Postage Stamps

Historical Context

Before the message side. Until March 1, 1907, US postcards could carry only the address on the back; messages had to go on the front, as Clara's does here. Divided backs came in that spring.

The turkey's champion. Benjamin Franklin, whose face is on this card's stamp, wrote to his daughter in January 1784 that the eagle was "a Bird of bad moral Character" and the turkey "a much more respectable Bird." He did not propose the turkey as the national bird, but he would have liked this card.

Two states, two marks. Sent from East Greenwich, Rhode Island, and backstamped on arrival in Attleboro, Massachusetts, the card carries both ends of its journey.

Condition

Good to very good. A faint crease runs through the left side of the front near the eagle, visible mainly under bright light or magnification; it shows in the eagle close-up. Light corner wear and even toning. Back clean apart from a small dark spot at the upper left; postmarks clear.

About The Printing

This card is printed in halftone. Under magnification the black and the colors resolve into a regular, even grid of dots rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph, as expected for a card of this date. The birds are embossed and outlined in gold, and the embossing shows through on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Patriotic Thanksgiving. Turkeys dressed as Uncle Sam made the holiday a national one on the card itself, and they draw patriotic collectors as well as holiday collectors.

A boy's mail. "Master" was the courtesy title for a young boy. Melvin Hutchinson of North Raynham received this card from his Aunt Hattie in 1910; a second card to him, from his "Florence baby" cousin in 1911, is also in our store.

Condition

Very good. Bright, clean colors and crisp embossing. Wear at the lower left and lower right corners, where the red band shows small chips. Back clean with light toning, a small rust-colored spot at the lower left of the message side, and the pencil address and signature as described.

About The Printing

This card is printed in halftone. Under magnification the colors resolve into a regular, even grid of dots rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The wishbone, column and lettering accents are in gold, and the design is embossed so the turkey stands up in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

PFB. The PFB monogram is attributed by collectors to Paul Finkenrath of Berlin, one of the leading makers of embossed postcards; "Relief" on the back refers to the embossing.

The Golden Age of Postcards. The divided-back years, 1907 to 1915, are known as the Golden Age of Postcards, and German printers dominated the trade.

Up the river. Mailed from Cromwell to Hartford, a short run up the Connecticut River, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving 1908.

Condition

Very good. Some small areas of printing are rubbed from the high points of the embossing, as is common on these cards; colors otherwise rich. Light corner wear. Back clean with light toning; postmark and address clear.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The turkeys and fence are embossed, and the relief shows clearly on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

Made for America, printed in Saxony: a 1907 Raphael Tuck Thanksgiving card: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174532357

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Quite lonesome. Ara wrote to Hattie two days before Thanksgiving 1907, missing the people back home: "Come out when you can."

The Golden Age of Postcards. The divided-back years, 1907 to 1915, are known as the Golden Age of Postcards, and German printers dominated the trade.

Condition

Very good. Subtle color and deep, crisp embossing; light corner wear and a few small dark specks near the pumpkin at lower right. Back clean with light toning; small pencil "15" at top.

About The Printing

The color on this card was airbrushed: sprayed onto deeply embossed stock. Under magnification it lies as a fine mist with soft edges and no dot screen at all, quite unlike the stipple of a chromolithograph or the regular dots of halftone. The turkey and cornucopias stand up in high relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Florence. Florence is a village in the northwest of Northampton, known for its silk mills and for the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, the 1840s community that Sojourner Truth joined in 1843. The sender signed as the "Florence baby," and the postmark agrees: Florence Station.

A pair to one boy. Melvin Hutchinson's Aunt Hattie sent him a patriotic Thanksgiving card the year before; it is also in our store.

Condition

Good to very good. Front colors and gold strong, embossing crisp; some soiling and light edge wear on the cream border. Back shows foxing and toning, heaviest at the edges, with light corner wear; postmark, flag cancel and address clear.

About The Printing

This card is printed in halftone. Under magnification the turkey's blue-green resolves into a regular, even grid of dots rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The wishbone and shield are in gold, and the card is embossed throughout, so the whole design stands up in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

Another M.132 card, the child chef riding a turkey, "Thanksgiving Joys," 1911: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174533956

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Joplin's mines. Joplin sat at the center of the Tri-State Mining District and became the lead- and zinc-mining capital of the world; by 1871 mining camps had spread through the Joplin Creek valley. A daughter in Chicago writing to her father at the Midway Mines puts a piece of that story on a holiday card.

Airbrushed cards. Spray-colored, heavily embossed cards like this one have a soft, sculpted look all their own.

Condition

Good. This is an unusually thick card, and the back layer is beginning to separate from the front at the edges. Front color soft but intact, embossing crisp, corners good. Back toned with light soiling; the pencil message is faint, as is the pencil address.

About The Printing

The color on this card was airbrushed: sprayed onto deeply embossed stock pressed with a wood-grain texture. Under magnification the color lies as a fine mist with soft edges and no dot screen at all, quite unlike the stipple of a chromolithograph or the regular dots of halftone.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Dating by the stamp. This Franklin 1-cent design was issued in December 1908, and Washington's portrait replaced Franklin's on the 1-cent value in February 1912, so the card was most likely mailed between those dates.

Condition

Very good. Outstanding gold detail and bright color; some flaking of the red border along the edges and light corner wear. Back clean apart from a couple of small ink spots; pencil "(35)."

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph: each color was drawn by hand onto its own stone and printed in its own pass. Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, with no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. The turkey, bows and fruit are embossed, and the relief shows on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The Mayflower. With the Pilgrims' ship on the horizon and the turkey on shore, the whole Thanksgiving story fits in one embossed scene.

Airbrushed cards. Color sprayed over deep embossing gives these cards a soft, sculpted look all their own.

Condition

Very good. Soft colors clean and even, embossing crisp, light corner wear. Back clean with light toning; the pencil address and signature are clear.

About The Printing

The color on this card was airbrushed: sprayed onto deeply embossed stock. Under magnification it lies as a fine mist with soft edges and no dot screen at all, quite unlike the stipple of a chromolithograph or the regular dots of halftone. The relief shows clearly on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Heavy ink. The canceling ink was so heavy and wet that it soaked through the card and shows as dark marks at the upper left of the front. It is not terribly uncommon, and it shows the reality of a busy post office in the week before Thanksgiving; the close-up shows it.

Local mail. Mailed within Haverhill on the Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving 1913.

Condition

Very good. Clean cream stock with crisp embossing and bright gold. Cancel ink bleed-through at the upper left of the front, as described. Light corner wear. Back clean, postmark and address clear.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph, and it was slow, exacting work. Each color had to be drawn onto its own separate stone by hand — in monochrome, the artist judging how much stipple each area needed so the colors would combine correctly only once every stone had been printed. The sheet then went through the press once for every color it carries, often a dozen or more, and every pass had to register exactly against the last. A pass out of register showed.

Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, the colors mixing in the eye rather than on the paper. There is no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. Modern process printing simulates every color from four inks; chromolithography laid each color down as its own.

The whole card is embossed, the lettering and ornaments are in gold, and the patterned border stands up in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The eve of the holiday. Postmarked on the Wednesday morning before Thanksgiving, which fell on November 28 in 1907.

The Mayflower. The Pilgrims' ship and the Thanksgiving turkey share one deeply embossed scene.

Condition

Good. Strong color and crisp embossing; light rubbing along the top edge, a few small gray marks, and light edge wear. Back toned and slightly wavy; message, address and cancel clear.

About The Printing

The color on this card was airbrushed: sprayed onto deeply embossed stock. Under magnification it lies as a fine mist with soft edges and no dot screen at all, quite unlike the stipple of a chromolithograph or the regular dots of halftone. The relief shows on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Farm news. Forrest dated the card Wednesday, November 23, 1910, the day before Thanksgiving, and it was postmarked that Saturday: a hat to fix, dye on order, and the butchering put off for now.

Condition

Very good. Bright color and gold, crisp embossing; light wear at the corners and edges. Back clean apart from a blue ink blot left of the address; a faint pencil number at top right.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph: each color was drawn by hand onto its own stone and printed in its own pass. Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, with no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. The border, flowers and fruit are embossed and gilded, and the relief shows on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Three seasons on one card. Spring violets, harvest pumpkins and a snow-covered village share the same design.

The eve of the holiday. Postmarked Wednesday, November 23, 1910, the day before Thanksgiving.

Condition

Very good. Bright color and gold, crisp embossing; a small crease and nick at the upper right corner. Back clean with light toning; pencil "20c."

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph: each color was drawn by hand onto its own stone and printed in its own pass. Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, with no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. The border, flowers and fruit are embossed and gilded.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

A note to the hotel. Sent to Miss Walsh at the Riverside Hotel by someone who calls himself her "hubby" and signs "Billie," asking about plans for the holiday.

Flag cancel. The Holyoke machine cancel prints a waving American flag beside the postmark.

Condition

Good. Bright color and gold; corner wear with small chips at the front lower left and the back right edge, light rubbing, and two small dark spots among the forget-me-nots. Back with a blue ink smudge in the message area and a faint pencil number at top right.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph: each color was drawn by hand onto its own stone and printed in its own pass. Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, with no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. The gold leaf and border are embossed, and the relief shows on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The Proclamation. Thanksgiving was set each year by proclamation, and this turkey has stopped to read his own fate.

The Jewelry Capital. The Attleboro area was once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry makers.

Condition

Good. Front bright and clean with crisp embossing; light corner wear. Back shows scattered foxing and a rust-colored ring around the stamp, with the full ink message.

About The Printing

This card is printed in halftone. Under magnification the greens and yellows of the trees resolve into a regular, even grid of colored dots rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The card is embossed, and the turkey and trees stand up in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

"Irma grows fast." A daughter writes home to her parents just before Thanksgiving 1912: the family will be up for the holiday, and the baby can sit up alone "for a little while."

Condition

Very good. Bright gold and color, crisp embossing; a small nick at the top edge and light corner wear. Back clean with light toning; pencil "50c" at top left.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph: each color was drawn by hand onto its own stone and printed in its own pass. Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, with no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. The gold vines and pumpkins are embossed, and the turkey stands up in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Mailed on the day. The postmark, Thursday, November 28, 1912, fell on Thanksgiving Day itself.

S L C 1911. The monogram of the Stecher Lithographic Company of Rochester, N.Y. carries the design's 1911 copyright date.

Condition

Very good. Bright colors and crisp gold; light corner wear. Back clean, with the ink message and address clear and a small pencil "20."

About The Printing

This card is printed in halftone. Under magnification the colors resolve into a regular, even grid of dots rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The gold panel and figures are embossed and show in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

Another Stecher Series 204 Thanksgiving card from this group, a landscape design mailed in Rochester on Thanksgiving Day 1916, is also in our store. More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are there too.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

California mail. A Thanksgiving card from Woodland, California, already looking ahead to Christmas: "Santa will be good to you."

The stamp. Washington replaced Franklin on the 1-cent stamp in February 1912, so this perf 12 Washington places the card in 1912 or later.

Condition

Very good. Bright gold and color, crisp embossing, light corner wear; a faint impression of a postmark has transferred to the top center of the front. Back clean; pencil "50c."

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph: each color was drawn by hand onto its own stone and printed in its own pass. Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, with no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. The gold bouquet is embossed, and the turkey and bouquet stand up in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The stamp. Perf 10 came in with the watermarked Scott #424 in 1914; from September 1916 the same stamp was printed on unwatermarked paper as #462. Examined under a strong back-light with a loupe, this one shows no watermark letters, which points toward #462, though a faint watermark can't be ruled out while it is on the card.

Condition

Very good. Clean, bright front with crisp embossing; light corner wear. Back clean with light toning; pencil "15."

About The Printing

This card is printed in halftone. Under magnification the colors resolve into a regular, even grid of dots rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The wreath and turkey are embossed and show in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Across the state line. Written in Coatsville, Missouri, two days after Thanksgiving 1913 to a friend in Pulaski, Iowa, with plans for a December visit, weather permitting.

Condition

Very good. Bright gold frame, gold feathers and greeting, sharp corners and light wear. Back toned with foxing; stamp missing as described; pencil "75c."

About The Printing

This card is printed in halftone. Under magnification the colors resolve into a regular, even grid of dots rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The gold frame and turkey are embossed and show in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Two cancels. The card took a Blue Island postmark and then a Chicago flag cancel on its way to Warren County.

Windmill and flag. An unusual pairing for a Thanksgiving card: a stars-and-stripes shield beside a windmill landscape.

Condition

Good. Colors and gold bright; creases at the lower left corner and along the left edge, faint cancel ink transferred to the upper left of the front, and corner wear. Back with a crease along the right side; message and cancels clear.

About The Printing

This is an original chromolithograph: each color was drawn by hand onto its own stone and printed in its own pass. Under magnification the image resolves into irregular hand-drawn stipple, each ink carrying its own dot pattern, with no regular halftone screen and no four-color rosette, which is what a modern reproduction would show. The shield, wheat and grapes are embossed and gilded, and the relief shows on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

The day before. Mollie dated her card on Monday, and it was postmarked Wednesday, November 29, 1916, the day before Thanksgiving.

The stamp. From September 1916 the perf 10 Washington was printed on unwatermarked paper as Scott #462, which philatelic author Max Johl called "one of the most desirable stamps of the 20th century." This one may be either #462 or the watermarked #424.

Condition

Good. Front bright with crisp gold; light corner and edge wear. On the back, three paper album corners remain glued at the corners, with dark glue stains, covering the start of several message lines. The stamp has surface loss across the portrait. Small pencil "28" on the back.

About The Printing

This card is printed in halftone. Under magnification the colors resolve into a regular, even grid of dots rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The gold panel is embossed with a hammered texture, and the girl and turkey show in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Early greetings. Mailed in October 1912, about a month before Thanksgiving fell on November 28, with both the stamp and the message upside down.

Condition

Good to very good. Bright gold and color; corner wear and light soiling. Back with wear and a small stain at the lower right corner; the purple pencil address and message are clear.

About The Printing

Under magnification the fine color dots could not be read reliably as either hand-drawn chromolithograph stipple or halftone, so no printing method is claimed. The pumpkins, corn and grapes are embossed and gilded, and the turkey stands up in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

Stecher. The Stecher Lithographic Company of Rochester, N.Y. grew from a printer of posters, labels and trade cards into a major maker of artist-drawn holiday postcards. This one was canceled in the company's home city at 1 AM on Thanksgiving Day, November 30, 1916.

Bought years before it was mailed? Another card in the same Stecher Series 204 carries a 1911 copyright on its front, so this card may have waited on a shelf or in a drawer for several Thanksgivings before Mary Thayer sent it.

Condition

Good. Bright color and gold. A crease with a small surface chip at lower left by the girl's boots, light creasing at left, corner wear, and faint transferred cancel lines in the sky at upper left. Back toned, with creases along the right side, stamp residue, and a small pencil "20."

About The Printing

This card is printed in halftone. Under magnification the colors resolve into a regular, even grid of dots rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The gold panel is embossed with a hammered texture, and the figures stand up in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

Another Stecher Series 204 Thanksgiving card from this group, a portrait design mailed on Thanksgiving Day 1912, is also in our store. More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are there too.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.

Historical Context

"City." Addressed simply to "City," the card was meant for local delivery in Huntsville.

The stamp. Scott #498, issued in March 1917, was the first stamp of the 1917-1919 series with 11-gauge perforations, adopted because perf 12 proved too flimsy and perf 10 too hard to separate.

Condition

Very good. Bright, clean colors and crisp embossing; light corner wear. Back clean with light toning, a small crease at the lower right corner, and a pencil "1.00" at the right edge.

About The Printing

This card is printed in halftone. Under magnification the colors resolve into a regular, even grid of dots rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The turkey and lettering are embossed and show in relief on the back.

Provenance

From my family's estate collections, built over more than 60 years by knowledgeable antiques collectors and traders. Stored in a climate-controlled environment.

Also In Our Store

More Thanksgiving postcards from this group are in our store.

Disclaimer

The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.