Ernest Receives Puppies from His Uncle – Christiana, PA (1908)

Yesterday, according to Facebook, was National Dog Day.

In October of 1908, young Ernest Chambers was living in Christiana, PA.

(Christiana is a borough in east central Lancaster County. It was the site of a memorable act of armed resistance to the Fugitive Slave Act in 1851.

This is a bright spot in Lancaster County history, when residents took up arms against “slave-catchers” who attempted to take a fugitive as prisoner.)

Ernest had an uncle, J.M.S., who was in Philadelphia.

The uncle mailed a postcard to “Master Ernest Chambers”.

Published by the notable English firm of Raphael Tuck, the postcard was printed in Saxony.

A hand-colored photograph of a basket of puppies adorns the face of the postcard.

We don’t know if Ernest had a puppy, wanted a puppy, or if he (like people everywhere) was charmed by the appearance and antics of puppies.

One hopes that he enjoyed the postcard from his uncle.