Original color postcard showing the kitchen interior of one of the Michaelis Birch Bay Cabins in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin. The cozy housekeeping-cabin interior features knotty-pine walls and cabinetry, cookware, dishes, a sink, stove, refrigerator, dining table, and a screened door overlooking the wooded surroundings.

The reverse identifies the property as Michaelis Birch Bay Cabins, Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin and describes the scene as:

“A view of the kitchen in one of six modern housekeeping cabins, identically furnished.”

The card further states that Birch Bay Cabins was located one-half mile off U.S. 51 and that Manitowish Waters was 390 miles north of Chicago.

Postcard Details:

• Subject: Michaelis Birch Bay Cabins

• Location: Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin

• Scene: Interior kitchen of a housekeeping cabin

• Number shown: 73662

• Publisher: Dexter Press, Inc., West Nyack, New York

• Printing identification: Reverse states “Genuine Natural Color”

• Back: Divided back

• Postal use: Used

• Postmark: Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, July 1956

• Stamp: 2-cent Thomas Jefferson U.S. postage stamp

• Message: Handwritten personal message fills the correspondence section

• Address: Hand-addressed to recipients in Chicago, Illinois

• Embossing: None apparent

Postcard Type & Era:
This is a mid-20th-century color postcard produced by Dexter Press and mailed in 1956, providing a firmly documented date for the card's period of use. The “Genuine Natural Color” designation on the reverse identifies the color process terminology used by the publisher.

Historical & Collector Interest:
The postcard offers an appealing record of 1950s Wisconsin vacation-cabin culture. Housekeeping cabins were designed for travelers who wanted the independence of preparing their own meals while vacationing, and this card specifically advertised the property's kitchen facilities rather than simply showing an exterior view.

The detailed interior is also a snapshot of mid-century domestic and vacation life, showing period kitchen appliances, cookware, cabinetry, furnishings, tableware, and knotty-pine paneling. The handwritten message adds additional context: the senders specifically mention that the image shows the interior of the kitchen in their cabin and that they were enjoying their stay.

The card has potential interest for collectors of Wisconsin resort and tourism postcards, Manitowish Waters history, vacation cabins, Northwoods memorabilia, 1950s interiors, kitchens, household appliances, roadside travel, and mid-century domestic imagery.

Condition:
Postally used postcard with handwritten message, address, postage stamp, and 1956 cancellation. Age-related wear is visible, including corner and edge wear and scattered spotting/toning or surface marks on the reverse. Additional handling and surface wear may be present. Please consider the front and back photographs an important part of the condition description.

Please use eBay’s magnifier/zoom feature to carefully inspect the postcard for edge wear, corners, creases, surface issues, writing, stains, discoloration, paper loss, album residue, postal marks, and any other imperfections that may not be immediately apparent in the photographs.