Friday, December 17, 2010

Business in Binghamton #3

This is a trade card and a puzzle card from about 1890. It's not very pretty, but that seems appropriate, considering it's advertising evaporated pie preparations.

According to the instructions, you are supposed to find a number of things hidden in the picture. While the card is not very pretty, the list of things you are supposed to look for is just bizarre:

Find - Phrenologist at the seaside - Brigand on the mountain - Punch and Judy show - Tramp splitting wood - Cat playing fiddle - Citizen stepping on electric wire - Washington shot at by an Indian - Clown riding on elephant's trunk - Indian club swinger - Jersey mosquito chasing stranger - Nigger riding mule - McCarthy and his mare and Lady jumping through ring of fire.

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15 comments:

  1. Alan BurnettDecember 17, 2010 at 7:10 AM

    I can't find any of the listed things, but I keep seeing other things that aren't meant to be there such as a double bass.

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  2. Lisa BDecember 17, 2010 at 7:40 AM

    what a great list! :)

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  3. Bob ScotneyDecember 17, 2010 at 7:52 AM

    You need a good imagination to see anything. Non-pc these days - the black man riding a mule!

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  4. Christine WallaceDecember 17, 2010 at 8:00 AM

    Too Wild!!! What an imagination to come up with that list of hidden images. Were these postcards common back in the day???

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  5. DorincardDecember 17, 2010 at 8:59 AM

    I could come up with puzzles just as wild...The mule one cracks me up. :)

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  6. LiT Web StudioDecember 17, 2010 at 9:56 AM

    this is insane ;-) fascinating post...and i have NO idea what an evaporated pie preparation might be!

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  7. Christine H.December 17, 2010 at 10:22 AM

    Christine,
    These cards were popular in in the late 1800s. Most of them were black and white and more sophisticated than this one, which is to say that the picture actually looked like something.

    Debs, I am guessing that evaporated pie filling was probably similar to today's Jell-O pudding mixes.

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  8. L. D. December 17, 2010 at 10:30 AM

    It really is an interesting card.

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  9. Rob KuntzDecember 17, 2010 at 10:35 AM

    Love it! :)

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  10. JanineDecember 17, 2010 at 12:23 PM

    Hasllo Christine,
    ich hab heute deine absolut umwerfende Karte bekommenm. Die ist ja ganz phantastisch und ich freue mich nun dein Gesicht zu kennen.
    Ich fand übrigens den Briefumschlag schon ganz toll mit dem Flugsaurier "air mail"stempel und diesen großartigen Briefmarken.
    Die Katherine Hepburn Marke ist super. Sie ist eine meiner Lieblingsschauspielerinnen.
    Ich wünsche dir und deinem Mann einen schönen 4. Advent.
    Janine

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  11. papel1December 17, 2010 at 5:00 PM

    What a fascinating trade card. Never seen anything like that before.
    Judy

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  12. AnonymousDecember 17, 2010 at 6:02 PM

    It's great to know that insanity seems to be timeless...

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  13. NancyDecember 17, 2010 at 9:35 PM

    How very strange. I have to say I really like the colors on the card but I certainly don't find any of hidden images. What size is the original? Are we seeing a larger than original version on our computer screens? If so the people who received this card in 1890 must have had excellent eyesight!

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  14. Brian PaperSpongeDecember 19, 2010 at 6:11 AM

    Crazy, huh! Definitely a unique postcard.

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  15. TrishiaJanuary 20, 2011 at 1:35 PM

    I don't think I've ever seen a card like this. Very interesting!

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