A Brace of Setters – Cresswell, PA (1908)

Cresswell, Pennsylvania is a small, unincorporated community in western Lancaster County. It lies east of the high ground where Turkey Hill juts into the Susquehanna River.

In November of 1908, W. M. Witmer of Cresswell sent an art postcard to his friend, Mr. Harry Aierstock, of Millersville, PA.

The face of the postcard is illustrated with a drawing of two setters in a field.

The setters appear to be performing their valuable function of locating and pointing to game birds or other wildlife.

The drawing is not signed by an artist, nor is the publisher noted on the reverse of the card.

The postcard was printed, most likely, in the United States, perhaps by a small company entering the large arena of postcard publishing.

Mr. Witmer writes, “what we got on Sunday was good on Monday evening for supper.”

Given the nature of the illustration, I wonder if the friends had been hunting together.

A pheasant or rabbit, or some other animal might have furnished the dinner on Monday evening.

In any event, the postcard with its mysterious message, memorialized an activity between the friends a hundred and fifteen years ago.