This unusual postcard was mailed to Mr. Russell Gates in Coatesville, then a steel manufacturing city in Chester County of southeast Pennsylvania.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coatesville,_Pennsylvania
The postcard was mailed from another community in Pennsylvania – I have not yet tried to distinguish the place from the partial set of letters on the first postmark.
The postcard may have originated from a place near Carlisle, PA as there is a postmark indicating that the postcard passed through that station.
(The postcard was mailed in 1907, but the undivided back suggests that it was printed in 1906.)
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The face of the postcard is an advertisement for “Happy Thought Chewing Tobacco.”
A cartoon drawing shows a mustachioed man waving his cap as he ascends into the heavens on a zeppelin.
The flying craft approaches an illuminated cloud from which two saintly figures watch the unfolding scene.
I was struck by the detail of the sainted figures; they bear the traditional emblems of STs. Peter and Paul – keys and a book.
A printed legend describes the welcome entry to Heaven:
‘The American with his flying car
Has to the Heavens brought
One thing that’s new to those above
A bag of “HAPPY THOUGHT”’
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I was unable to find a succinct history of “Happy Thought”, but was pleased to see the Google Summary related to this company:
“Happy Thought” chewing tobacco, known for its unique marketing and historical significance, gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The brand’s advertising cleverly positioned chewing tobacco as a source of cheer and a boost in spirits, contrasting a “before” image of a dejected person with an “after” image of a smiling, happy individual. While the brand itself is now largely forgotten, it represents a specific era in tobacco advertising and consumption.
Elsewhere on-line, one can find an incredible amount of merchandise that was branded or stickered with the “Happy Thought” logo.
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The face of this postcard bears a very faint message that was inscribed in pencil.
Below, I include a darkened scan that might enable some of the message to be reconstructed.
The postcard was made and printed inexpensively – I do not think that poor storage can be blamed for the severe fading.
We have seen other advertising postcards that were designed for general correspondence – a reflection of the ubiquitous use of postcards and of the very common human desire to save money.
One hates to think of the mess in Heaven if chewing tobacco was introduced there!
