Anonymity

Anonymous Violinist (1918-1930)

One of the most frustrating things about many photo postcards that you'll find if you are a collector is the relative anonymity of them. Too often you find a great postcard and wonder "Who is this?" or "Where was this photo taken?" One of the things I want to do on this blog is enlist the help of readers in identifying a few of the ones I'm stuck on. Maybe we'll even have some competitions with prizes. Sometimes, though, as in the case of this violin player, there's little hope of identification. In these cases we must be content with looking at a cool, yet anonymous, photo.

By the way, I will dedicate a future post to how I date the postcards I find. It's easy of there's a postmark, but there often isn't.

Also, I am following up on a lead tomorrow afternoon that could result in my biggest postcard acquisition yet, and I will keep you posted!

5 Pin Bowling - It's Canadian!

Guess what I learned today? There's a game called five pin bowling and it's only played in Canada. I have bowled in leagues in the United States, and was aware of candlepin and tenpin variations, but after finding this great photo, I realized there must be something else out there. This goofy group of guys (check out the middle guy's tie) seems very proud of their victory.

I felt like a real detective on this one. First, I tried to decipher what the trophy says, and could only make out "Alberta." I thought, Canada, eh? Then, I noticed there were only 5 pins, and the balls were not at all the right size, and lo and behold, I found this Wikipedia entry: 5 Pin Bowling

On the back, the man in the back left corner is identified as Lloyd Monson, none of the others are identified. The only record I could find of a Lloyd Monson was on a list of Canadian casualties from 1951 in the Korean War. Sadly, given the likely date range of this photo, this is very likely the same man. Interestingly, this is printed on Kodak nitrate film, which was retired in 1951-1952.

Coming to America

Here's a preview of one of the fantastic images I have collected for an upcoming project. I will reveal more about it later, but I hope it will be something enjoyable for lovers of postcards, photography and history! A classic view of some Danish immigrants recently arrived in the United States. It is not at all uncommon to come across American postcards with messages in Danish, Swedish, French and German on the back, especially cards from the upper midwest and major cities where immigrants often settled.

It should go without saying that I would appreciate it if you would ask before copying or reusing images from my blog. It's possible that many of these may be used in future publications. Thanks!!

How I Got Hooked

Whenever anyone starts a new hobby there's always something that hooks them, captures their attention, and makes them want to know more. For me, it was this postcard, a seemingly boring view of some sailboats at sunset. But the fact that the sender lovingly glued pieces of silk over the embossed sails on the front of the card made me realize that postcards played a special part in communication at the start of the 20th Century.

The back shows a 1908 postmark. Only a penny postage!

This realization led me to consider that perhaps there was some significant historical value to postcards as well, and by this time I found myself looking down the rabbit hole of paper ephemera from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I started with an interest in postcards, then got hooked on old photographs, then Victorian trade cards, and now, lately, poster stamps. I was hooked, and my thirst for old things made out of paper was born.

Native Alaskans

I will showcase all kinds of interesting (I hope) things on this blog that I find in my searches through garage sales, antique shops, etc. One find a couple of weeks ago are these two fantastic early 1900s photo postcards of Native Alaskans. This one is particularly cute - no need to worry about a crying baby if it's passed out! I will devote future posts to explaining different types of postcards to my readers who don't have a clue what I'm talking about. Photo postcards are my favorite.

I absolutely love this one, not just because of the confused look on the kid's face, but also because of his amazing clothing. These photos are dated 1905, so it's possible that this boy had never seen a camera before in his life. Many Americans (and Alaskans!) in rural and urban areas were just getting their first taste of what photography could capture at the turn of the 20th century. The technology wasn't new, but the fact that more average people had access to it was.

Welcome to Artful Geographic

About a year ago I found some postcards at a garage sale, and had no idea that it would lead to a love of all things related to antique and vintage paper ephemera. Since that moment, I have learned so much about the history of postcards and, through them, the social history of the United States.

As a history teacher, I have a solid background in the important events of America's history. What I love about postcards and photos, though, is their ability to capture the less momentous parts of our nation's history. Over the last year, I've found that these are actually far more interesting moments. Photo postcards in particular offer a rare and welcome glance into the lives of average Americans.

I hope to share some of my more interesting finds on this blog, as well as promote a number of creative projects I am working on related to vintage and antique ephemera. I look forward to your comments and suggestions, readers, and hopefully your wisdom when I miss something important!