Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked January 2, 1916 from San Diego, California. Design copyright:  R. G. Rasquin. Series or number 627 – 11.

Price:  $15.00

“Every New Year Joy may be yours”

Here’s a charmer, just over 100 years old, and continuing with our winter theme…showing a design of a little boy sledding downhill. A pretty steep hill at that! He appears in an oval frame with snow and icicles gathered at the bottom of the frame, and just underneath, some Christmas-y looking plants and a colorful bird, who is looking at the boy with interest. (Awww!)  Was thinking “snowberry” for the plant with the white berries. Probably not even a plant – but no, sure enough, that is exactly what that is. The red flower is likely representing a poinsettia, and the birdie…hmmm, artistic license? He’s got a finch or sparrow look and is green with a yellow belly and red cap. Maybe the artist was inspired by the Gouldian Finch. 😉 Love the icicles hanging from the top of the embossed border, too. There really was a lot of thought that went into these old postcards, not that we should be surprised by that. Note also how the artist has created the feeling of the snow flying up from the motion of the sled, and the pale blue portion of the background, the perfect color blue to fit with snow and ice.

R. G. Rasquin, the printer and/or publisher of this card, is Robert G. Rasquin.

Addressed to:   “Master Monte Canning. 161 – 23rd Ave. (Richmond Dist) San Francisco, Calif.”

The sender wrote:

“San Diego, Cal. Dec. 31, 1915. Dear Monte:  May you have a very happy birthday and many more to come. Auntie Mel was a little slow in getting your package started but I know you’ll forgive her, won’t you?”

Monte, born in January 1911 (so he was receiving this postcard for his 5th birthday) is Montgomery John Canning, son of Montgomery J. Canning and Louise E. Styles. He had an older sister, Leslie, born in 1909. The 1915 city directory for San Francisco shows Monte’s parents at the same address as the postcard and that Montgomery J. is in the car business under Canning & Vinton Auto Co. “automobiles, 453 Golden Gate Av.”

Below is a 1910 Canning & Vinton ad for their used autos.

Sources:  Crocker-Langley’s San Francisco Directory for the year ending June 1915. p. 412. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995)

San Francisco Call, Vol. 108, No. 5. June 5, 1910. p. 59. (California Digital Newspaper Collection.)

“Montgome J. Canning.” and “Leslie B. Canning.” Ancestry.com. California Birth Index, 1905-1995.