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
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, featuring a secret romantic tryst, was not mailed. The postcard was presented to Miss Bessie Beckley who lived on a rural delivery
Mr. Harry Pyle lived in Wagontown, an unincorporated community in Chester County of southeast Pennsylvania. This small community, about 3 miles north of Coatesville, has
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
Miss Mabel Fulton lived in Safe Harbor, the community that grew up around the confluence of the Conestoga and the Susquehanna Rivers in southern Lancaster
Miss Velma Homer lived in Hillsdale, a town in east-central New York State -near the border of Massachusetts. This area, along the Taconic Mountain Range,
Miss Opal Denning lived in Terre Haute, the city on the highlands above the Wabash River in west-central Indiana. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terre_Haute,_Indiana It appears that Miss Denning
Miss Ida Bidwell lived in Prairie City, a small city in Jasper County of central Iowa. The first settlement in this area grew up around
Miss Nellie Dillon lived in Grapeville, a census-designated place in Westmoreland County of west-central Pennsylvania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapeville,_Pennsylvania In April of 1907, Nellie received a postcard from
Miss Grace Conklin lived in Nyack, a village on the Hudson River about 15 miles north of New York City. Settled by Dutch farmers about
Miss Ella Bunts lived in Tracy Creek, once a lumbering and farming community that is now included within the town of Vestal – a western
In other postcard stories, we have seen comic or romantic themes illustrated by the publishers, Bamforth & Co: “Under the Umbrella”, “The Male is Late”,
We have seen a variety of romantic postcards – some are earnest, some declarative, many are humorous, some bear a warning. This postcard shows the
Miss Clara McElroy lived in East Liverpool, a city on the Ohio River in eastern Ohio – near the intersection of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West
Mr. Gilbert Grandy lived in Rochester, the booming industrial city in western New York State. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rochester,_New_York In August of 1911, Gilbert received a postcard from
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
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
This Romantic postcard was not mailed. We do not know if illustration had a special meaning to the collector who preserved it. The image was
Miss Mae Adams lived in Macon, a city on the Ocmulgee River in central Georgia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macon,_Georgia In November of 1907, Mae received a postcard from
Mr. Gilbert Grandy lived in Dundee, a village in west-central New York State. Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes, is four miles east of
Miss Ruth Hoppes lived in Mulberry, a small city in southeast Kansas. Founded as a mining town on the site of an Indian camping site,
Mr. H. C. Stolzenbach lived in Baltimore, the busy port city and transportation hub for central Maryland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore In February of 1909, Mr. Stolzenbach received
Miss Ruby Kroff, possibly Kropp, lived in Oneida – a city in Madison County of central New York State. Oneida grew up as the Erie
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. Joseph Labreche lived in Fall River, a busy commercial and transportation center at the mouth of the Taunton River in southeast Massachusetts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_River,_Massachusetts In
Miss Anna Wallner lived in New Bedford, the port city in south-east Massachusetts that had once been a whaling center for the nation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Bedford,_Massachusetts In
Miss Irean Roche lived in Kings Mills, a census-designated place on the west bank of the Little Miami River in southwest Ohio. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_Mills,_Ohio In January
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 Leila M. Howard lived in Belfast, a city on Belfast Bay and Penobscot Bay in southeastern Maine. The city was burned by the British during
Mr. Norman Swartz lived in Topeka, the capital city on the Kansas River in the State of Kansas. Originally, Topeka was a ferry point for
We met Miss L. C. Hyde in earlier postcard stories; she received a postcard from her friend who wrote to her from Belding, Michigan. Miss
Miss Lavinia Briggs lived in Minneapolis, the city on the upper Mississippi River that was an industrial powerhouse for agricultural milling and food production. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minneapolis
Miss Audie Beninger lived in Greenwood, West Virginia. Alas, there are three unincorporated communities by that name in West Virginia. There is also an abandoned
The face of this lovely postcard shows a night-time boating excursion. A young couple drifts in a rowboat, under the light of a full moon.
Mr. Frank Sides lived in Strasburg, the historic borough southeast of Lancaster that is home to a famous train museum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strasburg,_Pennsylvania In July of 1909,
Miss Grace Dotson lived in Harrisville, a town in northwest West Virginia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrisville,_West_Virginia Sometime around 1905, Grace was given a postcard greeting related to the
Mr. Edwin Eberly lived in Stevens, the unincorporated community of northern Lancaster County – named for Thaddeus Stevens. Stevens was also known in the early
Although the face of the postcard shows a scene of courtship, I believe that this postcard was exchanged between friends, perhaps schoolmates. The postcard is
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
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
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
This postcard is one of a series of postcard drawings depicting young lovers. Each one of the series shows a young man and young woman
Old Point Comfort is the extreme tip of the small peninsula that is the eastern extremity of Virginia. It was named for an incident involving
Miss Rachel Morton lived in Oxford, the lovely borough in Chester County that was a center of industry before the slow demise of the railroads
Alice Cleaver lived in York Springs, a resort community in Adams County. (We met Alice in an earlier postcard story about attending the York Fair.)
In addition to the proud postcard memorials to local monuments or scenic splendors, plus the enormous variety of seasonal and holiday greetings, a large number
In the early 20th century, Webster Springs was a resort town to which visitors flocked to experience the curative powers of the salt sulfur springs.
This comic postcard was not mailed, so we do not know if the message was intended for a particular person. It is an example of
“How Could I Suffer Love’s Alarms…” (circa 1910) For many years, I avoided postcards that appeared overly sentimental or “sappy”. I have seen hundreds of