Wild Postcards

Thanksgiving Wishes for Great-Grandpa

Here’s an embossed postcard from Great-Grandpa Phil’s collection. The front of the card has a notice reading “Design Copyright 1908, by M.W. Taggart, N.Y.” Note how this design incorporates a farm that apparently sits directly on a beach, complete with seagulls.

The card was mailed to Phil from Dunbar, Pennsylvania on November 22, 1910 (Thanksgiving would have fallen on the 24th that year) and is signed “OWS”. While I’m pretty certain that we had relatives there at the time, and while the “S” suggests another Smith, I am at a loss to recall who OWS might have been.

Thanksgiving Greetings from "OWS"

Real photo postcard (RPPC) of a barn

This real photo postcard (RPPC) is indeed an actual photograph, with postcard markings stamped on the back. The stampbox indicates that the paper was made by a company called AZO and, based on the stampbox’s particular design, the date of manufacture can be narrowed down to sometime between 1904 and 1918. Unfortunately, it is hard to narrow it down any further with any degree of certainty.

The detail at right of the three people in the photograph is exactly a one inch square. After putting this detail through several filters and enhancements, I am reasonably sure that the folks pictured are African-Americans. Click on the image for yourself to see a larger version.