POSTCARDY: the postcard explorer

VTT - Cranberries (and How to Cook Them)

2009-11-11T16:57:00.011-06:00

This turkey isn't dumb. He knows what cranberries mean. If he escapes to the "tall timbers," he won't be caught and eaten for Thanksgiving.

Cranberries are a native American plant that grow in bogs and marches. They were included in the first Thanksgiving meal by the Pilgrims and are traditionally associated with Thanksgiving. Massachusetts is the largest producer of cranberries, followed by Wisconsin.

This Cranberries and how to cook them booklet is a 1950s promotion for Eatmor brand cranberries. It has 40 pages and has general information about cranberries in addition to many recipes. The recipes are divined into six sections: Sauces and Relishes, Hot Breads, Entrees, Salads, Pies, and Desserts. Shown below are the cover and several of the pages.

The complete Cranberries and how to cook them booklet is shown on the site of the Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center in the Wetherby Cranberry Library Digital Collections. Many other cranberry publications are shown there also.

Vintage Thingies Thursdays

PFF - South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

2009-11-05T14:27:00.008-06:00

This postcard was mailed from Canistota, S.D. with a 2¢ Jefferson stamp. The postmark doesn't have a year date, but the postcard can be dated between 1954 (when the stamp was issued) and 1958 (when postcard postage increased to 3¢). The message mentions being in Canistota for treatment at the Ortman Clinic, a somewhat famous and unique chiropractic clinic that is still in business. A sentence added by the writer along the top edge of the back says "I chased this hen to S.D."

The description on the back of the card is as follows:

A HAPPY COMBINATION. South Dakotans are happy that their state is known as "The Pheasant Capital of the World." Good hunting abounds in many parts of the countryside. This comely young woman is shown holding a live pheasant.

The "Greetings from South Dakota" postcard also has pheasant hunting as a theme. It is an example of a name band postcard, a type that was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and was published by Curteich in 1960.

VTT - Bountiful Fruits and Vegies

2009-11-04T15:59:00.012-06:00

This is one of the plaques in my pyrography (burnt wood) collection. It is made by the Flemish Art Company and is larger than most burnt wood plaques--21" in diameter. When I bought this, it was unfinished. The main design in the center was already burned, but I burned most of the border myself with a modern electric wood burning tool.

The objects made for wood burning had printed designs that the hobbyist could trace over with the wood burning tool. Sometimes they were designed so that the background could be carved for greater relief, and glass "jewels" could be glued on for additional decoration. That is what is shown in the details below--instructions showing the areas to carve and/or add "jewelry." Relatively few pyrographic objects actually have carving or jewels.

Vintage Thingies Thursdays

WW - Witch You Were Here

2009-10-31T11:43:00.005-05:00

This is a handmade Halloween postcard I designed and printed with a linoleum block, circa 1988.

PFF - Halloween Jack-O'-Lanterns

2009-10-29T13:22:00.008-05:00

This is a modern Halloween postcard from my collection. I used to buy modern holiday greeting postcards. I haven't seen any for quite a while, however, except for an occasional Christmas postcard.

Jack-o'-lanterns originally were an Irish tradition. The name came from a tale about a man named Jack who played tricks on the devil. When Jack died, the devil barred him from hell but gave him a burning coal from hell to light his way. Jack made a lantern by placing this coal in a large carved turnip. In Ireland Jack-'o-lanterns were made from turnips or potatoes. Irish immigrants in the United States began using pumpkins for jack-o'-lanterns, and the Irish custom was adopted by other Americans.

VTT - Chocolate Candy Bars & Cookies

2009-10-28T07:35:00.020-05:00

The first picture may look like one of large and miniature Hershey's chocolate bars, but the large "bars" are actually postcards. I bought these postcards from Hershey's in 1980. The miniatures are from the bag of Halloween candy I bought this week. The three cards on the left are 3-1/2" X 6"; the three on the right are 3" X 6".

There have been some changes in Hershey's products and packaging since these postcards were made. The Krackel brand is only available now as one of the four varieties in the Miniatures assortment--it is no longer available as a regular size bar. Some of the brands that are labeled "milk chocolate" on the postcards can now only be labeled "chocolate" instead of milk chocolate because cocoa butter was replaced in the formula with cheaper substitutes.

From about 1909 to 1918, during the years of the postcard craze, Hershey's made at least 88 different specially sized postcards that were included in Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar packages. The postcards included images of the chocolate factory, dairy farms, and town attractions. These are described on a Hershey blog post "Wish You Were Here. . ." Additional images of Hershey's postcards are on Flickr.

The Baby Ruth ad is from a 1952 American Family magazine. According to the ad, there was a cookie recipe on every wrapper. There are a number of sources for the Baby Ruth Cookie recipe on the Internet. Apparently they are quite messy to make. If I were going to make them, I would take the extra precautions of chilling the dough and preventing sticking such as those in the slightly modified Baby Ruth Cookie recipe from the Baltimore Sun at Bakespace.

Hershey's chocolate bars can also be used in cookies. I found the following recipe for Chocolate Bar Surprise Cookies on the Trick or Treats section of the Hershey's website.

Chocolate Bar Surprise Cookies

Ingredients

Any combination chopped HERSHEY'S and REESE'S candy bars to make 2 cups
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts(optional)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Remove wrappers from candies. Cut each candy into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.

2. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in candy pieces and nuts, if desired. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 5 dozen cookies.

Vintage Thingies Thursdays

PFF - Circleville Pumpkin Show

2009-10-22T11:47:00.012-05:00

The 103rd annual Circleville Pumpkin Show is being held October 21-24, 2009. This is the oldest and largest food festival in Ohio. There are seven parades, pumpkin displays, and many pumpkin events. Crowds are estimated at 100,000 per day.

The first postcard shows the 1960 Miss Pumpkin Show Queen, Peggy Clark. (If you look closely, a John F. Kennedy campaign poster is visible in the top right corner). The Pumpkin Show website has pictures of Past Miss Pumpkin Show Queens, dating back to 1933.

The second postcard shows "The World's Largest Pumpkin Pie" which is baked annually for the show by Lindsey's Bake Shop.

The back of this postcard gives the following recipe:

80-lb. cooked pumpkin
36-lb. sugar
3-lb. corn starch
13-gal. milk
1-lb. pumpkin spice
1-lb. salt
12-doz. eggs
30-lb. pie dough

Bake 6 Hrs. Cool 6 Hrs. and Serve.

VTT - Autumn Leaves & Vintage Melmac Dishes

2009-10-21T15:56:00.018-05:00

It's a little early for Thanksgiving Greetings, but I thought the leaves on this old Thanksgiving postcard went nicely with my vintage Melmac dishes that also have an autumn leaves pattern. The photo of my dishes shows what is left of my garden in the background. My marigolds froze, but most of my other flowers survived the snow and frost we had last week.

These dishes are what remain from a large set of Mallory Plastics dinnerware that I bought new at a bargain store in 1968. I still have 2 serving bowls, 6 dinner plates, 6 small plates, and 7 fruit dishes. The set also included cups and saucers, tumblers, and some accessories that I got rid of because I never used them. This set has survived a lot of careless handling. I recently discovered that it is easy to remove stains and dirt embedded in scratches and markings with baking soda and a soft toothbrush.

The images below show the markings on the backs. This set is probably an unusual combination of pieces. The large green serving bowl is marked P. R. Mallory Plastics Inc. Chicago 41, Ill. the other green and yellow dishes just are marked by Mallory. The green dishes are marked Mallo-Ware; the yellow dishes are marked Mallo-Belle. The dinner plate is not marked with a company or trade name.

According to a Mallo-Ware Website, the marking on the large green serving bowl is an older marking than the others. The colors are identified there as Ice Green and Buttercup Yellow. I couldn't identify the pattern on the dinner plates. I did see many other patterns of autumn leaves on Melmac dinnerware when I searched eBay. In researching vintage Melmac, I also found a blog that shows a lot of vintage magazine ads for Melmac by various makers: Retroamerica.

large Mallo-Ware serving bowl with handles

Mallo-Belle serving bowl without handles

Mallo-Belle fruit dish

small Mallo-Ware plate

Melmac dinner plate with autumn leaves design

Vintage Thingies Thursdays

PFF - Red Sea Fishes on Israel Stamps

2009-10-15T13:44:00.013-05:00

Postage stamps of eight species of Red Sea Fishes were issued by Israel in 1962-1963. This postcard is undated and was published by "Palphot" Herzlia. The eight species of colorful fish shown on this postcard are (clockwise from top left):

pterois volitans - lion fish
chaetodon lunula - butterfly fish
heniochus acuminatus - pennant corn fish
balistapus undulatus - undulate triggerfish
pterois radiata - long-horned lion fish
holocanthus imperator - angel fish
pomacanthus imperator - emperor angel fish
priacanthus hamrur - crescent-tailed bigeye

Palphot was established in 1934 and is the leading Israeli publisher of pictorial books, cards, and calendars. The book Israeli and Palestinian postcards: Presentations of National Self, by Tim Jon Semmerling, discusses Palphot and some of their postcards.

VTT - Antique Parlors & Rug Beaters

2009-10-14T16:46:00.013-05:00

This is an advertising postcard ©1910 by the Como Co. Chi. It has a September 1910 calendar and advertises parlor furniture and furnishings. I don't have any other similar postcards, but I believe there were probably designs for all the months of the year, and that the space at the bottom would have been imprinted for a number of stores. This particular postcard was sent by the John Klein Co. of Mankato, Minnesota. The card was worth a dollar towards a purchase in that store during the month of September.

Here is what the postcard says about parlor furnishings of that era:

The Parlor used to be a dark, prim and uncomfortable room, a place where hostess and guests sat together in stiffnecked misery — but now we let the sunshine in — parlor furniture like people is becoming more humane — beauty and comfort are first considerations and the parlor is a room in which to live and be happy. Let us show you parlor furniture and furnishing which minister to comfort and enhance home pleasures. We take an intelligent interest in our customers needs.

I don't know about you, but I think this parlor still looks dark and uncomfortable.

There is a good possibility that owners of such a parlor would have used rug beaters on their area rug. Sweeping carpets only removes some surface dirt, and small portable electric vacuum cleaners had not yet become common. By hanging the rug outdoors and beating the back, much of the embedded dirt could be removed.

I bought these rug beaters shortly after I read a magazine article about a collection of rug beaters. That probably was about the same time that there was an exhibition and a newspaper article "ANTIQUES: Whomp! Thwack! Thump! A Tribute to the Rug Beater." I wanted the rug beaters just because I liked the design and thought they would look nice hanging on a wall, but I actually did use them to beat my braided area rug.

Vintage Thingies Thursdays

George L. Mountainlion Monument

2009-10-11T15:54:00.019-05:00

This postcard pictures George Mountainlion II, "Research Associate in Human Behavior" at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, reading the "last will and testament" of his predecessor, George I. Mountain lions are the the museum mascot and are one of the animals currently exhibited there in the Mountain Woodland area.

George was a young hand-raised mountain lion acquired by the Desert Museum in 1953. He was named George, with the L added for Leo, because he arrived at the museum on Washington's birthday. George was a very friendly animal who enjoyed human contact. Unfortunately he died only two years after arriving at the museum.

George L. Mountainlion II was another tame mountain lion acquired soon after the death of George I. George II became sick and died in December 1956. George III arrived after George II died. George III lived to be 17, dying in 1972. Another tame mountain lion then assumed the title of George L. Mountainlion IV.

Last will and testament written by Bill Carr and engraved on a large stone monument:

I FREELY GIVE ALL SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF NATURE I HAVE KNOWN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THE GRACE TO ENJOY NOT MAN-MADE MATERIALISM BUT GOD-MADE BEAUTY.

THE MAGNIFICENT ARIZONA SUNSETS I HAVE WATCHED FROM MY ENCLOSURE, I BEQUEATH TO ALL WHO SEE NOT ONLY WITH THEIR EYES BUT WITH THEIR HEARTS.

TO HUMANS WHO ARE TIRED, WORRIED OR DISCOURAGED, I BEQUEATH THE SILENCE, MAJESTY AND PEACE OF OUR GREAT AMERICAN DESERT.

TO THOSE WHO WALK THE TRAILS, I BEQUEATH THE EARLY MORNING VOICES OF THE BIRDS AND THE GLORY OF THE FLOWERING DESERT IN THE SPRINGTIME.

TO THE CHILDREN WHO HAVE ENJOYED SEEING ME, HEARING ME PURR, AND WATCHING ME TURN MY SOMERSAULTS, I OFFER THE PRECIOUS GIFT OF LAUGHTER AND JOY. THE WORLD SO NEEDS THESE THINGS.

AND LASTLY, I BEQUEATH MY OWN HAPPY SPIRIT, AND AFFECTION FOR OTHERS, TO ALL WHO MAY REMEMBER ME AND MY MUSEUM WHERE FOR THREE YEARS, I DID MY BEST TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT I TRULY LIKED THEM.

More information: George L. Mountainlion, His History

This post was written for
A Canadian Family
A Festival of Postcards Blog Carnival
5th Edition, October 2009: Quadrupeds

PFF - Postal Carrier's Coat Is Sign of Autumn

2009-10-08T17:54:00.008-05:00

"Jim, our postal carrier wore his trusty P. Coat today. Indeed over the past many years, he in his coat has become a reliable sign of autumn, in time with the crisp mornings and falling leaves."

This is another postcard from Postmark America, a former USPS retail store at the Mall of America. (I posted A Little Sack Time showing a postal carrier with a child in his sack last April). This postcard is very appropriate for this week because we suddenly went from a unusually warm September to an unusually cold October. A couple weeks ago I didn't need a coat. Now I am wearing my winter jacket and there is a good chance of snow.

VTT - Betty Crocker Postcard & Magazine Ads

2009-10-07T17:16:00.022-05:00

Betty Crocker is an advertising character that was created in 1921. Originally, "Betty Crocker" was just a signature used to personalize responses to inquiries. The first official portrait of Betty Crocker was created in 1936. The portrait has been updated seven times to reflect current styles: 1955, 1965, 1969, 1972, 1980, 1986 and 1996.

The 1948 postcard above has the 1936 portrait of Betty Crocker and shows one of the five Betty Crocker Kitchens that were at General Mills in Minneapolis at that time. This is the Terrace Kitchen which was used for general testing, preparing luncheons for distinguished guests, and trying out new recipes under typical home conditions.

The first ad, for Betty Crocker Cake Mixes, is from a 1952 American Family magazine and also has the 1936 portrait. This ad answers some "important questions" about cutting a cake, using fresh eggs, and sifting confectioner's sugar.

The second ad, for Gold Medal Flour, is from a 1955 American Home magazine. This ad has the updated 1955 portrait of Betty Crocker and a recipe for "Bon Bon Cookies." Santa Claus (bottom right) has a suggestion for "Mr. & Mrs. America" to "This Year Give Food."

More Information:

General Mills - The History of Betty Crocker (pdf)
Betty Crocker Website

Vintage Thingies Thursdays

Traffic Stopping Bears

2009-10-04T12:52:00.012-05:00

Bears and other animals holding up traffic were a popular postcard subject until people realized that such encounters could be dangerous. Most of the postcards I have seen in this category show vintage cars of the 1960s and earlier. This postcard is unusual because of the vintage bus.

A close look at the bus shows some interesting details. One person can be seen hanging out the window, and others can be seen inside the bus through the front window. The bus type, Courier Skyview, can be seen above the front windows. "Skyview" refers to the row of windows near the top of the bus. This type of bus was made by Motor Coach Industries (MCI) whose website has a historical timeline showing pictures of their buses from from the 1930s to the 2000s. The destination, on a sign below the front windows, is Columbia Icefields. Columbia Icefield is on the boundary between Banff and Jasper National Parks in the Canadian Rockies.

This postcard was published and copyrighted in 1957 by Smith Lithograph Co. of Vancouver, Canada. The name of the scene (Traffic Stoppers) and the photographer (Harry Rowed) are shown below the picture. Harry Rowed is known for his photos of the Canadian Rockies.

On the back of this postcard is this description: "The bears of the Canadian Rockies vie with the scenery as traffic stoppers. These natural clowns come in all sizes and a variety of colours, ranging from jet black to cinnamon brown."

This post was written for
A Canadian Family
A Festival of Postcards Blog Carnival
5th Edition, October 2009: Quadrupeds

PFF - Oktoberfest USA, La Crosse, Wisconsin

2009-10-01T17:35:00.005-05:00

These three postcards of the La Crosse Oktoberfest are from the 1960s. One of them was mailed in 1965 and another was mailed in 1966. They appear to have been sent by the same person based on the handwriting, although they were sent to different addresses in Minneapolis and signed differently. Both mention a train, one calling it a "special train." Most likely this was a train from Minneapolis to La Crosse.

The La Crosse Oktoberfest was first held in 1961. This is the 49th year of the festival which is a "blending of the German Oktoberfest with Americanized style." Oktoberfest 2009 is September 25 - October 3.

VTT - The Romance of Hats

2009-09-30T18:34:00.008-05:00

Romantic postcards like this were popular in the early 1900s. These cards usually were published in series. I have another postcard from this series with the title ""Let's get together." That one shows the same man with his arms around two different girls.

Crocheted potholders in the shape of hats are more common than most shapes, but not nearly as common as dresses and panties. I think it is interesting to see the variations on the same basic idea of a broad-brimmed hat with flowers.

Vintage Thingies Thursdays

Mitchell Corn Palace - 1938

2009-09-29T17:01:00.011-05:00

These are two postcards made from the same photo of the 1938 Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. They are colored differently to show "day" and "night" views.

This Corn Palace was built in 1921, and the Moorish style domes and minarets were added in 1937. The Corn Palace is a tourist attraction and is used for many local events. The Corn Palace Festival is now held at the end of August instead of September.

The description is the same on both cards.

On the front:

THE WORLD'S ONLY CORN PALACE, MITCHELL, S.D.
Original cost $275,000.00. Redecorated annually at a cost of $10,000.00 in corn, grains and grasses. The most marvelous exhibit of nature's wonderful colors blended into works of classic art be skilled decorators.

On the back:

Greetings from
MITCHELL, SOUTH DAKOTA
You will find a friendly welcome when you visit Mitchell and the World's Only Corn Palace. The annual festival is held the last week in September but the building is open the year around. At night, it is further enhanced by multi-colored neon lights.
MITCHELL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Dyer H. Campbell, Secretary.

More information:

www.cornpalace.com

PFF - Vintage Standard Oil Ad

2009-09-24T20:06:00.009-05:00

Back in the 1950s men and women still wore hats a lot, hardly anyone used seat belts, and booster seats were unheard of. This family looks like they are heading to church or Grandma's house--even in the 1950s they probably wouldn't have dressed up like this for a long road trip.

The Standard logo on this postcard was the logo used from 1946 to 1960. It combined the Standard torch with the Amoco oval. The logo was redesigned in 1960 with a more stylized torch and a flatter oval.

VTT - Babies' Birthdays

2009-09-23T20:44:00.003-05:00

The postcard here is signed by Ellen Clapsaddle (a famous postcard artist) and is a second birthday greeting for a member of the "Cradle Roll." Apparently Cradle Rolls usually were registries of babies born to church members, which explains the religious theme of this card. Writing on the back lists a baby's name, parents' names, and a 1927 date.

The greetings cards below are ones I received for my first birthday. The photograph is of me celebrating my first birthday.

The "Birth Certificate" in the leather folder is not an official birth certificate, but a certificate of membership in the "Babies Alumni" that was sent shortly after my first birthday.

Vintage Thingies Thursdays

Texas Longhorn Steer - Dead or Alive

2009-09-19T15:12:00.018-05:00

The Texas Longhorn is a lean beef animal descended from hardy Spanish cattle. It can thrive in country where other breeds cannot live, but other breeds were preferred by modern ranchers. The longhorn breed dwindled but was saved from extinction by enthusiasts. Longhorns are valued today for their hardiness, survival instincts, and link to Texas history.

The first postcard (circa 1942) shows "Old Tex," said to be the best known specimen of Texas Longhorn who roamed Southwest Texas to an undetermined age and was mounted and displayed at the Buckhorn Curio Store Museum in San Antonio, Texas. His horns measure over 8 feet tip to tip.

The second postcard shows a live Texas Longhorn, said to the "the only Texas Longhorn steer in the Southwest," at the New Mexico Museum of the Old West on Highway 66, 48 miles east of Albuquerque and 70 miles west of Santa Rosa, New Mexico. The description on the back is as follows:

These half-wild Leghorn [sic] cattle were the only kind known in the early Southwest. The hardy critters are descended from Andulasian [sic] cattle brought from Spain by Gregorio Villalobos in 1521 and ranged over the entire plains county until the early 1900's. Today there are only a few of these old Longhorns left, and they soon may become extinct. The picturesque animal shown here was purchased from the U. S. government and is privately owned by Capt. and Mrs. Bill Ehret of The Longhorn Ranch.

This post was written for
A Canadian Family
A Festival of Postcards Blog Carnival
5th Edition, October 2009: Quadrupeds

PFF - The Cheese House - Cheesy Roadside Architecture

2009-09-17T15:55:00.009-05:00

If you are looking for cheddar, you can find it at The Cheese House in Arlington, Vermont. It looks like it would be a nice place to visit in the fall. If you can't visit the store, you can order online at The Cheese House website. Their online offerings include Truck Driver Cheddar and 'Ol Rat Trap Cheddar.

The Cheese House was built in 1965 in the shape of a wheel of cheese. A wedge was cut out for the entrance. The circles were added to the building's surface to make it look cheesier. Chunky the mouse was on top of the building for more than thirty years but is no longer there. The building has been modified so that it no longer looks so much like a wheel of cheese.

VTT - Cats & Granny Square Afghans

2009-09-16T15:44:00.008-05:00

This postcard of two kittens is titled "Sisters." The kittens are are posed on what I personally consider the most classic type of granny square— rows of jewel-tone colors surrounded by black.

The photo of granny square afghans shows two that I bought secondhand. The larger afghan is one that I bought at an estate sale twenty-five years ago. I am guessing that it was probably made when "avocado green" and "harvest gold" were popular in the early 1970s. Those two colors are synthetic yarn. The bright colors were more popular in the 1960s and are wool yarn. You can see how the bright wool has shrunk and become felted from washing in a washing machine.

The colors on the larger afghan were already out of style when I bought it, but it was a good bargain. I used it folded up as a back support in lieu of a pillow on the back of a chair. When I got my former cat Tigger, he loved to knead it. He was declawed, so his kneading didn't damage it. Since Tigger loved kneading so much, I bought the baby afghan especially for him at a rummage sale in the 1990s. It probably isn't as old as the other afghan. The baby afghan is made as one large square instead of smaller squares sewn together.

Below is a photo of my "baby" Tigger posing with his baby afghan. Tigger has been dead since 2001, but I still consider it his afghan. One of my current cats likes to knead, but I can't let her knead anything that I don't want damaged— she has claws that she doesn't like to have clipped.

Vintage Thingies Thursdays

Children's Zoo and Farm - Brookfield, Illinois

2009-09-15T15:23:00.009-05:00

This is the 75th anniversary of the Chicago Zoological Park which is actually located in Brookfield, a western suburb of Chicago, and is known as Brookfield Zoo. This zoo was opened in 1934. The Children's Zoo was added in 1953.

This postcard brings back memories for me. I remember going to this Children's Zoo when it was new and I was about the age of the children on the card. When I was older, I spent several summers working in the refreshment stands at Brookfield Zoo.

The following description is on the back of the postcard:

CHICAGO'S NEW ZOO AT BROOKFIELD
Children's Zoo and Farm— Here children (and adults) may mingle with many species of wild and domestic young or baby animals. A typical, small-scale Illinois farm with barn, silo, windmill and pens is to be seen, showing calves, colts, lambs, pigs, chicks and ducklings. At feeding time children are invited to bottle-feed some of the baby animals.

This post was written for
A Canadian Family
A Festival of Postcards Blog Carnival
5th Edition, October 2009: Quadrupeds

PFF - "Catching the Post" by Racey Helps

2009-09-10T14:53:00.011-05:00

Racey Helps was an English children's book illustrator and author. He first wrote and illustrated stories for his daughter during World War II. His family has created a website "to preserve the interest he created in his beautiful illustrations and quaint stories about woodland creatures which have had world wide appeal since the early fifties." The Racey Helps website has his biography, bibliography, galleries (including many postcards), and an old video interview.

Many of the illustrations by Racey Helps were reproduced on postcards by the Medici Society. The Medici Society was named after the Florentine family who encouraged art during the Italian Renaissance. The Medici Society trademark showed the profile of Lorenzo de' Medici (1449 - 1492) until recently. This particular postcard is from the early 1960s and still lists the company as "Art Publishers by Appointment to the late King George V," although King George V died in 1936. The back of the card also says "Engraved and printed in Great Britain" and is numbered "Pk 261."

VTT - Turtle Thingies

2009-09-09T18:17:00.010-05:00

The first turtle thingie is a crochet potholder. I think the turtle looks a lot like the comic turtle on the postcard.

The turtle thingies below are soap holders. These seem to have been a popular thing to crochet. One of them has a little vintage gift card attached to it. There is a handwritten verse inside the card:

When you bathe
In Shower or tub,
Use this Turtle
When you rub.
Then, to keep your soap
Nice & Dry
Hang it by the tail
So High.

Vintage Thingies Thursdays