Thinking of Spring

Though it will take some time to disappear, the ice and snow began melting today. I bought this card, post marked in 1908, last November at an antique shop in town. I was intrigued by its symbolism. The verse on the card is attributed to a "Mitchell. " I found this poet difficult to track down. Plus I'm having trouble with my eyes again and can't look at the monitor for more than half an hour at a time, so my research efforts were at best limited. If anyone knows or can track down this poet, I would appreciate it if you let me know.

This is the verse on the card:

But soon the icy mass shall melt:

the winter end his reign,

The sun's reviving warmth be felt,

And nature smile again. --Mitchell

The four lines seem to limit the image of this post card, which seems to be an image of the personification of spring. No doubt, a beauty, she huddles by an earthly fire. She peers at the birds, which seem to be gleaning crumbs from what could be the last of her winter stored grain. One foot is exposed to the elements, testing the air. The other is tucked into her scarlet dress for warmth. Alas, it is still winter and she will not yet dance.

I thought this image would make a transition from flowers to crucifixion, which will be my theme for April.

An Old Flower House

This early 20th-century post card is without a message or address yet at one time had a stamp removed. I suspect my grandmother removed it for her stamp collection. She kept several stamp books for a number of years before giving her collection to one of her great grand children. It is possible she was given this post card as a gift from a friend after their return from a trip to Milwaukee. Perhaps they placed a stamp on it intending to mail but never wrote the message. I doubt my grandmother bought the card on a trip. She was not a buyer of post cards unless she was going to send a message to someone. I doubt she would have bought the card, licked and placed the stamp on it if she wanted the stamp for her collection, either. Besides, she was a confirmed miser. Her frugal ways became an ingrained habit after living through the depression of the 1930's as a teenager.

The reverse side of this post card indicates it was published for Jno. T. Faber 9 (sic), Milwaukee, Wisconsin by A.C. Bosselman & Co. New York. It was printed in Germany. (To see another Bosselman post card image go here.) Many post cards during the first few decades of the twentieth-century were made in Germany for American companies because they were the leaders in quality image reproduction. The red print on the image says, "Interior of Conservatory, Mitchell Park, Milwaukee, Wis."

The image shown is of the original Mitchell Park Conservatory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The conservatory was designed by the local firm of H.C. Koch. Built in 1898, the original conservatory building, modeled after London’s world-renowned Crystal Palace, complete with a sunken garden, gave solace to the citizens of the Milwaukee, as the city began to flex its industrial muscle as a brewing and manufacturing center. The original conservatory was demolished in 1955 and eventually replaced by a grander and less conventional structure, consisting of three 85-foot high, beehive-shaped, glass domes. Designed by Donald Grieb, and built in stages from 1959 to 1967, each dome has plants from three distinct climates: arid, tropical and floral show.

Flower of Earth

This is one of the most beautiful portrait post cards I own. Unfortunately, the history of it is murky. I suspect, my grandmother's neighbor friends, who immigrated from Poland, brought this card to her, along with eight others of similar vintage, as a gift after a trip to the homeland. It was not written on or mailed.

The card is printed in Germany and is divided on the back. It has no other markings other than the 310/4 on the bottom right corner. The edges have a faded copper color which gives the dark background added depth.

The young model's expression is mysterious: calm and focused yet somewhat amused. Maybe mature beyond here years.

The flowered earth child against the dark background is akin metaphorically to those photos of the earth, taken from the moon, against the blackness of space. Both are flowers made more beautiful and precious contrasted against the dark void that surrounds both.

The colour photograph of Earthrise -

taken by Apollo 8 astronaut, William A. Anders,

December 24, 1968.

Merry Vintage Christmas

This embossed "Raphael Tuck & Sons "Wonderful White Winter"" Post Card is labeled number 513 in a series. The reverse side also says "ART PUBLISHERS TO THEIR MAJESTIES THE KING AND QUEEN," and has an emblem with a lion and a unicorn. The card is divided for address and message, so it probably dates to the Divided Back Era (March 1, 1907 to 1915), sometimes known as the Golden Age of post cards. (I will add an image of the back when I get my scanner operational.)




I love this card. It reminds me of an old water color painting. Though it belongs to series called, "Wonderful White Winter," their isn't one little drift of white snow. The scene seems to be in either a warm climate or a different season. My guess is a different season altogether in that the trees are abundant with leaves.


As with many cards in my collection, I do not have a clue where or how this card came into my collection. For all I know it is a Christmas miracle.

An Angel of the Lord

This is a "Whitney Made, Worcester, Mass" antique card from the golden age of postcards. I thought it was a fitting card for the Christmas season. It recalls the biblical story of the angel announcing the arrival of the Christ child. Though in the biblical account the glory of the Lord shines around the angel, in this image the angel glows in pastel colors, accompanied by a couple of children or maybe cherubs.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said to them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

In other words the angel scared the hell out of them. This is a reasonable reaction to meeting otherworldly beings. “Fear not,” is usually the first words out of any self respecting angel’s mouth, especially those of a biblical variety. These angels were not cute, instead they terrify, thus the need to reassure their human audience with some reassuring words. In some ways I think the bible was the first instance of alien encounter narratives -- otherworldly beings communicating directly with humans on earth. Like anyone who wishes to communicate effectively, you must quell your subject’s fear before you can gain trust to impart a message.

In the twentieth century art and popular culture angels and heavenly beings generally get a cutesy make over. In recent years a few American films have helped to reestablish the fearsomeness of the angelic presence. Movies like Constantine and The Prophecy have restored fearsomeness to the angelic host.

While this image shows a rather cute angel, there is a wolf in the picture too. The shepherds’ focus is transfixed on the angel. Meanwhile, the wolf runs between them and the flock. Perhaps the unknown artist has made an allegory of the twentieth century church. While the shepherds are mesmerized by a sentimental vision, the wolf (a popular symbol of Satan or Satan’s son) picks out his prey on earth. Another possibility is that the wolf is frightened also and hightails it out of the picture.

(I am at a loss as to the words at the bottom of this card. I thought it was German but can not seem to get a translation on the Internet. Maybe someone could help. I apologize for the print quality of images on this blog. I hope to purchase a scanner soon.)

A post card sampler

I feel like a new kid on the block. Somewhat timid at setting out in my new neighborhood, yet thrilled to see what new sights (sites) I might find and the new acquaintances I might make. This blog will display some of the cards in my collection and some comments on the cards, on collecting and on popular culture.

The post cards in the image above represent several eras of cards during the first half of the twentieth-century. They also show varied themes and subject matter typical in the U.S. and Europe.

At the bottom left is a card commemorating the surrender of Confederate Gen. Roberts E. Lee to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, April 9, 1865. Of all the cards in the sampler it is the most modern, most likely produced in the 50's or 60's. It is a photo of an unidentified painting. The card at the top of the sampler of the two lovers is the oldest. It is a black and white photo with hand painted highlights. These were typical of cards of the first decades of the 20th-century.

The black and white photo card to the right of the lovers was copyrighted 1940. It was an advertisement for the Renfro Valley Barn Dance, a radio show broadcast Saturday nights "from a real barn" in Renfro Valley, Kentucky, back in the day. I found that the barn dance is still going strong down in Renfro Valley.

The characters pictured are A'nt Idy and Little Clifford. The message on the reverse side says, "After this picture was taken A'nt Idy asked the photographer for the head-rest used in posing Little Clifford. She claimed it was the only thing that had ever kept him still for any length of time."

I'll reveal more about these and other cards in the coming days. I hope to be able to feature one card a week.