There are two types of boring postcards: interesting boring and boring boring. I enjoy collecting the kind of boring postcards that are not really boring (at least to me). Of course, which category a boring postcard belongs in is a matter of personal preference. After spending several hours last week searching through a collection of 11,000 boring postcards, I ended up buying about 65. One of them is this Wahoo, Nebraska postcard that I consider to be a real gem among boring postcards.A couple of years ago I reviewed the book Boring Postcards USA. I recently found some newer blog entries on the subject of "boring postcards" by michael5000. Included was a list of what makes a boring postcard collectible.
The Wahoo postcard has many fine boring features:
- An unusually poor framing of the scene
- A politically incorrect pun: "Home of good Indians / we say this without a reservation."
- A teepee-shaped "A" in WAHOO
- Boosterish claim to be a "City of Opportunity"
- Claim to fame as the "Home of Five Famous Men" that most people have never heard of and whose names are almost illegible on the postcard
- Added afterthought "Future home of Youthland USA" (Has anyone ever heard of that?)
Wahoo's website has a list of Fun Facts about Wahoo. First on the list is that "Wahoo has been the Home Office of the Late Show with David Letterman since March 1996." Wahoo is still claiming to be the home of Five Famous Men. Although the five men were alive in 1967 when this postcard was mailed, the last one died nearly twenty years ago.
For a recent version of the Wahoo sign, see The famous men of Wahoo.
The WAHOO "A"
That is indeed an excellent boring postcard! Pictures of signs are almost automatically boring. I actually know about one of Wahoo's five famous men, Howard Hanson, but that doesn't ruin the effect at all.
ReplyDeleteHow fun that you tracked down my boring postcard posts. I've actually posted a new one since you wrote this post, with four more sublimely dull cards on display.
Thanks for the shout-out!
M5K
i like this distinction of interesting boring and boring boring cards...havent thought of it before, but i do like it....gives me a new dimension of seeing my cards actually....so far i had put them all in the sole category of 'boring' cards
ReplyDeleteregards!
Many of the men mentioned in this post card are "heard of" Sam crawford is in the baseball hall of fame. Howard hanson is a composer if know classical music. Darryl Zanuck has a star on the hollywood walk of fame as is the creator of 20th century Fox.
ReplyDeleteDo you just collect things without researching them?? I would be most interested in the research behind them. that's the fun part.