Tag Archives: Art Nouveau old and vintage postcards

The Tree Spirit

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This postcard is signed by artist E. Weaver. Biographical information was not found online but Sherry Arent Cawley, in Berrien County, author of one of the Postcard History Series put out by Arcadia Publishing, describes the artist as  “…a very prolific American postcard artist at the turn of the century through the 1930s. His designs, in sets of 8 to 32 are whimsical and humorous with many drawn in a simplified Art Nouveau style.”

Indeed, prolific is the word, as numerous cards can be found currently for sale, and in browsing through, it appears the artist used a different color scheme for each series; this above was one of a set in green and black, and shows the lovely poem,

“True Friendship

True friendship is a golden link

Which none should seek to sever

And mine will last, I truly think,

Forever and forever.”

The back is signed,  “From Your Most Humble Friend, O.S.”  and at the top,  “x x x”.  Another in the series was found currently on eBay dated by the sender in 1922.

Divided back, unused with writing. Publisher unknown, series or number 2328, 32 designs. “Art Birthday Message.” Circa 1922.

Price:  $5.00

Source:  Cawley, Sherry A. Berrien County (Postcard History Series). Charleston:  Arcadia. Author copyright year 2000. p. 30. (Google eBook).

Pretty Soon I Owe You A Letter

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Pretty Soon I Owe You A Letter pc1Pretty Soon I Owe You A Letter pc2

“Pretty soon

I owe you a letter,

I must confess;

Will write

In a week

Or may be

In less.”

The sender wrote:  “Dear Lottie, Youre out of luck were going to Camp Taylor. Henry and Clara were over last night. They’re going home Sunday. Frank”

Addressed to:  “Miss Ethel Main, 522 Orchard St., San Jose Cal.”

I don’t know why, but I’m always surprised by the seemingly endless amount of different lettering styles that show up on old postcards, miscellaneous cards, and the like. Delighted though, to be sure. This one is no exception. Love the way the “o’s” overlap in “soon”, the rounded “w”, the dots added between the words, and the “n”, although the “n” in “confess” is different. I guess the ink got filled in on that one by mistake. Anyway, this is an Art Nouveau style card, as you can see by the flow-y lines of the few sprays of flowers and leaves, (timely for fall colors right now) and is also unmistakably Art Nouveau in the beautiful postcard header on the back of the card.

This is the first in a collection of postcards that are addressed to Ethel Main. Camp Taylor that is mentioned in the message to “Lottie” (or is that Lettie?) is today Samuel P. Taylor State Park, located in Marin County, about 30 miles northwest of San Francisco. Samuel Penfield Taylor, was a successful gold rush ’49er, who purchased 100 acres along Lagunitas Creek for the whopping 😉 price of $505.00 in 1855. Imagine paying $5.00 an acre today! On this land, Taylor set up the first paper mill on the West Coast. The full history of the park is really interesting. Check it out here:  Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked May 18, 1915 from San Francisco, California. Publisher unknown.

Price:  $15.00

Source:  Samuel P. Taylor State Park. Marin Conservation League. Web accessed October 26, 2014.