Postcards

Historical Context

Winsch. The Winsch Publishing Company of Stapleton, New York, produced thousands of postcards from 1910 to 1915, printed in Germany; many were designed by the artist Samuel Schmucker. This card is unsigned, so no artist is claimed.

Two languages, one family. A Thanksgiving card made for the American market, carrying a sister's anniversary thanks in German script — a family keeping its language while taking up an American holiday.

For the frame. With its ribbon, gold and relief, this card displays as well as it stores.

Condition

Very good. The silk ribbon is bright and intact, the bow full, and the embossing crisp. Light toning and soft corners; the white border is clean. Back lightly toned, with the full ink message and a faint erased pencil mark at the top.

About The Printing

Deep embossing lifts the oval above the scanner's plane of focus, so its dot structure cannot be read reliably from our scans, and no printing method is claimed here. The grape and leaf relief in the border is blind-embossed — raised with no ink at all — and the oval carries a raised gold rim.

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

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

Christmas Day in Colorado. Written on Christmas Day 1909 in Breckenridge, Colorado, and addressed to Pittsburg, Kansas. With no stamp or postmark, it was presumably delivered by hand or tucked into an envelope or parcel.

Printed in Germany, the year the tariff came. German printers dominated early postcard printing, producing inexpensive, high-quality lithographs for American publishers. The same year this card was written, the Payne-Aldrich Tariff of 1909 taxed imported postcards at a much higher rate, and with the First World War American printers took over most of the market.

For Old World Santa collectors. A robed, hooded Santa in a gilt hexagon, with an Arts and Crafts panel below.

The Golden Age of Postcards. Usually dated 1907 to 1915, when Americans sent hundreds of millions of postcards every year.

Condition

Very good. Silver ground bright, embossing crisp. A fine curved scratch or hairline in the silver near the top right corner and a faint crease line near the lower left corner of the front, with a small white abrasion near the left edge by the holly and light scuffing on the black panel. Corners softly rounded with light wear; edges slightly toned. Back clean with light, even toning, the ink inscription and two old pencil prices.

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 holly is embossed, the silver ground carries an embossed line texture, and the hexagon and panel are edged in gold.

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 1909 embossed Christmas card with holly, this one mailed from Baxter Springs, Kansas: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158180868901

Another embossed Christmas card with holly and silver metallic ink: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158180794660

The immigrant story behind early American imagery runs through our US silver dollars too: the Morgan dollar was designed by English-born George T. Morgan, the Peace dollar by Sicilian-born Anthony de Francisci.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

From the iron range to a new state. Wakefield, in Gogebic County on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, grew up on the Gogebic iron range after iron ore was found at Sunday Lake in 1881; it was incorporated as a village in 1887.

Oklahoma postal history. Yale, in Payne County, had its post office from 1895 and had become a railroad, farming and cotton-processing town. Oklahoma had been a state for barely two years when this card arrived: Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory entered the Union together as the 46th state on November 16, 1907.

Made for America, in the German style. German printers dominated early postcard printing, and many cards of the period used embossing, metallic foils and decoration of the kind seen here. The same year this card was mailed, the 1909 Payne-Aldrich Tariff taxed imported postcards much more heavily, and World War I ended the German supply.

The Golden Age of Postcards. From 1907 to 1915 Americans mailed hundreds of millions of cards a year.

Condition

Good antique condition for a mailed card. Front: bright colors and strong embossing; rubbing and small paper loss to the silver sky at the top left corner; light wear to the other corners and edges; light rubbing to the gilt in places. Back: light even toning; pencil message and address as described; a few small red specks near the message; embossing shows through as raised relief. Postally used.

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 card is also deeply embossed, with gold on the clock, horn and lettering and a silver metallic sky.

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

The immigrant story behind early American imagery runs through our US silver dollars too: the Morgan dollar was designed by English-born George T. Morgan, the Peace dollar by Sicilian-born Anthony de Francisci.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Made for America, printed in Saxony. Raphael Tuck & Sons was a London firm, founded in 1866, that held a Royal Warrant and issued its first postcards in 1900. Like most early Tuck cards, this one was printed in Germany, yet this series was made for an American holiday. German printers dominated early postcard printing, producing inexpensive, high-quality lithographs for American publishers.

The first year of the divided back. Until 1907 the back of a private postcard was for the address alone; on March 1, 1907, a new law let senders write messages on the left half of the back. Mailed in November of that first year, this card uses the new divided back, and the sender still added a greeting on the front. The Golden Age of Postcards is usually dated 1907 to 1915.

Ohio mail. The card went from Cincinnati to Bethel, in Clermont County, eight days before Thanksgiving 1907.

A holiday with more than one story. In the United States Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November; Canada gives thanks on the second Monday of October (October 12 in 2026). Since November 26, 1970, Native Americans have gathered at Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Thanksgiving Day for a National Day of Mourning, remembering the Wampanoag people and the history that followed the colonists' arrival. American families still gather each November to give thanks, much as the sender and recipient of this card did more than a century ago.

Condition

Good, with honest wear. Front: rich color and strong embossing; scattered small white surface scuffs and flecks of ink loss on the two lead turkeys; faint creases/surface lines in the upper center and right side; light corner and edge wear; pencil writing on the front as described. Back: toning and some light brown staining, mostly at center and left; ink message and address as described. Postally used.

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 are embossed in high relief, visible from 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 embossed turkey card for Thanksgiving, a 1909 design published by M.W. Taggart of New York: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174523818

An American-made Thanksgiving card from 1927, after the German trade had ended, by Whitney Made of Worcester, Massachusetts: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174535521

The immigrant story behind early American imagery runs through our US silver dollars too: the Morgan dollar was designed by English-born George T. Morgan, the Peace dollar by Sicilian-born Anthony de Francisci.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Overnight across northwest Ohio. Mailed at Tiffin, the county seat of Seneca County, at 6:30 in the evening on December 13, 1910, the card was stamped on arrival at Wharton, a village in Wyandot County, at 7 the next morning. Wharton's post office opened as Whartonsburgh in 1852 and took the name Wharton in 1879.

Rural Free Delivery. "R.F.D." began as an experiment in 1896 and became permanent in 1902, bringing mail to farm families' own mailboxes. This is a family card, written to an aunt and uncle, with a note that it comes from Mary Hazel.

A flag on the cancel. The machine cancel is a waving flag with stars, a postal-history crossover for patriotic and cancel collectors.

European printers, American Christmas. Gold-ground embossed cards like this belong to the Golden Age of Postcards, roughly 1907 to 1915. German printers dominated the trade, prized for color, embossing and metallic foils, and European artists and printers did much to shape American popular imagery until the 1909 Payne-Aldrich Tariff and the First World War. This card is not marked with a country of printing.

Condition

Used. The front is described from a scan cut off at the bottom; a full report will follow a rescan. On the visible front: bright colors; light wear and rubbing to the gold on the raised dots; corners lightly rounded. The back is complete and shows heavy scattered foxing (rust-brown spots) over much of the surface, heaviest at the left and along the message, and some darkening along the left edge. Ink message and address; an old pencil mark at the upper left corner. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

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 gold ground is metallic gold embossed with a regular pattern of raised dots, and Santa, the tree, the toys and the vignette frame are embossed in relief.

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

The immigrant story behind early American imagery runs through our US silver dollars too: the Morgan dollar was designed by English-born George T. Morgan, the Peace dollar by Sicilian-born Anthony de Francisci.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

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

Christmas after the Armistice. Aunt Annie mailed this card from Lynn, Massachusetts, on December 23, 1918, six weeks after the Armistice of November 11, 1918, ended the fighting of World War I.

Lake Winnipesaukee mail. It went north to a boy in Center Tuftonboro, one of the villages of Tuftonboro, a Carroll County town on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.

A wartime postal rate. The US postcard rate was 1 cent for decades, but it rose to 2 cents on November 2, 1917, and went back to 1 cent on July 1, 1919, so this card was mailed during that short wartime window.

Printed in America. Before the war, German printers dominated American postcard printing; once the First World War began, American printers supplied most of the postcards sold in the United States. This card carries no "Germany" mark and was printed with a halftone screen, consistent with that shift.

For artist-signed collectors. The "Gassaway" signature in the printing gives this card appeal for collectors of signed postcard artists.

Condition

Very good. Front bright and clean, with light, even toning to the cream border and a few tiny spots in the left margin. Short diagonal crease line at the lower right corner of the front, near the 3146. Corners slightly softened. Back clean, with the ink message and address and a faint pencil mark at the top left. No tears or album residue seen.

About The Printing

This card is printed with a halftone screen. Under magnification the flesh tones of Santa's face resolve into a regular grid of dots set at an angle — about 100 lines to the inch — the mark of a photomechanical printing process rather than hand-drawn chromolithographic stipple. Other areas, like the hood and the tree, show a grainier, less regular texture, and the black drawing lines read as solid ink. There is no four-color rosette of the kind a modern reproduction would show. The card is flat, not embossed.

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 embossed Christmas postcard with a Santa portrait, from 1909: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158180900005

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

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

Santa in blue. Santa was not always dressed in red on early postcards, and a blue-coated Santa with gold trim is an uncommon variation for collectors of Santa imagery.

Two days before Christmas. The card was mailed on December 23, 1912, to Shauck, a small community in Perry Township, Morrow County, in central Ohio.

A first-year stamp. The 1-cent Washington first appeared in 1912, replacing Benjamin Franklin on the 1-cent value, so this card was mailed in that stamp's first year.

The Golden Age of Postcards. Heavily embossed, gold-trimmed cards belong to the years from about 1907 to 1915, when Americans mailed hundreds of millions of cards a year and German printers led the trade until the 1909 Payne-Aldrich Tariff and the First World War. This card is not marked with a country of printing.

Condition

Used. Condition can only be partly described from the current scans, which are cut off at the bottom of the front and the left side of the back; a full report will follow a rescan. On the visible portions: embossing deep and intact; gold bright, with light rubbing on the highest points; light corner wear. A small dark spot in the pink ground near "Merry". Back toned an even tan, with scattered light foxing spots and a few faint surface scratches at left center. Pencil address and message, faint old pencil notations and an old pencil mark on the back. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This card's color was not printed in dots at all. Under magnification there is no halftone screen, no four-color rosette and none of the hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The coral-pink ground and Santa's blue coat lie on the paper as soft, fine-grained color that shades smoothly into white: the look of color applied by airbrush. Airbrushed postcards of this period were almost always embossed as well, and this one is heavily embossed; the roof, icicles, Santa and the lettering stand in strong relief. The gold is a metallic finish with a fine sparkle.

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 embossed Christmas postcard with a Santa portrait, from 1909: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158180900005

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

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

Papa's Delight. Under the banner, Santa holds up slippers and a stocking while puffing on his pipe, a homely Christmas-morning scene with crossover appeal for pipe and tobacciana collectors.

A northwest Ohio village. The card went to a boy, "Master Lloyd", in Hoytville, Wood County. Hoytville's post office opened as Hoyts Corners in 1872 and took the name Hoytville in 1874.

A postmark with a quirk. The datestamp is struck in violet ink, with the year slug set upside down.

European printers, American Christmas. Embossed, gilded cards like this belong to the Golden Age of Postcards, roughly 1907 to 1915. German printers dominated the trade, prized for color, embossing and metallic foils, and European artists and printers did much to shape American popular imagery until the 1909 Payne-Aldrich Tariff and the First World War. This card is not marked with a country of printing.

Condition

Used. Condition can only be partly described from the current scans, which are cut off at the bottom of the front and the left side of the back; a full report will follow a rescan. On the visible portions: bright colors and gold, with light rubbing to the gold on the high points of the embossing; corners lightly rounded. The back shows light tan foxing spots, mostly around the edges and the stamp, fine surface cracking in the paper over some of the deeper embossing, and a short vertical crease line at the left of the message. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

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 bell is a textured metallic gold, and the bell, holly, Santa and scrollwork are embossed in relief.

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

The immigrant story behind early American imagery runs through our US silver dollars too: the Morgan dollar was designed by English-born George T. Morgan, the Peace dollar by Sicilian-born Anthony de Francisci.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Oklahoma City, before the name. Mailed on Christmas Eve 1908, a little over a year after Oklahoma became a state on November 16, 1907, when Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory were joined. The postmark reads "Oklahoma, Okla." because that was the post office's official name: the office at Oklahoma Station was renamed Oklahoma in 1888 and did not become Oklahoma City until July 1, 1923. Oklahoma City became the state capital in 1910, two years after this card was mailed.

A Payne County town on the rails. The card went out on Rural Route 1 from Yale, in Payne County, whose post office opened in 1895 and which was reached by the Eastern Oklahoma Railway in 1902 and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway in 1903. Yale is also home to the Jim Thorpe House, the former residence of the Olympic gold medalist.

An era shaped by European printers. German printers dominated early postcard printing, producing inexpensive, high-quality lithographs for American publishers. In the Golden Age of Postcards, usually dated 1907 to 1915, Americans sent hundreds of millions of postcards every year.

Condition

Fair to good, with honest age. The back is strongly toned to tan, with lighter diagonal bands across the corners, most likely where old album corner mounts once covered the surface. Small area of surface paper loss at the lower edge of the back, left of center. The front shows soft peach toning at the upper right and faint gray offset marks (ink transferred from another card) at the top. Corners lightly worn, with a small nick at the upper right corner of the back. Embossing strong and intact; gold bright. Handwritten message and address.

About The Printing

This card's soft colors were not printed in dots. Under magnification there is no halftone screen, no four-color rosette and none of the hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The pink and lavender in the beard and the peach toward the corners blend smoothly with a fine spray grain: the look of color applied by airbrush. The red coat is a solid field of ink with crisp edges. Airbrushed postcards of this period were almost always embossed, and this one is heavily embossed, with the whole head raised in relief; the holly, horn, lettering and outlines are in metallic gold.

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 card sent to Yale, Oklahoma, likely to the same family (surname is a best reading):

A 1909 Happy New Year card with gnomes and a clock in silver and gold: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174121074

The immigrant story behind early American imagery runs through our US silver dollars too: the Morgan dollar was designed by English-born George T. Morgan, the Peace dollar by Sicilian-born Anthony de Francisci.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

From Oklahoma's first capital. This card was mailed from Guthrie in December 1912. Guthrie was the territorial capital and then Oklahoma's first state capital, from statehood on November 16, 1907, until June 11, 1910, when voters moved the capital to Oklahoma City.

A Payne County farm town. Yale, about twenty miles east of Stillwater, was founded in 1895 and had railroad service by 1902–03. "Route 3" is Rural Free Delivery, which began as an experiment in 1896 and became permanent in 1902, bringing mail to farm families' own mailboxes.

An Olympic connection. Yale later became the home of Jim Thorpe, who won Olympic gold in the pentathlon and decathlon at Stockholm in 1912, the year this card was mailed. His house in Yale is preserved today as the Jim Thorpe House.

A first-year stamp. The 1-cent Washington first appeared in 1912, replacing Benjamin Franklin on the 1-cent value, so this card was mailed in that stamp's first year.

The Golden Age of Postcards. From about 1907 to 1915 Americans mailed hundreds of millions of cards a year, and German printers led the trade in color and embossing until the 1909 Payne-Aldrich Tariff and the First World War. This card is not marked with a country of printing.

Condition

Used. Condition can only be partly described from the current scans, which are cut off at the bottom of the front and the right side of the back; a full report will follow a rescan. On the visible portions: corners softly rounded, with light wear at the upper left of the back; light surface wear; embossing intact and crisp. Ink message and address on the back, old pencil marks at the top, and a small brown spot near the pencil "45". Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

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 card is also embossed: Santa, the girls, the tree and the holly stand in relief.

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 card sent to Yale, Oklahoma — a 1909 embossed New Year card with gnomes and a clock: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174121074

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

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

A new state's mail. Oklahoma had been a state for barely two years when this card arrived; Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory were joined on November 16, 1907. It crossed the line from Baxter Springs, in the southeast corner of Kansas less than two miles from the border, the first "cow town" in Kansas in the early 1870s.

Rural Free Delivery. "R.F.D." delivery to farm families began on October 1, 1896, in West Virginia and became permanent in 1902, which is how a Christmas card reached a box on a country road outside Catoosa — today a Route 66 town in Rogers County, about fourteen miles northeast of Tulsa, home of the Blue Whale of Catoosa.

For trolley collectors. The electric streetcar beside Santa gives this card crossover appeal for transportation and trolley collectors.

A dozen languages on one card. The Universal Postal Union heading on the back, running from German and French through Hungarian, Polish, Czech, Russian and Spanish, was standard on European-printed cards and shows how international the postcard trade was. German printers led it until the Payne-Aldrich Tariff of 1909 raised the duty on imported postcards sharply.

Condition

Good for its age. The gold ground shows rubbing and some flaking along the edges, most at the lower left corner, with general wear to all four corners. Small dark green mark in the gold at the upper right of the front. Embossing crisp, colors bright. On the back: faint pink offset (ink transferred from another card) in the center, faint pencil marks along the top edge, corners lightly worn. Message and address in pencil. No tears seen.

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 holly border, greeting and figures are embossed, and the frame is printed in metallic gold.

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

An earlier card to Ethel Bradford of Catoosa, addressed "Ind. T." — Indian Territory, before statehood: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158180794660

The immigrant story behind early American imagery runs through our US silver dollars too: the Morgan dollar was designed by English-born George T. Morgan, the Peace dollar by Sicilian-born Anthony de Francisci.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Oklahoma before Oklahoma. "Ind. T." is Indian Territory. Catoosa lay in the Cherokee Nation; the railroad arrived in 1881–82 and the post office opened in 1883. Indian Territory ceased to exist on November 16, 1907, when it and Oklahoma Territory entered the Union as the State of Oklahoma. With a postmark of 1906 or 1908, this card was either written in the last year of Indian Territory or by a friend still using the old address after statehood.

Route 66 country. Catoosa, in today's Rogers County about fourteen miles northeast of Tulsa, later became a stop on Route 66 and is home to the roadside landmark the Blue Whale of Catoosa.

Made for America, printed in Germany. The Illustrated Postal Card & Novelty Co. of New York (active about 1905–1914) is known to have had many of its cards printed in Leipzig before it began making its own in 1909. This card carries no country of printing. German printers led the world in color, embossing and metallic inks until the 1909 Payne-Aldrich Tariff and then the First World War ended the trade.

The Golden Age of Postcards. From 1907 to 1915 Americans mailed hundreds of millions of cards a year. The divided back, with room for a message beside the address, was permitted from March 1, 1907.

Condition

Used, with honest age wear. Corners rounded and soft, most at the lower left. Light chipping and scuffing along the top edge, best seen on the back. Light overall toning, a few small light spots on the back. Embossing and silver intact; light rubbing to the silver in places. Pencil on the front border and a full pencil message and address on the back. Postmark lightly struck. Small old pencil mark at the upper left of the back. Please see the photos, which are part of the description.

About The Printing

This card combines two printing methods. The central photograph is a halftone: under magnification it resolves into a regular, even dot screen, as photographs were reproduced at the time. It is set into a chromolithographed frame of holly, where the reds and greens resolve into irregular stipple with no regular screen. The silver is metallic ink, and the holly, berries and frame are embossed.

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

A second card to Ethel Bradford of Catoosa, mailed from Baxter Springs, Kansas, in 1909 — after statehood, and addressed "Okla.": https://www.ebay.com/itm/158180868901

The immigrant story behind this card runs through our US silver dollars too: the Morgan dollar was designed by English-born George T. Morgan, the Peace dollar by Sicilian-born Anthony de Francisci.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

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

The only card on hand. A cousin used the one card in the house, a Thanksgiving card, to send the real news: eight pigs and three calves.

Condition

Very good. Bright colors and gold, crisp embossing; light corner wear. Back clean, with a light crease at the upper left corner, the pencil message, and a small pencil mark in the stamp box.

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 wreath and ribbons 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

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

Mailed on Thanksgiving Day. Postmarked in Boston on November 24, 1927, Thanksgiving Day itself, which had been proclaimed for Thursday, November 24 that year.

New Hampshire shoe country. The card went from East Boston to Miss Horn in care of a shoe company in East Rochester, New Hampshire, a mill village within the city of Rochester that grew up on textile and shoe manufacturing. N.B. Thayer & Co., a shoe maker, had opened a factory at East Rochester in 1906.

Made in U.S.A. German printers dominated early postcard printing, but World War I ended that supply and American printers took over. The George C. Whitney Company of Worcester grew from a family stationery business opened in 1858 into a major maker of valentines and greeting cards, produced full-color printed cards like this one, and stayed in business until 1942.

The White Border era. The white border around the picture is typical of the White Border period of American postcards, which the Smithsonian dates 1915 to 1930.

A holiday with more than one story. In the United States Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November; Canada gives thanks on the second Monday of October (October 12 in 2026). Since November 26, 1970, Native Americans have gathered at Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Thanksgiving Day for a National Day of Mourning, remembering the Wampanoag people and the history that followed the colonists' arrival. American families still gather each November to give thanks, much as the sender and recipient of this card did nearly a century ago.

Condition

Fair to good, with visible wear. Front: a diagonal crease across the lower left corner through the grain sheaf and pumpkins, with a small crease and surface break near the left edge; light surface creasing and scuffing elsewhere; faint ink transfer from the postmarks in the sky; gold bright; corner wear. Back: light toning; a crease across the lower right through the address; pencil address and sender as described. Postally used.

About The Printing

This card is printed in halftone. Under magnification every color — the blue sky, the orange grain, the bronze turkey — resolves into a regular, even grid of dots rather than the irregular hand-drawn stipple of a chromolithograph. The title lettering and frame line are in gold, and the whole design is embossed, so the boy, the turkey and the fence 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 Thanksgiving card with a child and a tom turkey, a little chef riding the bird, copyright 1911: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174533956

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

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

A Rhode Island village. The card went to Apponaug, today a neighborhood of Warwick and home of Warwick City Hall. Signed "Loving Mama", it is a short family note sent by penny postcard.

Sorted on a moving train. It traveled by Railway Post Office: a mail car on a train, where clerks postmarked and sorted mail while the train moved between cities.

For children's and kitchen collectors. A small chef with carving knife and fork riding the dinner itself, plus a harvest still life, gives this card crossover appeal beyond Thanksgiving.

The Golden Age of Postcards. From 1907 to 1915 Americans sent hundreds of millions of postcards a year. German printers dominated early postcard printing, and many cards were embossed and finished in gold, as this one is; after the 1909 Payne-Aldrich Tariff and World War I cut off the German supply, American printers took over. This card does not name its country of printing.

A holiday with more than one story. In the United States Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November; Canada gives thanks on the second Monday of October (October 12 in 2026). Since November 26, 1970, Native Americans have gathered at Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Thanksgiving Day for a National Day of Mourning, remembering the Wampanoag people and the history that followed the colonists' arrival. American families still gather each November to give thanks, much as the sender and recipient of this card did more than a century ago.

Condition

Very good. Front: bright color, crisp embossing and good gold; light corner wear, most noticeable at the top left; edges clean. Back: clean and bright with light toning at the edges; one small brown spot near the lower left of the message; blue-ink message and address as described. Postally used.

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 lettering is in gold, and the card is richly embossed, including the raised beaded border.

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 embossed Thanksgiving card, also copyright 1911 and carried by a Railway Post Office, to Arlington, Massachusetts: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174526499

Another Thanksgiving card with a child and a tom turkey, a farm boy on a fence, mailed in 1927: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174535521

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Written for Thanksgiving 1911. The message is dated November 26, 1911, four days before Thanksgiving, which had been proclaimed for Thursday, November 30 that year.

Sorted on a moving train. The card was carried by a Railway Post Office: a mail car on a train, where postal clerks postmarked and sorted mail while the train traveled between cities. The R.P.O. marking appears to name a Boston route, fitting a card addressed to Arlington, Massachusetts.

The Golden Age of Postcards. From 1907 to 1915 Americans sent hundreds of millions of postcards a year. German printers dominated early postcard printing, and embossing and metallic decoration were the fashion until the 1909 Payne-Aldrich Tariff taxed imported postcards much more heavily and World War I ended the German supply. This card carries no country of printing.

A holiday with more than one story. In the United States Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November; Canada gives thanks on the second Monday of October (October 12 in 2026). Since November 26, 1970, Native Americans have gathered at Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Thanksgiving Day for a National Day of Mourning, remembering the Wampanoag people and the history that followed the colonists' arrival. American families still gather each November to give thanks, much as the sender and recipient of this card did more than a century ago.

Condition

Very good. Front: bright, clean colors with strong embossing and good gold; light wear to the corners and edges; a tiny white scuff on a nut at left center. Back: light toning; embossing shows through in raised relief; ink message and address as described, with one word crossed out by the writer. Postally used.

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 leaves and lettering include broad fields of solid color, and the blue shadows resolve into an irregular, worm-like grain. The title lettering carries gold, and the whole design is embossed.

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 embossed Thanksgiving card, also copyright 1911 and carried by a Railway Post Office, to Apponaug, Rhode Island: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174533956

A patriotic Thanksgiving card mailed in Massachusetts the same week in 1911, to North Raynham: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174523818

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

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

Three days before the feast. Mailed in South Braintree, Massachusetts, on November 27, 1911, this family greeting from "Fred and Aunt" went to Melvin Hutchinson of North Raynham, Massachusetts, ahead of Thanksgiving, proclaimed that year for Thursday, November 30.

A turkey in the national colors. The gold eagle and stars-and-stripes shield make the turkey a patriotic emblem as well as a holiday one, and the waving-flag cancel on the back carries the theme through.

1909, a turning point. M.W. Taggart of New York copyrighted this design in 1909, the year the Payne-Aldrich Tariff taxed imported postcards much more heavily. German printers had dominated early postcard printing, and embossing and metallic gold like this were part of the appeal; when World War I ended the German supply, American printers took over. This card carries no country of printing.

The Golden Age of Postcards. From 1907 to 1915 Americans mailed hundreds of millions of postcards a year.

A holiday with more than one story. In the United States Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November; Canada gives thanks on the second Monday of October (October 12 in 2026). Since November 26, 1970, Native Americans have gathered at Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Thanksgiving Day for a National Day of Mourning, remembering the Wampanoag people and the history that followed the colonists' arrival. American families still gather each November to give thanks, much as the sender and recipient of this card did more than a century ago.

Condition

Very good. Front: strong, bright color and crisp gold; light corner wear; a few small surface scuffs and faint creasing in the white area at upper left near the shield; a tiny nick on the right edge near the copyright imprint. Back: clean, with light toning and a few small spots; embossing shows through in raised relief; ink address and message as described. Postally used.

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 red ground and the shield stripes are broad fields of solid color, each laid down from its own stone. The eagle, shield border, lettering and feather highlights are printed in gold, and the whole design is embossed.

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 embossed Thanksgiving card mailed in Massachusetts the same week in 1911, to Arlington: https://www.ebay.com/itm/158174526499

The immigrant story behind early American imagery runs through our US silver dollars too: the Morgan dollar was designed by English-born George T. Morgan, the Peace dollar by Sicilian-born Anthony de Francisci.

Disclaimer

Specifications and detailed item descriptions are provided as a courtesy only and are not guaranteed to be one hundred percent accurate. Please do your own research. There are generally no receipts available for any items from original purchases. Any dimensions and/or weights are approximate. The absence of a more detailed condition report does not imply there are no condition issues with the item(s). Please inspect images carefully as they are part of the official item description and best representation of the actual condition. Additional images may be available upon request depending on time and availability. Not responsible for internet mis-translations or mis-identification of maker's marks if found or assumptions of makers or materials — item descriptions will indicate if it is assumed. If you see a problem, please message us immediately and we will do our best to sort out a solution and confirm the information. With the exception of eBay rules, no returns are accepted.

Historical Context

Apponaug. A village on Apponaug Cove in central Warwick, Rhode Island; the name comes from a Narragansett word meaning "place of oysters."

A reply in kind. Ira answered a brother's card the same night with this one — "Here's your turkey."

Condition

Very good. Gold ground bright; small white abrasion at the lower right corner and light wear at the other corners. Back clean with even toning.

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 gold ground carries a fine textured pattern that catches the light.

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

One cent to the islands. The stamp box lists the places a one-cent postcard could reach at the domestic rate, from Cuba and Mexico to Hawaii, the Philippines and "Porto Rico," spelled as printed.

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. Bright color, crisp gold and deep embossing; light corner wear. Back clean with light toning; faint pencil writing as described.

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

Good advice, then and now. Aunt Loo's warning to Ruth is the oldest Thanksgiving joke there is.

Condition

Very good. Bright color, clean surface, light corner wear. Back clean with even toning and a faint pencil message.

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 green ground is laid with an even pattern of fine red dots over green, a tint effect under the hand-drawn stipple of the turkey and pumpkins.

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

Made in U.S.A. Stecher printed its holiday cards in Rochester, N.Y., in years when German printers dominated the postcard trade. The company grew from a printer of posters, labels and trade cards into a major maker of artist-drawn holiday postcards.

Condition

Very good to excellent. Bright, clean colors and gold, crisp embossing, very light corner wear. Back clean, with two short surface scratches near the top and a faint pencil "50."

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 turkeys and corn shocks are embossed and 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

Never mailed. Aunt Mary addressed the card and signed it with her town, but it never went through the post; it may have been delivered by hand or tucked into a letter.

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.

Condition

Very good. Bright colors and crisp embossing; light corner wear. Back evenly toned with a few small spots; pencil address and signature, "1922." at top left, and small pencil numbers (a circled "50" and "7").

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, buildings 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.

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

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

Good to very good. Bright colors and gold; corner wear, most at the upper right, and light edge wear. Back toned, with creases at the upper left and lower left; pencil "100" and "75" in the stamp box and a small "a" at top.

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 figures and gold panel are embossed and 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

"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.

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.

Condition

Very good. Clean, bright front with light corner wear. Back toned, with some light, uneven staining; pencil "15" at top right.

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.

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

Pilgrim Thanksgiving. Here the holiday bird comes home over a Pilgrim's shoulder rather than on a platter.

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

Good to very good. Front clean with bright gold and crisp embossing; a diagonal crease crosses the upper right corner, and the corners show light wear. Back toned with scattered foxing, the crease showing at its upper left. Small pencil marks on the back ("25" at top, "//" at lower 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 panel, berries and ornaments 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.