This embossed 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 not my great-grandmother.

To my readers and fellow collectors: have a very merry 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 embossed Santa Claus 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 not my great-grandmother.

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