olympics. This stamp was issued at Los Angeles, California 33 years ago on April 8, 1983.

Update: the card was later sent to Belarus as US-3975285.

United States Post Office at Phoenix, Arizona

Postcard US-3372307 to Poland was a 1950s vintage card of a street view looking north on 1st Avenue past the west entrance to the U.S. Post Office in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Just North is the Hotel Westward Ho.

Also known as Federal Building-U.S. Post Office, it opened on September 29, 1936 and operated as the main post office of Phoenix for over thirty years, A landmark in downtown Phoenix, the Federal Building-Post Office was symbolic of the federal presence as it also hosted several other Federal agencies.

It is currently part of Arizona State University at the Downtown Phoenix campus. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 1983, the Post Office features Spanish Colonial Revival architectural design.

Bern, Switzerland

Postcard CH-214914 from Switzerland shows a satellite image of the city of Bern,  the Bundesstadt or de facto capital of Switzerland. With a population of 137,980 as of 2013, Bern is the 4th most populous city in Switzerland with its metropolitan area of more than  660,000 residents.

The insert on the right shows an aerial view of the historic old town in the center of Bern, on the west of the boundaries of the peninsula surrounded by the River Aare, where the river forms the renowned “Aare loop” and the water temperature never reaches more than 20°C or 68°F. The medieval city center was recognized as a UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site in 1983.

ARCHELON

Postcard NL-2619878 from the Netherlands was a produced by ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, showing a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), an endangered species protected by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Founded in 1983, ARCHELON aims to protect sea turtles and their habitats in Greece through research, public awareness campaigns, and restoring habitats. It operates a rescue center built in 1994.

In my previous blog the World Turtle Day, Sea Turtle Oversight Protection (STOP) in Florida was featured for their work in rescuing those new sea turtle hatchlings disoriented by the street lights. You can still help by becoming a supporting member or joining a rescue walk in the 2014 season that lasts from May to October.

Southernmost Point in USA

Postcard US-1777075 from Florida shows the Southernmost point, a painted concrete buoy at the corner of South Street and Whitehead Street in Key West. Established by the city to mark one of the extreme points of the United States in 1983, it is one of the most visited and photographed attractions in Key West, Florida.

However, according to Wikipedia, the buoy was actually an old sewer junction that was dug up in the area and found too heavy and too large to move. Also, the official southernmost point in the contiguous United States is Ballast Key, a privately owned island south and west of Key West, which prohibits unauthorized visitors. On the Key West island, its true southernmost point, 270 m or 900 ft farther south to the buoy, is located on the Truman Annex property, a U.S. Navy installation inaccessible to the public. The southernmost part of Key West Island accessible to the public is located at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, 150 m or 500 ft farther south than the buoy. In addition, the claim on the buoy stating "90 miles to Cuba" is a rounded number, since Cuba, at its closest point is 94 statute miles or 81 nautical miles due south.

In the news today, a South Florida judge declares state's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Although the ruling only applies to Monroe County, the most LGBT-friendly county that covers Key West, and expects an appeal, it highlights the ban violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law.

American Alligator

Postcard US-2749105 from Louisiana shows an American alligator, Louisiana state reptile designated in 1983. Louisiana boasts 15 alligator bayous alone. In the early 1960s, Louisiana alligators were almost extinct. However, after years of conservation efforts, its status has upgraded to "Least Concern". Florida also adopted the American alligator as its state reptile in 1987.