This postcard was not mailed, but appears to have been sent with a letter.
The Roman numeral “I” on the reverse suggests that other scenes of Florida may have been included.
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The face of the postcard is a photograph of “Oliver W. Jr., The Trotting Ostrich”.
A stately bird stands motionless beside a white rail fence.
Behind Oliver Jr., we see a strip of green meadow and a farm structure.
Wooded hills stretch into the distance.
Beneath the scene, a printed legend identifies, “Ostrich Farm, Jacksonville, Fl.”
Jacksonville straddles the St. Johns River in Duval County of northeast Florida; it is the largest city in the State.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonville,_Florida
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I have postcard views of other ostrich farms (California and Texas), that are presented as tourist attractions.
Ostrich farms were first created in the United States in the second half of the 19th century to provide feathers for women’s hats.
The meat and leather were also found to be profitable products.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrich_farming_in_North_America
According to archived tourist brochures, the birds were kept in “palatial settings” as their good health and disposition were essential for breeding and for feather production.
Oliver, the sire of Oliver, Jr. (pictured here) gained fame by visiting the northern resort of Saratoga Springs during the fashionable summer season and running the racetrack while hitched to a racing wagon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saratoga_Springs,_New_York
During the twentieth century, the demand for feathers decreased and ostrich farming as a commercial enterprise declined – but surviving ostrich farms remained tourist destinations.
The postcard photograph was published by the H. & W. B. Drew Company of Jacksonville; it is part of the “Florida Artistic Series”.
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On the reverse, the message is dated May 12, 1919.
The unidentified writer addresses, “Dear Folks”, and acknowledges receipt of “your letter”.
The family member in Florida was “mighty glad to hear from you.”
We learn, “I have desided (sic) to stay here until May 27”, “so you may write again.”
The message concludes with a question, “Do the mackasenes (moccasins, perhaps) fit Mother perfectly.”
The family seems to have appreciated this portrait of Oliver Jr. as the postcard was preserved in very good condition for more than a century.
