Because of its location in South Jersey, on Absecon Island, hugging the Atlantic Ocean between marshlands and islands, Atlantic City was viewed from the beginning by developers as prime real estate and a potential resort town. In the early part of the 20th century, it went through a radical building boom. Many of the modest boarding houses that dotted the boardwalk were replaced with large hotels, one of the most distinctive being the Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel.
In 1903, Josiah White III bought a parcel of land between Ohio Avenue and Park Place on the Boardwalk, and built the Queen Anne style Marlborough House. The hotel was a hit and, in 1905-1906, he chose to expand the hotel and bought another parcel of land next door to his Marlborough House. In an effort to make his new hotel a source of conversation, White hired the architect Will Price of Price and McLanahan, which made use of reinforced concrete, a new building material patented in 1867.
The hotel's Spanish and Moorish themes, capped off with its signature dome and chimneys, represented a step forward from other hotels that had a classically designed influence. White named the new hotel the Blenheim and merged the two hotels into the Marlborough-Blenheim. The entire strand in front of this famous hotel has become a lounging place in summer for the hotel bathers and for sunray advocates in spring and fall. It was demolished in 1978 and on its location was built Bally's Park Place.
About the stamps
The first stamp is part of the definitives series American Design, about which I wrote here. The second stamp, depicting American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) and Violet (Viola sororia), the bird and the flower of the state of New Jersey, is part of the series State Birds and Flowers, about which I wrote here. The last two stamps, depicting Rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) and American goldfinch (Spinus tristis), are part of the series Songbirds, about which I wrote here.
References
Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel - Wikipedia
Sender: Denise
Sent from Greenvale (New York / United States), on 10.11.2015
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