Divided back postcard, unused. Publisher:  Edward H. Mitchell, San Francisco, California. Printed in the United States. Series or number 1416. Circa 1910s.

Price:  $5.00

I had to check the title on this one, yes, Alaska Mining Camp (an undisclosed mining camp in Alaska) is correct, rather than “Alaskan” Mining Camp. I thought the original title printed on the card made it sound like there is a town called Winter, in Alaska, which per a quick web search, there is not. This card is a segue from the snow in the previous ice skater card, for which the winter theme got interrupted by a post about the ice skater card’s publisher. So, back to winter, briefly, before linking this Alaska card to totem poles in AK, coming up next. If none of this makes sense 🙂 it doesn’t matter, it’s only that I like to find some kind of link from one post to the next, just for fun.

And if this one reminds you of a song, the most obvious may be….“Big Sam left Seattle in the year of ninety-two, With George Pratt his partner and brother Billy too…..”  You know it (a great one!). Anyway, it’s not 1892 at the time of this postcard, but probably more like the 1910s. And the publisher, San Francisco native Edward H. Mitchell (1867 – 1932) was a major West Coast name in postcard publishing. For some interesting insight into the souvenir card business in year 1917, see Mitchell’s letter written in opposition to the proposed rate hike for postage at that time. (The increase to 2 cents went into effect November 2, 1917 and was changed back to one cent July 1, 1919.)

Sources:  Horton, Johnny;Franks, Tilman. “North to Alaska.” 1960.

“Letter from Edward H. Mitchell, Publisher of Souvenir Post Cards, San Francisco, Cal.” Revenue to Defray War Expenses:  Hearings and Briefs…on H.R. 4280. U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington, DC. 1917. (Google.com books).

History of United States Postal Rates. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_United_States_postage_rates (accessed February 1, 2020).