May 18, 2024
Year: 2021
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The Steamer President Warfield and the Exodus 1947
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The history of the Steamer Warfield, later known as Exodus 1947 is documented on film and on postcards. The history is another testament to how mankind finds it easy to be unkind to others and sadly have the law on their side. Time passes and memories fade, but that should not be the case as…
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The Scrap of Paper
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In the United Kingdom it is essential to remember that the British play by the rules. The story of a scrap of paper that was once the rulebook reminds us that honor is a critical factor in all kinds of relationships: personal, business, societal, and governmental.
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America’s Fraternal Brotherhood
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Was your grandfather a Moose, an Elk, or an Eagle? Perhaps he was a Knight or a Mason. Or was your grandmother an Eastern Star or a Daughter of the Rebekah? Most of us have ancestors who were members of fraternal orders or lodges. One hundred years ago, 30 million Americans enjoyed the ritual and…
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The Indian – One Man’s Tribute
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Eighty years ago, last month, in Junction City, Kansas, U.S. Army Private Thomas P. Fazio mailed this Curt Teich linen postcard to his friend in Georgetown, Illinois. His message was heart-felt and amusing:
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The first major disaster recorded on postcards – The Hoboken Pier Fire – June 30, 1900
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The first major disaster recorded on postcards was the Hoboken Pier Fire in 1900. Some cards illustrating the fire had earned a copyright within five days. Postcard printers and publishers obviously understood their audiences. The moral is: have what your customer wants.
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The Author and the Postcard Maker
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Charles Dickens and Raphael Tuck, a match made in heaven? Well, perchance, no, but when the author wrote his novels, he had no idea that a man named Tuck would also make a fortune from the tales he invented. The same was true in reverse, when the Tuck company needed subjects for their postcards, they…
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Hires Root Beer – The First American Carbonated Drink
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Hires Root Beer, once the dominant carbonated drink in America, cannot be found any more. The story of how it came to be, and flourish is a proud one because Charles Hires had the soul of an advertising man. He explained his philosophy by saying that “doing business without advertising is like winking at a…
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A Fifth Sunday Special – another look at three odd postcards
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Fifth Sundays are few, only four each year. Here at Postcard History a fifth Sunday is reserved for a special look at odd and interesting postcards that deserve to be shared but with very abbreviated narratives. Here is the final installment for 2021.
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BELGIAN EXPOSITION IS WIPED OUT BY FIRE
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“Well, all I know is what I read in the papers,” said Will Rogers. If you agree with Mr. Rogers and apply it to the reports of the fire that destroyed much of the Belgian Exposition of 1910, you would be more “confused” than “educated.” Thanks to postcards that show the ruins those who collect…
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Quaker Oats
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Breakfast food is mostly loved, but among those who live lives in despair of early rising, breakfast is never fun. Perhaps that is why so many breakfast food companies advertise using happy sunrise morning scenes and smiling faces. Quaker Oats, a product as popular today as it was in 1911 keeps smiling. It would probably…
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Are You Ready for Some Football?
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Are you ready for some football? is a rally cry that defines America as much as Remember the Maine or Remember the Alamo! From the sandlots in every state to the Allegiant Stadium (the newest American NFL stadium in Nevada) millions of Americans take time out of their busy weeks to watch boys and men…
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John Cecil Clay – An American Illustrator
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If you collect fantasy postcards and cards signed by John Cecil Clay are not included, you are missing some of the finest examples of early 20th century American sketch art. Clay’s set, “In Love’s Garden,” published in 1907 by Rotograph is one of the finest examples of American postcard art. Postcard History is proud to…
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Sandpaper Soap
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There was a time when Saturday night bathing was routine. It was a time when the expression, “cleanliness is next to Godliness” was important for Sunday at church was the time when most of us were closest to God. The soap we used really didn’t matter, but at times, it sure felt like sandpaper. Surely,…
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East Coast North American Lighthouses – The First in a Series
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A postcard tour of old lighthouses is travel without expense or effort. Postcard History premieres a new series today of arm-chair tours of North American lighthouses. It is an eight-part series of get-acquainted articles that will spur your interest to learn more if you too have been a victim of the “Lighthouse Bug” that has…
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A Chautauqua Symphony Concert
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Chautauqua passed with the passage of time. It still happens, but it is much different. A fact that for many is a disappointment beyond description. If you are reading Postcard History, you are certainly interested in learning. From the 1870s and decades to come, Chautauqua was one way to learn beyond your formal education.
Past Article
We present a portrait of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. This is a look-back at a city with famous residents, a post office, a city hall, schools, museums, and churches – all the things that make a city. And, every city has some “lost history,” we’ll talk about that too.