Postmarked Port Coquitlam, dated 6 July 1988.
Steam Clock in Gastown on Water Street.
Photo: Jurgen Vogt.
When I first looked at this card, I thought the steam was fog and wondered why they would want to make the place look like that. Then when I read further and found that the clock is steam driven, I thought Gastown and Water Street were somehow connected: steam - water - gas. But no, that much seems to be coincidence.
The steam clock was built in 1977 by Raymond Saunders. It displays the time and sounds the quarter hours with a whistle version of the Westminster chimes. He has built others, and examples of his work can be seen in Japan and the USA.
Interestingly, my mother wrote this card to me, saying it was to add to my collection, so I had at least started my own collection as far back as 1988. I thought it was more recently than that.
It's amazing what the human think of to create, isn't it? I would love to see that clock in person. Thank you too, for vising my blog and leaving a comment a couple days ago. :) I think my grandpa was rather nice looking too.
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