Miss Charlotte Gibson lived in Greenville, a borough on the Shenango River in Mercer County of northwest Pennsylvania. Located about 80 miles from Pittsburgh and
Mr. Evan Dressel lived in Elton, now a neighborhood within the village of Navarre, Ohio. Located in southwest Stark County, about 16 miles southwest of
Mrs. Frank Wilder lived in Indianapolis, the capital city and center of business, commerce, and transportation in central Indiana. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis In March of 1911, Mrs.
Mr. Emerson Woods lived on a rural delivery route outside Apple Creek, a village in Wayne County of north-central Ohio. The community had a Post
We have seen a number of comic postcards that mock pretentions, “airs”, or other human foibles: “An Affected Actress”, “The Has-Been”, “The Hen-Pecked Husband”, “The
H. J. Gutshall lived in Carlisle, a borough and county seat of Cumberland County in south-central Pennsylvania. This city, in the rich Cumberland Valley, was
This comic postcard was not mailed, so there is no personal story attached to it. On the face, we see a drawing of a beautiful
This postcard was not mailed; there is no personal story attached to it. My first thought upon seeing it in a box of vintage paper
Miss Lillian Weaver lived in Asheville, the lovely city at the confluence of the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers in the Blue Ridge Mountains of
Mr. Raymond Blackford lived in Blairstown, now a census-designated place within Blairstown township in northwest New Jersey. In 1912, Blairstown had passenger and freight service
This comic postcard was addressed to Mrs. A. Y. Harvey, but I cannot determine her location from the several lines on the reverse. Below her
This humorous postcard was neither addressed nor mailed, so there is no personal story attached to it. Published by the English firm of Bamforth &
We have seen other postcard stories related to the uneasy relationships that sometimes existed between horse-powered vehicles and the “new” automobile. This postcard image is
This comic postcard, featuring a secret romantic tryst, was not mailed. The postcard was presented to Miss Bessie Beckley who lived on a rural delivery
Mr. S. W. Fredell lived in Akron, a small city in Plymouth County of northwest Iowa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akron,_Iowa In December of 1907, Mr. Fredell received a
Within a decade of the automobile becoming a common fixture of American life, references to driving habits and “back-seat drivers” appeared as cultural references. I
This is a comic postcard from the first decade of the 20th century, but the image has features that often appear in anti-Semitic depictions (think
Mr. James Brown lived near Drumore, an unincorporated community on the east side of the Susquehanna River in the southernmost portion of Lancaster County, PA.
Master Maurice Smeal was growing up in Clearfield, a borough on the west branch of the Susquehanna River (and the county seat of Clearfield County)
Miss Clara McElroy lived in Wellsville, a village on the Ohio River in east-central Ohio This village was once an important shipping center for railroad
Mrs. Mabel Bartholomew lived in Oregon, the county seat of Ogle County in north-central Illinois. This rural area still shows the influence of the first
We met the McCleary family in earlier postcard stories: “Plan Your Work” (1907) and “Political Possums for Elizabeth” (1909). Herbert McCleary worked for the railroad
This comic postcard was not mailed, so it does not have a personal story connected to it The linen-style postcard was printed by the “Art-Colortone”
R. L. Baker lived in Omaha, the transportation hub on the Missouri River in east-central Nebraska. Originally settled as a ferry crossing, Omaha grew in
We met Mabel Burchill in an earlier postcard story. In 1911, Mabel received a postcard photograph from a young man with a brace on his
This postcard was not mailed, but the design can be dated to the 1920’s. On a wooden veranda, a young woman is seated sideways on
This humorous postcard was exchanged between family members – perhaps a man and his wife. Mrs. Anna Carlson received the postcard from Robert Carlson. The
Mr. Stephen Briel (Breyel) lived in Morrilton, a city in Conway County of central Arkansas – about 50 miles northwest of Little Rock. Morrilton began
Miss Rose Naggy lived in Milford, a village on the Delaware River in Hunterdon County of northwest New Jersey. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milford,_New_Jersey NOTE: Without more information, it
Mrs. Ruth Carter lived in Fairbury, a small city in Livingston Cunty of north-central Illinois. The town was laid out in 1857 as a “depot
Miss Clara Brennan lived in South Langhorne, now the borough of Penndel in Bucks County, PA. This area of southeast Pennsylvania was first settled by
This humorous postcard was copyrighted in 1905 by the prolific Philadelphia publisher, J. Murray Jordan. We have seen other postcard stories related to postcards from
Miss Letta McCutcheon lived in Reedy, a small town on the Reedy Creek in west-central West Virginia. (The population of Reedy was twice as large
Mr. Harry Rumsey lived in Rochester, the thriving industrial city on the Genesee River near Lake Ontario in western New York. The Erie Canal connected
This romantic postcard was published by the Bamforth Company, which had offices in England and in New York. The postcard was printed in England. We
Mr. Martin Funk lived in Safe Harbor, the community on the Susquehanna River in southern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_Harbor,_Pennsylvania We do not know if Martin
Mrs. Charles Eastman lived in Worcester, now a center of education and high-tech industry about fifty miles west of Boston. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcester,_Massachusetts In May of 1910,
This comic postcard was given to Mrs. Dell Westfall in October of 1910. Because the postcard was not mailed, the brief inscription on the reverse
One can find a variety of comic postcards related to the theme of a woman seeking a man. Some postcard collectors specialize in this genre
Mr. Aaron Fry lived in Millersville, the college town about four miles southwest of Lancaster in southeast Pennsylvania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millersville,_Pennsylvania (I have another postcard addressed to
Miss Elsia Hyde was living in Lowell, a small city on the Grand River – about 15 miles east of Grand Rapids. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowell,_Michigan Elsia resided
Miss Edna Frackman lived in Bart, a township in southeast Lancaster County, PA. (This rural area remains largely devoted to agriculture; today, more than 50%
Dr. R. S. Brinton lived in New Castle, a city on the Shenango River in Lawrence County of west-central Pennsylvania. In 1908, this area near
One can find many postcards of the early 20th century with the theme of “too busy to write”. Some of these postcards, like this one,
Mr. Carl Rang may have been a bachelor, as he received a comic postcard with an amusing depiction of the single life. Carl lived in
Miss Mary Singer lived in Columbia, the borough that became center of transportation and commerce on the Susquehanna River in south-central Pennsylvania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia,_Pennsylvania In July
This comic postcard recalls the time when many homes had servants. An elderly woman calls from the stairs to her maid who is in an
Winifred Carlson was growing up in the town of Frontenac, an unincorporated community on the Mississippi River in southeast Minnesota. The coming of the “Chicago,
Miss Velma Magley lived in Hillsdale, a town in the hills of Columbia County in southeast New York. Hillsdale is close to the border of
Miss Zilpha Hyde lied in Lowell, a city on the Grand River, about 15 miles east of Grand Rapids, Michigan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowell,_Michigan Zilpha resided in the
Miss Julia Hoehn lived in Warren, a city on the Mahoning River in northeast Ohio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren,_Ohio In May of 1909, Julia received a comic postcard
Dorothy Drefahl lived in Milwaukee, a bustling industrial and commercial city – and a melting pot of European immigrants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee In November of 1914, Dorothy
It seems that boys in every generation are attracted to occupations involving fast, powerful, or dangerous, equipment. I don’t think that this postcard was exchanged
Mr. Bernard Fessler lived in Milmont, an unincorporated community of Union County in central Pennsylvania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millmont,_Pennsylvania In November of 1906, Bernard received a comic postcard
We met Miss Challender in earlier postcard stories; she received many postcards related to love and romance. Miss Challender lived in Cookstown, an unincorporated community
Mr. Harry Kreamer lived in the community of Kreamer, a census-designated place in Snyder County of central Pennsylvania. Until 2019, the community had been the
Comic postcards related to drinking and inebriation are not rare, and can be found for fifteen years before the US enacted Prohibition in 1920. Prohibition,
This comic postcard illustrates how the telephone facilitated marital evasions. In 1908, less than 10% of households had a telephone. Ownership of a phone was
Miss Mamie Whitney lived in Woodstock, the beautiful Shire Town on the Ottauquechee River in east central Vermont. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock,_Vermont In August of 1907, Mamie received
Miss Florence Maskry lived in Berlin Center, a small, unincorporated community within Berlin Township of northeast Ohio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Center,_Ohio Sometime in 1908, Florence received a comic
This comic postcard was not mailed, so there is no story attached to the sender or the recipient. Published by Julius Bien & Company of
There are some staples of humor that have endured for more than a century. One of these subjects for caricature is the snobbish or condescending
This comic postcard was made and published by our old friend, J. Murray Jordan, the prolific postcard publisher of Philadelphia. On this site, I have
This is the second half of the postcard series depicting a scene of romantic extortion. The first postcard, “Pay of Swim” was mailed to Antoinette
This is the first of two postcards illustrating a brazen attempt at romantic extortion. The face of the postcard shows two well-dressed young ladies crossing
Alice Ridlon lived in Monmouth, an old town (settled in 1700) in south central Maine. (Monmouth is about halfway between the cities of Lewiston and
Mrs. Fred Boryer lived in Reno, the city in the Truckee River Valley in northwest Nevada. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno,_Nevada Fred, Mrs. Broyer’s husband, husband seems to have
Mark Z. McGill lived in Washington, DC, but members of his family resided in central Pennsylvania. In March of 1913, Mark received a postcard from
The newspapers of William Randolph Hearst printed postcards as inducements to subscribers. (Earlier postcard stories related to newspaper postcards which depicted the San Francisco Earthquake,
Mr. And Mrs. Otto Wibbles lived in Louisville – Kentucky’s largest city, on the Ohio River opposite the State of Indiana. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisville,_Kentucky Otto worked at
Mr. L. P. Whitaker lived in Chicago. In June of 1908, Mr. Whitaker received a comic postcard from an unidentified correspondent in Detroit, Michigan. The
Mr. Frank Dudley lived in West Poland, an unincorporated village in Androscoggin County of southern Maine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Poland,_Maine Sometime around 1905, Frank was given a postcard
Miss Dorie Russell lived in Sugar Grove, a borough in Warren County of northwest Pennsylvania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_Grove,_Pennsylvania In May of 1907, Miss Russell received a comic
Mrs. C. H. Nesbit lived in Lewisburg, the lovely city on the west branch of the Susquehanna River in Union County of central Pennsylvania. Lewisburg
This comic postcard has some uncomfortable “edges” for contemporary readers. The face of the postcard depicts an older woman with an array of items related
I don’t believe that the community of Elizabethtown is a hotbed of broken promises; postcards like this one were purchased by printers who affixed a
In December of 1911, Amos was working in New Castle – a city in central Indiana, about 44 miles northeast of Indianapolis on the Big
Miss Viola Deetz (Dietz?) had received the address of Mr. Alfred Mettetal (?) who was a member of a machine gun battalion at Camp Sherman.
Mr. Art Nelson lived in Fond du Lac, the city at the southern tip of Lake Winnebago in eastern Wisconsin. In February of 1910, Art
Babe was visiting Hallie in Milwaukee, and she remembered that she had not answered the last letter from her friends in California. Belle and Stuart,
This comic postcard, showing the stages of life identified by the articles of clothing on a clothesline, was copyrighted in 1905 by the Bicknell Manufacturing
Huldah was beginning a new school year in Sparta, a village about ten miles north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. She wrote to her friend, Elsie,
This comic postcard, depicting a tramp “driving” a dilapidated toy auto, was mailed to Mrs. Frank Oiler in August of 1909. Mrs. Oiler lived in
This comic postcard was copyrighted in 1905 and published by J. Murray Jordan of Philadelphia. We met the publisher and the same three figures (photograph
Frank lived in Buffalo, the industrial and transportation powerhouse on Lake Erie in northwest New York. Frank had a friend, Sara, who lived in the
In an earlier postcard story, we met the prolific photographer and publisher, J. Murray Jordan. (“Let’s Live in Clover”) Based in Philadelphia, Jordan published in
Miss Edna Bender lived in Wyoming, a small city in east-central Iowa, not far from Cedar Rapids. Sometime around 1911 (the postmark is badly-applied), Edna
J. Murray Jordan was a prolific photographer and publisher in Philadelphia. Murray’s work included a wide range of subjects – from the comic and frivolous
Mrs. D. A Long lived in Shippensburg, a borough on the border of Franklin and Cumberland Counties in south-central Pennsylvania. In the early 20th century,
This comic postcard was published by the Royal Publishing Company of Philadelphia in 1906. A young woman sits demurely on a bench while her suitor
This comic postcard, published by Bamforth & Company, was printed in England. Other comic postcards of Bamforth (the large moustache, the forgotten purse) have been
This comic postcard was copyrighted in 1907 by “U. Company” of New York. (I believe it might be the Ullman Lithographic Company.) A rat is
This comic postcard from the Bamforth Company touches on a topic that was not always humorous to audiences of the early 20th Century. Although 15
This comic postcard, featuring a telephone operator making a date for lunch, was not mailed – it was “enclosed”, probably within a letter. It was
This comic postcard was illustrated by D. Hillson – who was introduced in earlier postcard stories. Copyright in 1907, the illustration shows a yawning figure
One can find many postcards from the early 20th century that reflect on marriage and marriage roles.Some of them, intended to be humorous, may be
This English comic postcard published by G.D. & D. of London, provides humorous advice to a young woman – who may have been married very
Mr. Richard Cook had moved or traveled from Richmond, Virginia in July of 1907. A comic postcard that was mailed to him at a Richmond
Almost everyone, at some time, meets people for whom affectation and “drama” is a constant companion. Self-conscious actors and actresses may be especially prone to
Effie Hart lived in Great Falls, a city on the Missouri River in west central Montana. The city now profits from hydro-electric dams that are
Jerome and Florence (with a third person whose name I cannot read – perhaps a child) were visiting Niagara Falls. From the Canadian side of
R. F. Outcault was one of the greatest cartoonists in American history. He may have been the first to use a series of comic panels,
Mr. Hugh Smith lived in Monrovia, an unincorporated community in Atchison County, Kansas. The town was platted along on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, but never
Miss E. Garner lived in Media, PA, a borough 13 miles west of Philadelphia and the County Seat of Delaware County. In November of 1914,
On October 11, 1906, H. H. Ziemen of Adamstown received a postcard from Cora, who might be a sibling. The postcard is badly worn and
This comic postcard has an interesting pedigree. Douglas Tempest (born 1887) was a British illustrator and cartoonist who went on to become a pioneer in
The wide range of comic postcards has never held much interest for me; but the genre has always been a considerable part of the postcard
A Comic Postcard to Walter. – Elkhorn, Wisconsin (1906) This is another light- hearted postcard that has a sorrowful aftermath. In April of 1906, Walter
You Nut! 1916 Ray Peterson of Cannon Falls, Minnesota had been away, visiting the brother of E. Miller; Ray received belatedly the postcard sent by
“Great Games in York” – circa 1910 I believe that this is a comic card, picturing a card shark luring pedestrians to a rigged game.
It’s Crowded in Atlantic City — 1932 In the summer of 1932, Mrs. Lee Wolf was living in Ephrata, PA. Mrs. Wolf received a comic
Suggestive comic postcards were common in the early years of the 20th century. Enterprising printers could order blank templates and add the name of the
Marriage is a Hard Way – 1906 One can find many postcards from the early 20th century that reflect on marriage and marriage roles. Some
Life Overtakes Art – circa 1910 The naive artist, standing in the meadow to paint a picture of a bull, is forced to flee when
Young Clifford Receives a Comic Postcard – Oil City, PA (1917) Master Clifford Huff lived in Rocky Grove, PA, a small community adjoining the larger
She Can’t Vote! – Circa 1916 The reliable, easily-adaptable Ford was a marvel to many auto owners of the early 20th century. One can find
Ralph Hopes to See Mollie in St.Paul – 1908 In May of 1908, Ralph Royer (Roger?) was traveling through Seattle, Washington. He mailed a postcard