May The Fleeting Seasons

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked December 23, 1922 from Sacramento, California. Publisher unknown.

Price: $4.00

“May the fleeting seasons as they come and go

Each their richest gifts on you, my friend, bestow.”

We wish they were a little less fleeting, but here’s to beautiful moments in every season, with love and friendship to all! And this is a cute one, quite worn, but very adorable, and of course, part of our Alice Ellison collection. The “city” in the addressee’s “direction” to borrow an old term, is of course, Sacramento. And we find that postcard senders often distinguished this part of the address in just such a fashion, as this card was, for the time being anyway, staying within the city limits. The sender wrote:

“With best regards to you and the other girls from, O. K. Hughes. W. C. Co.”

Addressed to: “Miss Ella Ellison, % Ennis Brown Co., City.”

The W. C. Company wasn’t found, though we did not spend too much time in the search, but here’s an Ennis-Brown ad from the California Fruit News, December 1922. Ella likely worked as a clerk for this fruit and produce company.

Source: California Fruit News, December 16, 1922, Vol. 66, Number 1796. p. 16. (Google eBook).

The Little New Year

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked December 29, 1914 from Lancaster, Kansas. Series NY-76. Publisher unknown.

Price: $6.00

Greetings….

“The little New Year is about to appear.

I hope he will bring you all joy and good cheer.”

Does the Little New Year carry a cabbage? (Does the deer have a little doe? Yeah, two bucks! Couldn’t resist 😉 ) Back to the cabbage: It would appear so, and that would be for good luck and prosperity. Here are a couple of great articles found regarding cabbage and the New Year:

“Why Mountain People Would Cook a Coin in Cabbage Each New Year”

This second one references the cabbage being punted thru the front door. Not quite what we have on the postcard but the lucky vegetable is on the doorstep.

“Kicking In The New Year By Punting Some Cabbage”

Below, a newspaper clipping that appeared in the New Oxford Item (New Oxford, PA) on January 5, 1922 on New Year luck, superstitions and courage:

On the reverse of the postcard: Is that “Best Wishes, Girls?” Not sure who the signer of the card was, but they addressed it to:

J. H. Crane Esq., 842 Litchfield ave, Wichita, Kans.” J.H., parents and siblings were found in the 1915 State Census at this address. Kansas native J. H. would have been about 23 when he received the postcard.

Sources: “Why Mountain People Would Cook a Coin in Cabbage Each New Year.” December 29, 2016. appalachianmagazine.com. (accessed 12/31/16.)

Spilman, Terri L. “Kicking In The New Year By Punting Some Cabbage.” January 1, 2012. thelaughingmom.wordpress.com. (accessed 12/31/16).

“New Year’s Lore.” New Oxford Item. January 5, 1922, p. 11. (newspapers.com).

Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, Kansas; Roll: ks1915_218; Line: 13. Ancestry.com. Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Annieoakley

“Herzlichen Glückwunsch, zum neuem jahre!”

“Warm congratulations to the New Year!”

We’ve traveled to Germany to offer New Year’s wishes, albeit belatedly, with a beautiful little card bringing good luck. The design shows a leaf in green, secured by a golden horseshoe, and in the center of the leaf, two ladybugs; all framed by a golden cord fastened at the top ends by four-leaf clovers. The card appears to be signed on the inside and shows a message on the last page from the sender, but we need someone fluent in German to translate.

New Year’s Card in German, embossed on front cover. Circa 1900.

Price: $12.00

Bonne Année ’47

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Annieoakley

Here’s another for the new year, from France this time, and showing a very summery design of pink roses overflowing from a garden urn. The writing is difficult to read in places, and we’ll just translate the first two lines for now: “Dear Miss Brouard [?], we send you our best New Year’s wishes for ’47. I hope that you always think of me for the little odds and ends [little jobs?]

“Chère Mlle Brouard, à l’occasion du nouvel ans nous vous adressons nos meilleurs voeux pour 47. J’espère que vous pensez toujours à moi pour les petites bricoles. Si vous les avez vous pourriez les donnes à maman qui vient…?…une…?…?…,…?…épaisses et moins épaises, si vous avez, enfin vous voyez à peu près, 2 ou 3 de chaques. Je vous remercie d’avance, vous ne devez pas avoir bien chaud sur la place en ce moment. …?…..?…..?…..?….. Gisele et Paul.

Divided back, unused postcard. Publisher unknown. Printed in France.

Price: $3.00

HNY From Sonora, CA

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked December 31, 1909 from Sonora, California. Publisher: Davidson Bros., London, England and New York, New York. “Davidson Bros.’ Pictorial Post Cards.” Series 3020.

Price: $5.00

“A Happy New Year”

Yet another in the Ethel Main Collection, this one is from an anonymous sender who writes:

“Dear Mrs. Main. Wishing you all a Happy New Year to all.”

No doubt Mrs. Main knew who the card was from. Looking up Sonora, California…A historic gold mining town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range, and named in reference to the Mexican miners from Sonora, Mexico who settled the town in 1848. In 1910 it had a population of about 2,029. (The 2014 population shows about 4,802.) The name Sonora reminds me of two things: one – that I’ve been through the town, or stopped briefly in it years ago, before the old postcard/photo/trade card love/obsession hit; I want to go back to visit to see what treasures await, and two – the line from the movie Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken where I think it’s the hunky love interest that asks for the leading young lady’s name and she answers, “Sonora, Sonora Webster.”
Cool name, I thought, in admiring the character and actress (simultaneously, lol). Based on a true story…Check out this blog article from Horse and Man, on the subject of horse/rider jumping from a high dive platform into a pool of water. Incredible!

Having veered way off track, but it’s always fun…the postcard front is a study in tones of silver, gold and copper of a winter scene of house, stone bridge and stream. The publisher is Davidson Brothers, of London and New York. According to Metropostcard.com they operated from about 1901 – 1911.

Sources: City of Sonora. Sonoraca.com
Accessed January 12, 2016.

Sonora, California. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonora,_California. (accessed January 12, 2016).

“Diving Horses” September 23, 2013. Horse and Man. Accessed January 12, 2016.

“D – Publishers.” MetroPostcard.com. Accessed January 12, 2016.

Fruitcake From Ethel

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Annieoakley

“A Happy New-Year.”

A heavily-embossed postcard of a poinsettia in a bed of holly and some forget-me-nots bordering a clock which is about to mark the new year. This card is from the Ethel Main Collection and kind of personal. Sounds like it’s from her man, and he sure appreciates her and the fruitcake she sent him. Addressed to:

“Miss Ethel Main, 3622 – 18th Street, San Francisco, Calif.”

As for the publisher, it’s one we’ve not seen yet. It appears to show the initials T – I – C on a banner running round a globe.

Divided back, embossed, postcard. Unused with writing. Circa 1907 – 1916. Printed in Germany. Publisher: T.I.C.

Price: $2.00

Happiness In The New Year

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Annieoakley

As per usual, I wanted to get to more of these posted and more timely, too, especially since it’s now January 3rd. But this is one found in an antique store, no writing on the back, no publisher info, so it’s hard to say how old it is. A beauty though, with that yellow sky with the tint of orange. The gold-tone, as always, is much more striking on the card itself, with that shimmery effect when you angle it. Anyway, here’s to wishing all everywhere a wonderful 2016.

“Hearty greetings and every good wish

for your Happiness in the New Year.”

Vintage New Year’s card. Publisher and date unknown.

Price: $3.00 Size: 6 and 1/4 x 4 and 3/8″

A Beautiful Lady At Christmastime

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Annieoakley

“Wishing You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”

No name on the back or photographer name, just a photo of a woman sending her Christmas and New Year’s wishes. She is perhaps in her fifties, with a very sweet expression. Her hair is swept up and back. She wears a crocheted white vest over a dark-colored dress or blouse with high collar, sleeves puffed at the shoulder, which may date the photo from the 1890s, a necklace with round pendant and a smaller brooch.

Carte de Visite with Christmas and New Year’s wishes. Circa 1890s.

Price: $2.00 Size: 2 and 3/8 x 4″

1910 Calendar Postcard

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Annieoakley

This one (from the Ethel Main Collection) may seem a little out of place: It would normally go up in December, per the little calendar at the bottom (with Christmas wreath?) but then again the lovely oval image above it shows a summery, old roses and cottage scene, so that fits in with our present month of June. The calendar turns page by page and is not missing any months. We picture this postcard hanging on someone’s wall 105 years ago, though perhaps it was saved in a desk drawer or scrap book, instead. After all, it would seem very tempting to tear away each month as it went by.

The sender wrote:

“Dear Grandma – Laura wants to know how much goods it takes for a skirt and I want to know how to make scones[?] We are having lovely weather. I just took a walk. Hazel.”

Addressed to: “Mrs. B. F. Main, 253 – 14th St., San Francisco.”

(This branch of the Main family, as found in the collection, will be sorted out a little later, when we can take plenty of time to work on how everyone fits together.)

Divided back postcard, used with writing. Includes mini 1910 calendar. Publisher unknown. Circa 1909 – 1910.

Price: $15.00

Herzliche Neujahrsgrüße!

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Annieoakley

Here’s a 1920 postcard whose caption translates as “Warm New Year Greetings!” It shows an illustration of two adorable little girls, dressed for winter; the older girl carries a basket of holly on one arm. We see part of a town in the background – note the water pump. Have they just come from the local bakery? They’ve stopped on their journey to peer at the cone-shaped paper-wrapped package that the older girl is holding. Would this have been a traditional German New Year’s treat? Perhaps someone can enlighten us on this point! This artwork was signed with only the initials, “R.R.”

The back of the card was addressed to: “Wolg. Familie Bley, Coburg, Sasch. Steinweg FO[?].” Steinweg I believe is the street the Bley family was living on in the town of Coburg. The sender’s message is hard to determine, though. I’m not sure if it was written in German or possibly Czech? It appears to be signed, “familie Michálek” or Mihálek?

Publisher M. Munk is possibly Max Munk or Marcus Munk; both first names are showing up on other websites. This will take some additional research. For now, this web author is off to make some German pastries, having been inspired by this postcard!

Divided back, artist-signed, used postcard. Circa 1920. Artist’s initials: “R.R.” Publisher: M. Munk, Wien, (M. Munk, Vienna) number 790. Geschützt. (Protected or copyrighted.)