Postcard History

Fifty-five years ago this summer, what may be the world’s largest statue of a polar bear name “Chimo” arrived in Cochrane, Ontario, to be a good will ambassador and the guardian of the Arctic. The name Chimo is an Inuktitut word meaning friend.

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Cochrane, Ontario, is the southernmost terminal of the Ontario Northland railroad known as The Polar Bear Express. The Express runs four days each week as a Canadian passenger train operated between Cochrane and Moosonee, on the southern shore of Hudson Bay. It is a five-hour trip leaving Cochrane at 9 AM with a scheduled arrival in Moosonee at 2 o’clock.

The name of the train is a misnomer though wholly appropriate, for there is no other icon in that part of the country that would identify the raison d’être for the train. The name is misleading since polar bears are rarely seen anywhere near Moosonee, although there are some extremely rare exceptions.

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In the icy expanse of the Arctic, polar bears stand as majestic guardians and powerful symbols of nature’s enduring strength and fragile beauty. These bears, with their striking white coats and impressive resilience seem to captivate the hearts and minds of nature lovers around the globe. They are more than a subject for environmental study; they embody the raw splendor of life in one of Earth’s most extreme and unforgiving environments. In a world where knowledge is often at odds with nature, the polar bear emerges as an ambassador representing purity and commitment.

The bears settle into the frozen landscapes of Canada, Alaska, Russia, and Greenland, such places are certainly realms of ice, snow, and breathtaking solitude. In that climate, defined by extreme temperatures and shifting ice fields, these animals have evolved as masters of survival. Their thick, insulating fur and layers of fat shield them from the cold winds and icy waters, enabling them to hunt seals and other marine creatures amid a landscape that is both beautiful and brutal.

This is not to say the bears were never the prey. For generations these beautiful bears were hunted for some of the most insane reasons mankind ever invented. For nearly two hundred years, polar bears commanded huge sums when being offered to zoological gardens around the world. Sadly, they were willing to pay the extravagate bounties because the knew the bear would be a gate buster.

And when that failed, the animals were killed to make bear skin rugs. Even the joyous face of a child does not erase the horrible backstory of the scene below.

Today, however, the very lands that once nurtured these magnificent creatures are under threat. Climate change is rapidly accelerating the melting of sea ice, the essential platform from which polar bears hunt and thrive. As the Arctic warms, the retreat of ice leaves these animals with diminished territories and poses challenges to their way of life. Their struggle is not just a natural phenomenon; it is a stark call to action.

It is not easy to put a smile on a potential tragedy, but some advertising campaigns that feature polar bears serve to remind us of this urgent reality, blending beauty with the pressing need for environmental change.

One such postcard advertiser was the Wales Goodyear Shoe Company. Thankfully they made their rubber boots with materials other than bear hide.

And we all know how the Coca Cola Bottling Company has adopted the polar bear.

The polar bear’s image in advertising is more than a mere logo. It is a subtle narrative for audiences who may be paying attention. There are points on Madison Avenue where nothing else can be done, for when consumers encounter the image of the polar bear, they are reminded of a pristine, yet vanishing world. Hence, awareness is the answer.

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Polar bear postcards make a great collection. My grandson, Billy, is often entertained for an hour or more when I let him search my albums for his favorite polar bear.

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Billy’s favorite changes every time he visits. His last favorite is below