Mrs. Henry Alloway lived in Muddy Creek Forks, a village in southern York County of central Pennsylvania.

(Muddy Creek Forks was on the narrow-gauge railroad line of the Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad that wound through the countryside from Baltimore to York.

Today, the village is an historic preserve, representing a typical railroad town of the 19th century.)

Mrs. Alloway was celebrating a birthday, and she received a beautiful postcard greeting from her nephew, Curtis.

The postcard was not mailed, so we can not be certain if Curtis lived nearby.

But, the postcard does appear to have been hand-delivered.

Covered with green satin and a paste-filled bunch of flowers, the weighty postcard was published by the United Art Publishing Company of New York.

The postcard was manufactured in Germany.

Postcards like these were more expensive than the penny postcards typically exchanged; One assumes that Curtis had a great deal of affection for his aunt.

On the reverse, Curtis writes, “we wish you many more birthday anniversarys (sic)”.

The message is signed, “your nephew, Curtis”.

It appears that Mrs. Alloway treasured the greeting as it has been preserved in good condition for more than a century.