Mr. B. F. Hartman was a school teacher; I have postcards addressed to him in several places of central Pennsylvania, including Shippensburg and Harrisburg.
We met him in an earlier postcard story (from the 1930’s), when his son sent him a postcard photograph from Amsterdam.
At the end of a calendar year near 1910, Mr. Hartman was presented a postcard by his student, Harry Patterson.
The postcard was not mailed, so we may assume that it was given to Mr. Hartman – perhaps as school dismissed for the Christmas holiday.
The face of the postcard is a brightly-colored yellow and orange roses beneath a stylized arch,
In bold letters is the printed message, “To My Dear Teacher”.
The postcard was “Printed in Germany”, although the publisher is not identified.
On the reverse, Harry wrote a holiday greeting, “Wish you a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year”.
The bond between teachers and pupils is often powerful and enduring.
(In my advanced age, I can easily recall vividly many interactions with teachers and professors that were like personal gifts of illumination and enrichment.)
Harry seems to have appreciated his teacher, and Mr. Hartman saved the greeting (in excellent condition) throughout his life.
