Throughout the early 20th century, the birthdays of Presidents Lincoln and Washington were widely celebrated through the exchange of postcards.
(Each year, I lament the institution of “President’s Day” which seems to have no other significance than a long holiday week-end.)
Although February 22 became a Federal Holiday only in 1879, there is a much longer history of ceremonial remembrances of Washington on that day.
This patriotic postcard art was created by Ellen Clapsaddle, the most successful female postcard artists of the “Golden Age” of postcards.
Clapsaddle, renowned for her depiction of children and family life, was unusual in that she was one of the few female artists who contracted independently with postcard publishers and whose work was signed.
In this image, the name “Ellen Clapsaddle” is inscribed along the leg of the child who is standing on a marble pillar to affix bunting to the portrait of George Washington.
(I will devote another postcard story to the tragic life story of Clapsaddle – which adds further depth to her work.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Clapsaddle
Here, the careful placement of the tricolor drapery by the cherubic child suggests honor and reverence.
The inscription on the marble column adds to the solemnity:
“Liberty and Union, now and forever”
The postcard was not mailed, so there is no personal story attached to it.
Published by the International Art Publishing Company of New York and Berlin, the postcard was “Printed in Germany” circa 1910.
We may assume that a patriotic citizen had saved the postcard, perhaps in expectation of sending it in some future February.
