Mr. William Oswald worked in the Engineering Department of the D. M. Company in Barberton, Ohio.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barberton,_Ohio
In another postcard story, we discussed the development of industry in this city:
“A Moonlight Scene for the Oswalds”.
(That postcard was sent to “R. Oswald” in Barberton.)
William’s employer is, I believe, The Diamond Match Company – the largest business in Barberton.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Match_Company
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In September of 1921, William received a postcard from Les (or “Len”).
The postcard was mailed from Interlaken, the beautiful city between two lakes in the Canton of Bern in central Switzerland.
Interlaken enters recorded history with the completion of a large monastery in the 12th century.
The monastery expanded into neighboring districts and was a center of community life during periods of Swiss political upheaval and war.
The fortunes of the monastery ebbed over time, and it was dissolved (in a scandal over lapsed monastic rules) by the 15th century.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interlaken
Today, this much-visited tourist destination is the gateway to the famed mountain resorts and to many of the scenic wonders of Switzerland.
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The face of the postcard is a beautiful, hand-colored photograph of the Swiss Alps.
A rural road, with stone curbs, curves through a picturesque Swiss village.
Wooden chalets, with second-floor balconies, face a clear blue lake.
Above the scene, the majestic peaks of the Alps reach into the heavens.
The individual peaks are labeled: “Eiger”, “Monch”, “Jungfrau”, and “Thunersee”.
The postcard was printed and published in Switzerland by the firm of “Kuntsverlag Schild-Bichsel”.
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On the reverse, Les announces, “This is not a bad life at all…”
I do not understand the sentences that follow – it seems that Les has expected or was expected to complete something.
In closing, Les concludes, “the tour is still very young yet.”
William seems to have appreciated the lovely souvenir as the postcard was preserved in very good condition.
One hopes that Les continued to enjoy Switzerland and was satisfied by the trip.
