“Wild Bill” Hickok

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Annieoakley

“77 – ‘Wild Bill,’ winner of 32 pistol duels, the quickest and best shot that ever lived. Buried in Mt. Moriah Cemetery, Deadwood, Black Hills, S.D.”

James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok, (1837 – 1876) was a law enforcer, gambler and folk hero of the Old West. Since so much has already been written about “Wild Bill,” we turned our attention to the question of when this postcard may have been produced. The front shows “Copyrighted 1908 by W. B. Perkins, Jr.” William Bradford Perkins, Jr. was a photographer who lived in the Lead area, Lawrence County, SD, and he must have bought or otherwise acquired the rights to this image, since Find A Grave shows Perkins was born in 1863 and died in 1914.

The flip side of the postcard shows “Distributed by Black Hills Post Card Co., Deadwood, S.D.” and the well known publisher/printer Curteich with “Genuine Curteich-Chicago ‘C.T. American Art’ Post Card (Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.)” According to the oft-visited MetroPostcard site, the Black Hills Post Card Company operated from 1919 – 1952. This card is “non-linen” though, so it may be more likely to be pre-1930. Also, the number “77” appearing on the front does not seem to fit any years for Curteich’s own numbering system which would have been helpful in dating the postcard.

Divided back, unused postcard. Circa 1919 – 1930. Copyright W. B. Perkins, Jr. Distributed by Black Hills Post Card Co., Deadwood, S.D. Publisher info: Genuine Curteich-Chicago “C.T. American Art” Post Card (Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.)

Price: $8.00

A match….

An image of the original photo that this postcard was produced from can be found online on more than one website (source unknown) however, the second photo below appears to have been taken around the same time frame. Note the same (or very similarly styled hat and jacket) but different pants, shirt and chair.

James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok. Circa 1868 – 1870.

The above (Courtesy Wikipeda Commons) is said to have been originally in Carte de Visite (CDV) format, made by the New River Side Gallery, Topeka, Kansas, and taken around 1868 – 1870.

Sources: Wild Bill Hickok. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Bill_Hickok. (accessed May 23, 2015).

Find A Grave Memorial# 25581065. Find A Grave. Web accessed May 23, 2015.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Lead City, Lawrence, South Dakota; Roll: 1551; Page: 34B; Enumeration District: 0027; FHL microfilm: 1241551. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1910; Census Place: Lead Ward 3, Lawrence, South Dakota; Roll: T624_1483; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 0046; FHL microfilm: 1375496. (Ancestry.com)

Black Hills Post Card Co. (1919 – 1952). Metropostcard. Web accessed May 23, 2015.

File: Wild Bill Hickok c1868-70.png. n.d. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wild_Bill_Hickock_c1868-70.png. (accessed May 23, 2015).

Yucca Wood

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Annieoakley

“Yucca Wood (brevifolia) Wood of Moods and Legends, but especially one legend which tells us that whosoever contacts YUCCA will have good luck. May this inspiration of the Ancients be two-fold, bringing you Peace of Mind and Blessings of Divine Influence.”

The front of this postcard is made from actual Yucca wood. And what a beautiful thought; It goes out to all everywhere! The sender wrote:

“Hello Sweetheart: Guess what? Henry got one yesterday. A four pointer while we were in Reno. Grand weather up here now. Only cold at night. Be seeing you soon. by now – Mother.”

Addressed to: “Miss Jeanette Hume, 2208 Grove St., Berkeley 4, California.”

Divided back, Yucca wood, used postcard. Postmarked September 25, 1945 from Truckee, California.

Price: $7.00

Out In The Old West

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Annieoakley

Divided back, Real Photo Postcard, unused. Circa 1907 – 1915.

Price: $18.00

If this one doesn’t look like a publicity photo for an Old Western movie or t.v. show, then I don’t know what does. It’s a great Real Photo Postcard, no names or photographer name, but what a beautiful shot! Yes, the younger woman is a little washed out due to the sunlight, I believe, but we can still see the delicate high lace collar she wears along with some type of small brooch. The young man’s hat in particular, with the shortish squared-off crown and short brim: I’m not sure what type it is, some might say similar to one that General Robert E. Lee wore. (This after looking online through lots and lots of hat photos.) We also note the young man’s pin-striped long jacket and perhaps silk tie. The older man appears in wire spectacles, sack suit, and small bow tie fastened at the removable collar. And there’s the matriarch of the family, seated in a beautiful wooden chair. She looks like she may be the mother of the younger woman, or perhaps mother all three, since we don’t notice a wedding ring on the older man’s hand. And, as a whole, the poses of the four and their expressions, with the sunlight reflecting off of the bare tree branches, especially beautiful reflecting off of the windowpanes, the rustic wooden porch railing and the mountains in the background….

I’m No Chicken But I’m Game

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked Jan 18, 1915 from Upland, California. Publisher unknown. Series or number 17 – 5.

Price: $5.00

A cute card from 1915 showing a couple of ducks dressed up in walking attire – hats, scarves, bags, umbrella. The male duck (the drake) is trying to pick up the female. Love that sideways glance from the lady, her feather boa scarf, the drake’s carpet bag, and his persuasive hopeful look. Note the bare outline of the smiling duck along with the word “DUCKS” on the advertisement in the background. The sender wrote:

“Dear Mo. I just got my policy the day after I got Ella letter. Bert is going to town and I want to mail this. tell Liz I will write soon all are well and hope you all the same love to all fro us all. Lara[?], Gen. Del. Upland Cal.”

Addressed to: “Mrs. J. M. Ellison. Box 757. R.F.D. No 3. Sacramento Cal.”

A Singer For The Girls

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Annieoakley

Trade card. Circa 1910 – 1914. Publisher unknown, Form 1653. Size: 5 and 1/4 x 3 and 1/2″

Price: $15.00

True, this trade card is not in the best of shape, with some major creasing at the top right, and the name Ella written in childlike handwriting on the front and back (Ella Ellison.) But as of the date of this posting, there do not appear to be any others showing online (though Pinterest shows an ad of the same design that contains some added wording and appears in brighter colors.) Anyway, the front shows a charming illustration of a little girl in pink, seated at a small wooden table, sewing on the Singer 20. Her dolly in high chair is keeping her company, as well as her toy monkey (looking rather politically incorrect) who is seated on the table. The front of the card reads:

“A Singer for the Girls. Not a Toy But A Practical Singer Sewing Machine. Price $3.00.”

The back shows: “The Singer ’20’ Practical and Instructive. Useful and Amusing. Price $3.00” and an illustration of the machine with a girl’s face in the center.

Here are two excellent websites regarding this model: Alex I. Askaroff’s, The Sewalot Site and ISMACS International.

According to Alex Askaroff, the Singer 20 was made at the Elizabeth factory in New Jersey, starting around 1910. It was first billed as a toy, but those in charge must have quickly realized the value of marketing for adults as well. (See the second link for the illustration of the machine fitting in the palm of the hand.) Later called the Sewhandy, production ran all the way until the 1970s, with some changes along the way, of course. The original name came from it’s being the 20th unique machine after Isaac Singer’s very first model No.1 (awarded patent No.1 in 1851). The Singer 20 was the most popular of any toy sewing machine, came in different colors, was copied by other manufacturers after patents ran out, sold worldwide and manufactured in other countries. This particular trade card is said to be pre-WWI.

Sources: Askaroff, Alex I., “Singer Toy Sewing Machine.” Sewalot. Web accessed May 17, 2015.

“Singer No. 20.” ISMACS International. Web accessed May 17, 2015.

A Flowery Greeting From Mrs. Fred Grannis

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Annieoakley

This is a Lena Davis one, and we’re not yet trying to figure out who is who exactly, as there are more to sort through and post, and that’ll come later. But it’s a perfect postcard to put up on the heels of the prior, since there’s a gingham reference. It’s a great one typical to the Midwest farm country in 1912, with reports of the weather, dressmaking and farming. It was postmarked in Elwood, Nebraska. Elwood is a village in Gosper County, whose population in 2010 was about 707.

“Dear Cousin, – We have had some very cold weather. It is raining now but not very hard. I have been busy. I am making a red calico dress with black color [collar?] over the patter[n] I made the ginghum one when you were here. Fred is drilling in wheat has 45A in now. From Alice.”

Addressed to: “Miss Lena Davis, Almena, Kans.”

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked September 28, 1912 from Elwood, Nebraska. Publisher unknown.

Price: $4.00

Source: Elwood, Nebraska. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elwood,_Nebraska. (accessed May 17, 2015).

The Girl In The Plaid Hat

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Annieoakley

Divided back, unused Real Photo Postcard. Circa 1907 – 1920’s.

Price: $10.00

Here’s a Real Photo Postcard of a beautiful girl, age about eleven, posed standing at the side of a doorstep. Is that a gingham dress she’s wearing? I started looking into the definition and history of gingham since the original name for this post was going to be The Girl In the Gingham Dress, however, with close scrutiny (the sleeve cuff on our left shows the pattern best) it doesn’t seem to fit the standard look, but maybe some readers will disagree.

This led me off on a tangent…

The origin and history of fabric is fascinating: The term gingham is said to derive from the Malaysian genggang, meaning striped; the fabric perhaps first introduced in Dutch-colonized Malaysia, and also manufactured in Indonesia and India. It was imported in its original striped form to Europe in the 17th Century, found the American shores a bit later, at least as early as 1737, and began being also manufactured in checked or plaid form by around the 1750’s in Manchester, England. (Wikipedia) Another fact about gingham is that it has no right or wrong side: It looks the same on both front and back, and this is because the fibers are first dyed, then woven. Like many I’m sure, I had originally assumed that gingham was a purely Americana thing, but it makes sense now to find that this was (obviously) not the case, and interesting to see how the fabric fits (no pun intended) in other cultures. See examples, and I’m quoting from the lovely article (link below in sources) on the V is for Vintage website, “Many countries claim gingham fabric to be a staple of their own textile history and culture. Its widespread use throughout the world is due to it being inexpensive to produce, easy to wash, durable and simple in design.”

Direct from London….

Getting back to the fabric design, here are two examples of Colonial American newspaper ads found in The Pennsylvania Gazette (Newspapers.com.) The first one includes mention of ginghams in its list of the many fabrics available that had been recently shipped in from London. (What were Dittos, Garlicks, Ozenbrigs, Dyaper, Chelloes, Negenaputs, Long Romales, etc?! Tempted to research but not going there for now!)

From The Pennsylvania Gazette, February 3, 1737. (Newspapers.com)

In this second one below we see mention of the term checked gingham. From The Pennsylvania Gazette, dated April 13, 1758. (Newspapers.com)

The term striped gingham also shows up extremely frequently in 18th and 19th Century advertisements, but the surprising thing was to still see mention of it as late as the 1970s. Reference to silk gingham and plain gingham can also be found.

Back to the girl….

Coming back from the big fabric detour, what about that hat? It’s hard to tell whether it was straw or fabric, or even a combination of both. It’s a beauty though, and so is the girl. What a lovely dreamy expression she has!

One last note: If you enlarge the image of the girl, you’ll notice some lettering: Alas, this is not some exciting mystery (first thought) to solve re the identity of the postcard producer or photographer, but only the back header in reverse imaging showing through. (Chuckle.)

Sources: “Gingham fabric, a chequered history.” V is for Vintage, September 11, 2012. Web accessed May 16, 2015. [http://visforvintage.net/2012/09/11/gingham-fabric/]

The Pennsylvania Gazette, February 3, 1737, Sunday, p. 4. and April 13, 1758, Thursday, p. 4. (Newspapers.com) Web accessed May 16, 2015.

Gingham. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gingham. (web accessed May 16, 2015).

Isaac F. Hertzog, Photographer

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Annieoakley

Isaac F. Hertzog was born October 30, 1857 in Fleetwood, Berks County, Pennsylvania to William Hertzog and Hermina Snyder or Schneider. He took over the photography business from his father, William, as shown below in an excerpt under the heading of Photographers found in a 1940 Nazareth, PA Bi-Centenniel publication:

“Edward Hummel operated a photograph gallery in Nazareth at what is now 12 Belvidere Street during the Civil War and was followed by William Hertzog and then the latter’s son, Isaac Hertzog, who continued the business at 49 South Main Street until 1922, when it was bought by Harvey Dietz who is the present proprietor.”

Isaac married Sarah Melinda Young about 1883 and then Carrie Sutton, sometime after Sarah died (1934) and prior to the 1940 census. City directories only show one listing, in the town of Easton for Isaac, that of Isaac F. Hertzog, mental healer, address 741 Ferry. A March 23rd, 1914 newspaper article in The Allentown Leader, confirms that this is the same person. Isaac Hertzog, “photographer and faith healer,” and he was unfortunately having financial problems at the time, and had declared bankruptcy. Mention of Isaac Hertzog can also be found in reference to the Grace Bible Fellowship Church of Nazareth, of which our subject was a regular attender, and to which he made several generous contributions. At this time we have one example of his work, under the prior post, Mother And Sons. Below is the stamp that appears on the back of the postcard.

Isaac F. Hertzog died June 1, 1940 in Nazareth. (The death certificate was incorrectly filled out with his place of birth as Fleetwood, New Jersey and Bucks County, Pennsylvania. And of course that should be Fleetwood, Berks County, PA.)

Sources: Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Ancestry.com)

Original data: Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Ancestry.com)

The Allentown Leader, (23 March 1914.) p. 12. Web accessed May 10, 2015. (Newspapers.com.)

Hoyle, Ronald. “Infinite Grace: The History of God’s Grace at Grace Bible Fellowship Church of Nazareth, Pennsylvania.” Nov. 14, 1998. Web accessed May 10, 2015. (bfchistory.org)

William Hertzog: Year: 1880; Census Place: Bushkill, Northampton, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1161; Family History Film: 1255161; Page: 334D; Enumeration District: 067; Image: 0068. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1920; Census Place: Nazareth Ward 2, Northampton, Pennsylvania; Roll: T625_1609; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 141; Image: 516. (Ancestry.com)

Two Centuries of Nazareth, 1740 – 1940. Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Bi-Centenniel, Inc. (1940): p. 254. Web accessed May 10, 2015. (Ancestry.com)

Mother And Sons

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Annieoakley

A beautiful Real Photo Postcard in honor of all moms – Happy Mother’s Day! This shows an unknown young woman and her two boys, about ages four and six, posing for a studio photo taken by Isaac F. Hertzog. According to the stamp on the back, the photographer was in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, with branches in Pen Argyl and Bath. The three subjects are very fashionable: the woman wears a string of pearls over a gorgeous high-necked lace blouse, and a dark colored skirt with wide ruched waistband or belt. The older boy is dressed in suit jacket and neck bow, and the younger in a sailor suit.

Divided back, unused, Real Photo Postcard. Photographer: Isaac F. Hertzog, Nazareth, Pennsylvania. NOKO stamp box. Circa 1907 – 1922.

Price: $10.00

Place Stanislas, Nancy, France

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Annieoakley

Here are a couple of old photos that had been taped together at some point, saved to a photo album, and later wound up in the same antique store in Dearborn, Michigan (on Michigan Ave.) that was mentioned in the last post. Too bad the black photo album paper covers some of the writing on the back. The young man appearing in both photos seems to have signed the back with his first initial and last name, which we can’t determine. But how nice to have a location for the photo on the right: Place Stanislas, colloquially known as Place Stan’ is a large town square in Nancy, Lorraine, France. The statue in the photo is that of Stanislaw Leszczyński (1677 – 1766) King of Poland, and brother-in-law to King Louis XV of France (1710 – 1774). Presumably the swimming pool photo was also taken in Nancy, but we don’t know for sure. The subject makes reference to his brother, but too much of the writing is hidden. (The water looks cold!)

Two vintage photos, circa 1910s – 1930s. Size: About 2 and 1/4 x 3 and 1/4″ each.

Price: $6.00

Sources: Place Stanislas. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_Stanislas. (accessed May 9, 2015).

Stanislaw I. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_I. (accessed May 9, 2015).

Louis XV of France. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XV_of_France. (accessed May 9, 2015).

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Monthly Archives: May 2015

“Wild Bill” Hickok

Yucca Wood

Out In The Old West

I’m No Chicken But I’m Game

A Singer For The Girls

A Flowery Greeting From Mrs. Fred Grannis

The Girl In The Plaid Hat

Isaac F. Hertzog, Photographer

Mother And Sons

Place Stanislas, Nancy, France