Christmas Greetings

Posted by Chris Overstreet on Thursday, 25 Dec 2008 under Christmas, Divided Back Era Postcards, Philip Nelson Smith
Forget the date? Use this handy calendar!

Forget the date? Use this handy calendar!

This card of German manufacture was sent to Great-Grandpa Phil from one “Lila”; it was postmarked at Vanderbilt, Pennsylvania on December 24, 1910 at 5 PM. As fast as the postmen used to be back then, I’m pretty sure that Phil didn’t receive this until the morning of December 26. In case you’re wondering, Lila is .

To my readers and fellow collectors: have a very merry Christmas!

Lila wishes you a merry Christmas too!

Lila wishes you a merry Christmas too!


 
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A Joyful Christmas

Posted by Chris Overstreet on Wednesday, 17 Dec 2008 under Christmas, Divided Back Era Postcards, Philip Nelson Smith
A Joyful Christmas

A Joyful Christmas

This card was given to Great-Grandpa Phil by Ida M. Schobert on “Dec. 17 - 09″, which either means 99 years ago or one year from now, depending on whether or not this card can get up to 88 miles per hour. When I say “given”, I mean it was apparently hand-delivered, given the lack of address or stamp. The “stamp” in this case is a very highly face, cut by hand from something else — perhaps even from another postcard. Ida clearly put some time and thought into this card, but no, she’s .

All of the items around the main picture are , though the main picture is not. I’m not sure what the items in the upper left corner are supposed to represent. Any ideas?

Merry Christmas from Ida Schobert

Merry Christmas from Ida Schobert


 
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Some Postcard-Based Christmas Ornaments

Posted by Chris Overstreet on Saturday, 13 Dec 2008 under Christmas, Site Notes
Christmas ornament of Santa Claus in his sleigh

Christmas ornament of in his sleigh

I haven’t posted in a few days because I’ve been busy Christmas shopping. And look what I found! These two Christmas ornaments seem to have started life as copies of vintage Christmas postcards (presumably copies, anyway, since there were duplicated designs in the store display). A little glitter, a couple of beads, and some silvery pipe-cleaner-type garnish later, you have something suitable for the Christmas tree. (We don’t put up a tree at the house, so these are living on the fireplace mantle instead.) Very nifty.

Christmas ornament: Santa Claus leaves a gift for a sleeping child

Christmas ornament: leaves a gift for a sleeping child


 
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A Merry Christmas

Posted by Chris Overstreet on Saturday, 6 Dec 2008 under Christmas, Divided Back Era Postcards
Goose: it's what's for dinner.

Goose: it's what's for dinner.

It’s unusual to find an older card featuring that isn’t racially insensitive in some way. This card bears a copyright notice on the front from 1906 by the I. P. C. & N. Co. The two people and the doorway on this card are , while the rest of it is not.

This card was sent from “K.K.” in Reading, Pennsylvania on December 18, 1908 to Mr. Morris Burger of St. Louis, Missouri. Other than the initials, there is no message.

As of this writing, I was able to find two identical cards listed in eBay Stores, each one going for just under $20. I paid about $2.30 for this card as part of a lot.


 
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May Your Dreams Come True

Posted by Chris Overstreet on Friday, 22 Aug 2008 under Christmas, Divided Back Era Postcards, Philip Nelson Smith
A Merry Christmas: May Your Dreams Come True

A Merry Christmas: May Your Dreams Come True

This is a Christmas postcard sent to my great-grandfather, in care of his father, James Henry Smith. It was sent perhaps as early as (but no earlier than) 1907. The sender is unknown, and there is no message.

This card has some unique features. For one thing, there is no indication (that I can see, even after close examination of the high-resolution scan) that there was ever a stamp placed on this card. There is a cancellation mark over the stampbox itself, with the number “1″ breaking one of the lines of the mark. Did this number denote that the one-penny postage had been paid? I have not seen another instance like it among my collection.

There is also the publisher’s mark: the notation “SL & CO” within a circle, and the circle with angel’s wings on either side. This is the mark of S. Langsdorf and Company, of New York and Germany. The card, like most pre-World War I cards, was printed in Germany and presumably exported to the New York office for sale in the United States.

There are several cards without messages in the collection (which will be posted, eventually), and many of those were apparently hand-delivered — probably similar to the way that the younger kids exchange Valentines today.

Christmas Wishes to Master Philip Smith, Probably at Age 11

Christmas Wishes to Master Philip Smith, Probably at Age 11


 
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