Camaiore: Funicolare Aerostatica Alto Matanna (Ultra-Rare Vintage PC ~1910)

original vintage postcard - no reprint!

ultra rare postcard for a hot air balloon cable lift in the italian region of camaiore.

here is the text printed on the front of the postcard:

'Stazioni climatiche Viareggio-Camaiore-Alto Matanna

Società anonima con sede in Viareggio

Dalla Spiaggia Versiliese alle Vette Apuane in un’ora

La società esercisce all’Alto Matanna gli alberghi della Ditta Alemanno Barsi & figlio'

'Viareggio-Camaiore-Alto Matanna Health Resorts

A public limited company based in Viareggio

From the Versilia Beach to the Apuan Alps in one hour

The company operates the hotels of the Alemanno Barsi & Son company in Alto Matanna.'

apparently there are only 3 existing copies of this postcard...here is the story of the

FUNICOLARE AEROSTATICA ALTO MATANNA

'In the early 1900s, Alemanno Barsi, manager of the Albergo dell'Alto Matanna, devised a unique and imaginative system to transport his guests and hikers, six at a time, from the Grotta all'Onda (in the municipality of Camaiore) to Colle della Porta (now Foce del Pallone), near his hotel.
It consisted of a hot air balloon attached to a cable, a sort of ancestor of modern cable cars, but without an engine, which exploited the balloon's own ascending force.
The ingenious contraption, named Rosetta after Mr. Barsi's wife, was inaugurated in August 1910, but its lifespan lasted barely four months, as that same winter a severe storm carried away the balloon, the cables, and Barsi's dreams.

all 3 known exisiting copies of this postcard have been sold more than 10 years ago at auctions or in the internet.

one copy was sold 1997 at the auction house of PAOLO ZANETTI (MILAN) for 5000000 Lire ~ 2500 Euro

another one was sold 2004 at a mailorder auction of FIORENZO ZANETTI (MILAN) for 3000 Euro

however the condition of the sold copies has not been as good as this one - this one is truely in excellent condition with beautiful corners and no bends or creases!!