Past Article

Bill Burton
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In modern times, if a prize is the award for the best performance in a show, the winner would certainly be surprised to learn that his prize is a cake. That was not always the case. On the slave plantations in the early 19th century, a cake was often the prize. Cake was a rarity at that time, and the dance performances came to be known as cakewalks. Postcards help us understand how the cakewalk dance is a subtle mockery of the events in the big house.

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Postcard History is a free online magazine dedicated to vintage and historic picture postcards and the many stories associated with them. We feature richly illustrated articles designed to both inform and entertain postcard collectors and history buffs. We also provide the most comprehensive listing of forthcoming shows around. And there’s a rich trove of links to institutional and personal online postcard collections. There’s also a comprehensive, verified listing of active postcard clubs in the U. S. and Canada, which we’re working on expanding worldwide.