Tag Archives: antique and vintage postcard back headers

A Coaching Christmas

Posted on by
Reply

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked from Lodi, California, December 22, 1921. Publisher unknown. S02 – 6. Des. (design) Xmas.

Price:  $6.00

We’ll start off Christmas this year with a 1921 postcard from the Alice Ellison Collection showing a stagecoach with team of horses arriving at a country inn:  There’s the driver and two (artistic license most likely) coach guards, both with their “yard of tin,” the long trumpet used to announce arrival and departure, warn off other traffic on the road, and announce arrival at toll gates; and with the figures of a man and boy; a bunny bounding down the path through the snow; and a couple of horseshoes and whip….altogether a charming remembrance of the Regency Era. The card’s beautiful verse goes out to all:

“Each Christmas binds more close the friends

We knew in Auld Lang Syne,

And so, in thought, my hand extends

To meet the clasp of thine.”

Addressed to:   “Miss Ella Ellison, 1314 F St., Sacramento, Califa.,”  and signed, “From Mrs. McNees & Dorothy.”

W. S. Darling, the “Indian Curio Man”

Posted on by
Reply

Postcard Header W S Darling

This is the beautiful postcard back header that appears on a 1908 card that shows the following publisher information:

W. S. Darling, the “Indian Curio Man” Harbor Springs, Michigan.

It’s unknown whether this header was exclusive to W. S. Darling, or whether other publishers may have used it. (A 1909 offering, currently for sale elsewhere online does show a different header for him.)

Willard S. Darling was born in Jackson, Michigan on December 2, 1870.

On November 30, 1892 he married Bertha E. Stutsman in Harbor Springs. She was born in Indiana about 1871,  the daughter of A.R. Stutsman and Martha Byerly. Willard was the son of Christopher Columbus Darling and Louisa Felshaw. His occupation was Printer on the marriage record.

There are lots of records appearing online for Willard S. Darling but a 1903 city directory, which included Harbor Springs, confirms that he was the “Indian Curio Man.” Below is the entry evidently indicating that he was partners with Henry S. Babcock, under the name of Babcock & Darling. The second entry shows their ad that appeared at the bottom of the same page regarding the Harbor Springs Graphic.

1903 Directory

Ad2

More records…

1910 census, Harbor Springs – with wife Bertha, and their daughter, Maie; occupation Printer at a newspaper;

1920 census, Harbor Springs –  with wife Bertha E., and daughters Maie and Josephine; occupation Oil Inspector for the state.

1930 census, Harbor Springs – with wife Bertha and daughter Josephine; occupation Tax Collector.

1940 census, Harbor Springs – with wife Bertha, daughter Josephine (public school teacher) and lodgers Geraldine Wolfe and Mildred Ives; occupation Rep for the sales tax department.

Willard S. Darling died in Petoskey April 8, 1943, and was buried in Harbor Springs. Occupation given on death record was State Sales Tax Collector.

Sources:  Original data: Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867–1952. Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics. (Ancestry.com)

Polk’s Petoskey City and Emmett County Directory, 1903, Vol. 1, p. 176. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989.

Year: 1920; Census Place: Little Traverse, Emmet, Michigan; Roll: T625_763; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 161; Image: 776. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1930; Census Place: Harbor Springs, Emmet, Michigan; Roll: 981; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 0007; Image: 666.0; FHL microfilm: 2340716. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1940; Census Place: Harbor Springs, Emmet, Michigan; Roll: T627_1748; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 24-8. (Ancestry.com)

“Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800–1995.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009, 2010. FHL 966505. Ancestry.com. Michigan, Deaths and Burials Index, 1867-1995.

This Way!

Posted on by
Reply

This Way pc1This Way pc2

Divided back, unused artist-signed postcard. Artist:  Clara M. Burd, copyright 1922. Publisher/printer info:  Form YYY. New York – The Abingdon Press – Cincinnati.

Price:  $15.00

A circa 1922 postcard that was designed for Sunday School reminders (one would think.) The illustration shows a young girl at a rustic wooden gate, in a light blue dress and floppy sun hat, holding a bouquet of yellow flowers. Perhaps she’s waiting for her friends to catch up with her. This is a signed card by New York born artist Clara M. Burd (1873 – 1933) and more on the artist will go up in a separate post in a few days. I picked up this one initially just because of the back’s really beautiful postcard header, and then as a major bonus, realized that it’s artist-signed. But back to the header – it’s different and elegant, and one that we didn’t have yet at Laurel Cottage. The printer and/or publisher is Abingdon Press out of New York and Cincinnati.

Abingdon Press Postcard Header

As far as the handwritten names on the back – Raymond Polle and Albertha Logan, nothing was found to pinpoint either one. There are multiple possibilities for Albertha Logan, and we also don’t know whether these are children or adults, so Logan could be Albertha’s married name.

Source:  Find A Grave Memorial# 78669937. Web accessed 16 Sep 2014. (Findagrave.com)

Well Nancy

Posted on by
Reply

Well Nancy pc1Well Nancy pc2

Divided back, unused with writing. Circa 1910’s.

Price $5.00

“Well Nancy I will send you a picture of our old home. Bettie[?] and ? was away when the photo man came and Gladys and I were washing so we just stood out with our dirty close on. hansome aint we. The dog was the only one that was dressed up. ha ha.”

Real Photo Postcard showing an old farmhouse with two ladies and their dog posing for the camera. The above note to Nancy by our unknown author with the sense of humor (unknown except that she is one of the ladies in the photo) is a good one.

Estimated date may be the 1910’s. There is no stamp box and the back header shows a divided back line separating the phrases “Correspondence Here” and “For Address Only” which are under the words “Post Card.”