Dutch Christmas

I love the graphics and the colors on these--and any picture with ices skaters wins my favor.
Have a very merry Christmas.

 

The backs of the cards all look the same, though only one has any writing on it.

What Santa Does in His Spare Time

You may have wondered what Santa does when he's not delivering presents. Here's your answer. He likes to work with miniatures and build dollhouses. He also has a habit of answering the phone when he passes a phone booth and hears it ringing. That doesn't happen much anymore because there are so few phone booths.

Oh, and he smokes a pipe.

Here are the backs of the first two cards in the same order. The first one was sent to Viola Vincent in Sidney, New York in 1914. The second one as sent to Miss Cassie Doran in Daleville, Pennsylvania in 1908.

Christmas Rhymes

These rhymes are much better than the one I posted earlier with a Christmas poem for Jews. That needed a little work. I know that some of you get tired of Christmas cards. On the other hand, people like me who have so many, see this as the only opportunity to post a lot of them. I wish I had some Hanukkah postcards. I would post them if I had any, but I never see them anywhere.

In any case, here's Santa with some Christmas rhymes. Feel free to download these images if you have a use for them.

Here's the back of the first card, sent to Miss Edna Witherstine in Herkimer, New York in 1910.

The back of the other cards are blank.

Christmas - Wish I Could Eat Dinner with You

And the message to Mr. Geo Ray of Bridgewater, New York reads:

Friend cyi

Wish I could eat dinner with you.

yrs Brownie C.

Here's a card with a similar style.

Christmas Shadow Cards

I don't usually post anything on the weekends, but I am swimming in Christmas postcards, so I thought I'd post some extra ones today. These are from an interesting series that emphasizes the larger-than-life shadows cast by the figures. Mistletoe is also featured prominently.

 

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

The message to Mrs. Sarah C. Becker in Valatie, New York reads:

December 13, '10

Ideas are O.K. Size 10 1/2 (all black). Thermometer crawling slowly upward. This is a picture of a "suffer-yet" Dutch Lady (Old Dutch Cleanser)

The message on this card to Mr. Henry Grimes of Grand Meadow, Minnesota reads:

If you have a class reunion remember me to everybody. I could spend two months very profitably visiting you. As it is I'm going back where I was born so long ago and expect everyone to know me from the family resemblance. Clara Parker

The Czech/Slovak Holiday Food Pyramid

Just in time for the holidays, the Korinek family has provided some eating recommendations in the form of a revised food pyramid.

Created by Dawn Korinek

If you're not Czech or Slovak, feel free to replace these categories with your own ethnic substitutions. I know that my pyramid would certainly include some pickled herring.

But if you'd like to stick to the Czeck/Slovak pyramid, here's a recipe for Buchta to get you started:

 And finally, a graphic from 1880,  urging you to stay hydrated.

Here's the back of the last one

If you're still hungry after this, head on over to Sepia Saturday for more yummy treats.

Beautiful Christmas Scenes

I'm guessing these are from the early 1930s (?).

In any case, they are richly colored and beautiful. There's no writing on the backs.

An Odd Christmas Card from Granny

This is one of the oddest Christmas cards I have encountered.

I like it because it's addressed to Eric Brasie of Brasie Corners, New York. The town was obviously named for his family. I also know from another postcard addressed to Eric, that his father was the postmaster.

Here's the back of the card.

A Christmas Poem for Jews

It's not a great poem, but I think it may express some of the Christmas fatigue that Jews endure with Christmas trees, Christmas music, Christmas gifts, Christmas decorations, and Christmas cards throughout the season. Even Santa looks a little fatigued.

It's particularly impressive that this card sent to Albert Kinziger in Utica, New York, was actually postmarked on December 25th.

The message reads:

Here's to you, you lucky Jew. 

Churp up - smoke up

and drink up dew. For they'll all help

to pull your sorrows thro'.

Don't sigh and cry like a boy in blue

But go to bed and 

 dream it's all true.

Will see you soon "a lost Friend"

Of course I had to look for Albert Kinziger to find out who he was. I found an Albert Kinziger who died from being hit in the head with a hammer in 1943 or 44, but (thankfully) he was born in 1896, so I think he couldn't be our Albert. Our Albert had to be born earlier than that to receive a card like this in 1908. Instead, I think our Albert was born in 1871 and died (far too young) in 1929. If so, he is buried in New Forest Cemetery.

Streetcar Sunday - The Christmas Bus

Many people think that there was a conspiracy by General Motors and other companies, starting in the 1930s, to dismantle the nation's streetcar system so the companies could profit from increased sales of buses, tires, and automobiles.  Here is irrefutable evidence, from a 1913 card, that the trend started much earlier and was masterminded by none other than Santa. He looks so determined.

What child would want to ride a streetcar, when he could ride Daddy Xmas' gift-laden party bus instead?  Click here to read more about the Great American Streetcar Scandal.

The message to Walter Till reads:

To Brother Walter from Susan Frank Georgie Robert  + Francis Weaver we all wish you a very Merry XMas + a Happy New year with lots of love.

Joyeux Noël

I wish you Joyeux Noël, Merry Christmas, Frohe Weihnachten or whatever you prefer.

This card was sent to Marie from her cousin, with the following message:

The cousin who loves you

Marcelle

A Happy Christmas

Here's a beautiful card that was postmarked exactly 100 years ago.

One of the things I like best about this card is that it was addressed to Master Erick Brasie, in care of his father, the Postmaster, at Brasie Corners, New York.

Happy Christmastide

Here's a Raphael Tuck & Sons trade card from the early 1880s.  Raphael Tuck and his family produced beautiful cards from the 1870s until 1960.

The back of the card is blank, except for the logo. Here are some previous posts of Tuck cards.

Playing Squash at Christmas

This is a trade card, not a postcard. Trade cards were popular from about 1870 to 1890 as advertising and as collectibles.  In most cases it's clear what was being advertised, but there may also have been businesses that gave cards out to customers without their business name. It's also possible that this is a sample card, before imprinting.  Or, perhaps the artist was advertising, although I couldn't find out anything about E.E. Manly.
It may seem odd that the young lady is holding a squash racket, but squash was starting to gain in popularity in the 1880s.

 

 

Here's the back of the card.

A Slovak Christmas Greeting

I wish I knew what this postcard has to say. I know that the  front says Merry Christmas in Slovak, but I'm afraid I have no idea about the message on the back. Any Slovaks out there?

Update: A very nice anonymous person responded with the following translation:

Dear Jozinka and Janko,

We wish you warmly and happily a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to be enjoyed with your children. May God bless you with good health and prosperity and that you live happily for many years.

Your mom Paula.

Jozka, we sent a package to your address, please give to Maris N.

I especially appreciate the translation, because it confirms that this is a family postcard sent from the great grandparents of the architect who steals my covers to his grandparents.

Click here to check out (no pun intended!) this more recent post with the Slovak Holiday Food Pyramid.

Merry Christmas to Brother Walter

I have so many cards to Walter from his siblings. I wonder if he wrote back to them or adored them as much as they did him.

The message to Mr. Walter Till reads:

To Bro Walter from Sister + Brother Susan + Frank. Why don't you ever write again. loads of love for  merry XMas + a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas from the Goldfish

This is a not a postcard, but a regular Christmas card of a very large couple and their miniature children, separated by a Christmas tree.

I had always thought that the Christmas tree had pagan origins, but according to Wikipedia, Christian lore attributes the tree's origin to Saint Boniface and the German town of Geismar: "Sometime in St Boniface's lifetime (c. 672-754) he cut down the tree of Thor in order to disprove the legitimacy of the Norse gods to the local German tribe. St. Boniface saw a fir tree growing in the roots of the old oak. Taking this as a sign of the Christian faith, he said '...let Christ be at the center of your households...' using the fir tree as a symbol of Christianity."

Well, O.K., but then there's Santa Claus (aka Saint Nicholas), and he does appear to be based  on the Germanic pre-Christian God, Odin. And what about those elves? I'm just trying to figure out how this all fits together.