Category Archives: Postcards Artist Signed

Loch Lomond By E. Longstaffe

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Postcard, unused. Artist-signed by E. Longstaffe. Publisher unknown. Circa 1904 -1905.

Price:  $5.00

Continuing with our short excursion to Scotland….an artist-signed card by English landscape painter, Edgar Longstaffe (1852 – 1933). The few others currently for sale online are dated from 1904 and 1905 (though were put out by other publishers). This particular offering is not in the best shape – the layers of paper comprising the card are starting to peel away from each other, but since Scotland had seemed to be a somewhat neglected area of my collection, I was happy to find this card and include it here.

Source:  Edgar Longstaffe. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Longstaffe (accessed August 8, 2018).

Ruth Welch Siver Christmas Postcard

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Divided back, artist-signed, unused postcard. Circa 1922. Artist:  Ruth Welch Siver.

Price:  $12.00

“A Merry Christmas

And Many More

A Happier New Year

Than Ever Before.”

Here’s another artist-signed card – not very Christmas-y but so charming! The same illustration of the two children was found on another Siver postcard which was postmarked in 1922, hence the estimated date for this card. Biographical info on the artist is now posted.

Bounteous Gifts For Sadie Barbettini

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Divided back, artist-signed, embossed, unused postcard. Painting copyright by Frances Brundage. Printed in Germany. Publisher unknown. Series or number 219. Circa 1907 – 1914.

Price:  $10.00

A Merry Christmas.

Bounteous gifts from heaven’s choicest store

May you find Christmas morning,

showered at your door.”

Addressed to:  “Miss Sadie Barbettini, Guadalupe.”  The sender wrote:

“Accept my little present and my wish for a merry Christmas and happy new year, you[r] loving cousin Rose d’ “

Sadie Barbettini (spelled Barbetini) shows up in the 1900 Federal Census for Township 9, Santa Barbara County, California with her mother Mary P. Barbettini and older sisters Emma and Minnie. Sadie was born September 1895 according to this census. A number of earlier pages on this census show the name crossed off township name of Guadalupe, so this census should be the correct record for Sadie.

The 1910 census appears also for the family, still in Township 9. The girls’ mother is now Mary Jenkins, widowed, and she has two additional children, John and Mary Ann Jenkins.

Sources:  Frances Brundage. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Brundage (accessed December 20, 2017).

Year: 1900; Census Place: Township 9, Santa Barbara, California; Roll: 110; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0254; FHL microfilm: 1240110. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1910; Census Place: Township 9, Santa Barbara, California; Roll: T624_105; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 0185; FHL microfilm: 1374118. (Ancestry.com).

Dog And Skier, Finnish Handicraft Series

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Divided back, artist-signed, unused postcard. Finnish Handicraft Series. Circa 1950s – 1980s.

Price:  $20.00

The date is unknown for this postcard, as no other cards were found online under any form of the back description:

Finnish Handcraft Series. Hemslöjdsföreningarnas Centralförbunds serie. Kotiteollisuusjärjestöjen Keskusliiton sarja. Maybe 1950s – 1980s as a broad guess. The artist’s initials “H. T.” appear at the bottom-left of the cross-country ski scene. Underneath are a reindeer and tree motif and above a diamond pattern. This is just a beautiful card. And that’s a Sami (Saami) man in traditional dress with a Four Winds Hat. I love the dog in mid-spring! as in bounce, that is. If you’re weary, the dog’s exuberance will rejuvenate you!

Sources:  Four Winds Hat. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_people (accessed May 13, 2017).

Sami People. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_people (accessed May 13, 2017).

Fortune Bright, Friendship True

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Divided back, artist-signed, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked December 22, 1916 from Sacramento, California. Artist:  Ellen H. Clapsaddle. Publisher:  International Art Publishing Co. Series 104-3.

Price:  $12.00

Best Christmas Wishes…

“Fortune bright and friendship true,

Bless this Christmas-time for you.”

A Clapsaddle Christmas postcard:  This one’s a bit of a departure from the artist’s more recognizable work of adorable children. It shows a hazy winter scene of evergreens, with one in white standing out in embossed relief, and three small biblical-looking figures (I think it’s the staff that gives that impression) appearing near the bottom of the stand of trees, and then a rustic wooden fence leading to the foreground.

Sent to:   “Miss Bessie Ellison, 1415 G St, Sacramento, Calif.”

The sender wrote:   “A Merry Xmas and a happy New Year. F. J. Reynolds.”

The postcard cancellation was advertising the  “Panama California International Exposition at San Diego – 1916.”

Sources:  Ellen Clapsaddle. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Clapsaddle. (accessed December 23, 2016).

Panama-California Exposition. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama%E2%80%93California_Exposition. (accessed December 23, 2016).

Me In 1915

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Undivided back, used, artist-signed postcard. Postmarked April 6, 1906 from Waltham, Massachusetts.

Price:  $12.00

This 1906 postcard shows off the 1891 popular watercolor and gouache work, The Music of the Dance, by Philadelphia-born artist Arthur Burdett Frost (1851 – 1928). Funny that we have three dates here:  The date on the original artwork, 1891, that we see in the left corner of the “tableau” next to the signature; the postcard date of 1906; and the date projected into the future by, likely the sender of the postcard, who wrote,  “Me in 1915”.  Was the sender joking that he would be reduced to….or projecting his hopeful success of being elevated to the life of a traveling musician (in nine years time)? Interesting question!

And though the postcard is not in good condition, it’s the only one we see at this time online, and definitely a nice part of artist, postcard, and African-American in art history, not to mention significant for anyone doing any Rumrill family research.

The card was mailed to:   “Mr. F. P. Rumrill, Hillsboro Br., N.H.”

The abbreviation Br. is probably for Borough. And there are some possibilities but we didn’t find any “no-doubters” (as in home run baseball lingo) for F. P. Rumrill. But there were definitly Rumrills in Hillsborough (also written Hillsboro) notably a Frank G. Rumrill, born in NH December 1866 who appears on the 1900 Federal Census.

Sources:  Gouache. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gouache. (accessed December 11, 2016).

“Arthur Burdett Frost (1851 – 1928) The Music for the Dance.” Copley Fine Art Auctions. (auctions.bidsquare.com) Accessed December 11, 2016.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Hillsborough, Hillsborough, New Hampshire; Roll: 947; Page: 22B; Enumeration District: 0084; FHL microfilm: 1240947. (Ancestry.com)

Canada Geese By Angus Shortt

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Postage stamp close-up below

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Divided back, artist-signed postcard with actual artist signature on reverse. Artist:  Angus Henry Shortt. Reverse includes postage stamp designed from the artist’s work, with postage cancellation mark, Winnipeg, 1963. Publisher:  K. Bileski, Station B, Winnipeg, Canada.

Price:  $20.00

“Canada Geese in flight over Canadian Northlands . . . from a painting by the noted wildlife artist, Angus Shortt.”

You’ll notice that the postage stamp’s design is that of the four geese in the postcard which was taken from one of Angus Shortt’s paintings, but if you look closely at the enlargement of the stamp above, you’ll see that the placement of the geese, and the geese themselves are not identical. We found a 1948 vintage bookplate art print for sale on eBay and wonder if that image (though quite a bit different) was the original that the card and stamp were designed from, and if so, if it was the artist or the publisher (with artist’s permission?) that did the re-designing, or if there was another painting they were taken from. Just wondering briefly in passing….Here’s a short bio from Memorable Manitobans: Angus Henry Shortt (1908 – 2006). And in noticing which birds are honking and which not in the images above….gosh this brings back memories of being outside and….what’s that noise?…looking up and seeing the “V”….ahhhh! a whole flock of Canada Geese on their way (south, I guess), many honking in flight. What a glorious sight and sound!

Source:  Goldsborough, Gordon. “Memorable Manitobans:  Angus Henry Shortt (1908 – 2006)”  Memorable Manitobans, December 23, 2014 (revised). (accessed November 10, 2016).

Srdečné Přání

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Divided back, artist-signed, unused postcard. Stamp box shows “Made in Tchécoslovakia.” Publisher:  F.O.P.  Series or number 21.

Price:  $10.00

A Czech postcard expressing  “Srdečné přání ”  or “Heartfelt wishes.” This may be from the same era (1930s?) as the card in the prior post, and is also an artist-signed card. The artist’s initials show on the front as “K.Š.”

This is another for the mystery category, the publisher with the logo of a pine or fir tree, above the initials, “F.O.P.” in a circle, and with three shield-looking emblems, was not found, nor were any references to the artist. We’ll be on the lookout for more at the next big postcard show coming up in April.

Magyar Népviselet

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Divided back, artist-signed, unused postcard. Made in Hungary. Series or number 320.

Price:  $10.00

An artist-signed postcard, maybe from the 1930s? There is another postcard showing up online with the same type of reverse that the seller listed as circa 1930s. But nothing was found on the artist. The name appears to be Taubert? or something similar, (this one will go in our Mystery category for the unknown artist) but it’s a very cute image of a little girl in Hungarian national costume, holding some potted geraniums. In looking for the artist or a possible similar card, and Googling Hungarian national costumes….Oh, heaven! The colors and patterns, the embroidery, it’s all just so beautiful. (And why don’t we dress like this today if we want to?) I’m inspired!

A Case Of Lock-Jaw

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Undivided back, artist-signed, used postcard. Postmarked September 6, 1905 from West Hoboken, New Jersey. Artist:  Antlers.

Price:  $10.00

“Sept 6. I am afraid you will be in such a case some day. have you got over to homestead yet. I am going down to Uncle H’s today so write then. Herman.”

Addressed to:   “Miss Mabel Wildrick, 30 Tonnelle ave, West Hoboken, N. J.  % Geo Bartow.”

This postcard was sent to Mabel J. Wildrick, born June 1888, from her younger brother, Herman P. Wildrick, born October 1889, New Jersey born (both). From the 1900 Federal Census taken in Stillwater Township, NJ:  They are with their parents, Jacob B. Wildrick, born June 1863 and Susan E. born August 1859, both in NJ. He is a foreman at a creamery.  Also in the household is Arthur Linaberry, born October 1879 in New Jersey, who is the nephew to head of head of household, Jacob.

Find A Grave shows the entry for the Wildricks, and gives Susan E. Wildrick’s maiden name as Youmans. Arthur Linaberry turns out to be Susan (Youmans) Wildrick’s nephew, son of Phillip Linaberry and Martha D. Youmans. And George Bartow (the “care of” on the postcard) appears to be related on the Linaberry side, with Phillip Linaberry showing up on an Ancestry tree with the middle name of Bartow.

As for the artist, Antlers, his identity was not found. He did a whole comic series though, about mosquitoes, and those postcards, dated 1905 and 1906, are easily found at the moment for sale on eBay and other sites.

Lastly, Mabel’s younger brother Herman, that funny guy (!) was correct about his older sister. She did get herself into that “lock-jaw predicament” and got married to a gentleman named Orestes Hendershott. And we’re adding this post to our category of Unusual First Names. 

Sources:  Year: 1870; Census Place: Blairstown, Warren, New Jersey; Roll: M593_892; Page: 26B; Image: 56; Family History Library Film: 552391. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1900; Census Place: Stillwater, Sussex, New Jersey; Roll: 995; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 0175; FHL microfilm: 1240995. (Ancestry.com)

“New Jersey Births and Christenings, 1660-1980,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FC2S-1L8 : accessed 8 November 2015), Phillip B Linabery in entry for Linabery, 23 Jul 1885; citing Warren, New Jersey, reference Vol. 21; FHL microfilm 494,203.

Find A Grave Memorial# 39988077. (Findagrave.com) Accessed November 8, 2015.

Find A Grave Memorial# 39988436. (Findagrave.com) Accessed November 8, 2015.