Wild Postcards

Instead of a gusher -- fire!

“This well was being ’shot’ to increase oil production. Rocks thrown out hit steel. Sparks, explosion, and fire resulted. The photographer, set for a gusher view, snapped this remarkable picture!” — which, in turn, was hand-tinted by the Curt Teich folks. This is card number 4A-H296, manufactured in 1934.

I am reminded of the old joke about Red Adair:

A drunk walks into a Texas oil patch bar during the boom days. There’s a bunch of ‘roughnecks’ at the other end, drinking and laughing it up. “What’s goin’ on?” he asks the bartender.

“It’s Red Adair,” the bartender says, “the great oil field fire fighter. The boys are asking him questions.”

“Is that right? Well I gotta question.”

“Go ahead,” says the bartender, “he’s in a good mood.”

“Hey, Red, Red Adair!” the drunk yells.

“Yes?” says the big man.

“Were you sleeping with Ginger Rogers?”

A Section of One of the Finishing Rooms, Hershey Chocolate Co.

Courtesy of Great-Grandpa Phil, here are two “Hershey Bar Cards.” According to the Hershey - Derry Township Historical Society, “Bar cards were inserted into the 5 cent milk chocolate and almond milk chocolate bars (from 1909 to 1918). These advertisements extolled the virtues and offerings of the chocolate factory, town, park, and school through their national distribution system.”

Hershey Park Rustic Bridge, Hershey Chocolate Co.

The cards are approximately 5-3/4″ by 2-1/2″ in dimension; Hershey bars apparently aren’t as big as they used to be. Based on the postcard backs (which are identical), these would seem to be two of the earlier ones. I’m guessing that, since both cards are creased, they probably spent some time in young Phil’s pocket before being added to his collection. I don’t know if it’s my imagination but, near some of the darker smudges on the cards, I could swear I can smell chocolate.

Can Nancy Pelosi's district be far behind?

I can’t help but marvel about how, once upon a time, this scene (published by Tichnor Art Company, Los Angeles) was beautiful enough to market on a postcard. I try to resist the urge to talk about politics, but I am thrilled about how the Democrats were forced to cave in and allow the 25-year offshore drilling ban to expire.

A second oil field postcard (by the Longshaw Card Company, Los Angeles), in case you thought the first one was a fluke

Unfortunately for those of us who purchase gasoline and heating oil, this does not mean that anyone’s going to be drilling for new domestic oil anytime soon. In California, you have a majority of residents in favor of offshore drilling, but the Governator and a majority of the statehouse opposing it. In Florida, much of the Gulf Coast remains off limits until 2022, thanks to a separate Federal law passed in 2006. And before the ban had even expired, Democrat Congressman Ed Markey of Massachusetts introduced legislation to “protect” much of the New England coast from drilling.

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Plain & Fancy Farm, Bird-In-Hand, Pennsylvania

“Visit our new Bake Shop which has become the favorite center for fresh baked bread, pies and rolls to visitors and local folks. Open year round.”

In this detail (left), a bakery worker applies shellac for that just-baked shine. On the right, we see Margaret Thatcher walk a trainee through the proper procedure for putting on a condom.

Owens-Illinois Glass Company, Bridgeton, NJ

This may look like a real photo postcard, but it’s actually a black-and-white photochrome postcard with a deckled edge. It was published by Dexter Press of Pearl River, New York.

Owens-Illinois was a key place in my family’s history. This from the obituary of my grandmother, Mildred Cossaboon, who passed away on 27 March 2008:

She was the daughter of the late Philip Nelson Smith and the late Charlotte Blanch (nee Arison) Smith. Born in Flatwoods, Fayette County, Pa., on June 30, 1923, she attended grade school in Franklin Township, Pa., and graduated from Dunbar High School, in 1942. Mrs. Cossaboon came, as did many others, to work at the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, in 1943.

It was there that she met my grandfather, a glassblower, and the rest is history.

Her cousin, John Hodinka (”Sonny”), also came to work there after his service with the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II. He’s a great man who is very proud of his service (and rightfully so), and would love to jump out of a perfectly good airplane even today.

Not surprisingly, he’s enamored with the Band of Brothers miniseries. He told me that he was watching the interviews and that one of the members of Easy Company was talking about how he went to work for Owens-Illinois in Bridgeton. (That man was Carwood Lipton, played in the movie by Donnie Wahlberg.) Sonny told me with surprise, “I worked with that son-of-a-bitch for five years and he never said a word.”