Political Comic Postcard - Carter, Nixon, Regan, Brown, Kennedy & Jolly Beans!

This is a standard/chrome postcard gently poking fun at some major political figures of the time.  It's copyright 1982 (making it one of the more recent standard/chromes), and is signed (again signed, not autographed) by Art Strader, who apparently did a series of these.

Ronald Regan was president at the time, and he had a well known fondness for jelly beans - hence the bean theme.  Jimmy Carter & Richard Nixon are the "Has Beans", Regan is the "Jolly Beans", and Ted Kennedy and I think (but not sure) Jerry Brown are the "Would Beans". 

I haven't seen cards like this very often, and I think it's interesting. 

I wonder why Gerald Ford wasn't in the group?  And is that really Jerry Brown?

Zen Buddhist Priest Statue

This is a postcard of a 13th wooden statue of a Zen Buddhist priest, from the Japanese Kamakura period, an era which I know nothing about.  In fact my knowledge of Japanese art & culture is not great, period, but I can appreciate what is obviously a beautiful work of art.

This card was published by the Pennsylvania Museum & School of Industrial Art, and I assume it was originally sold in a gift shop.  

I don't know the age of the postcard, but I suspect it is Pre-WWII.  It is divided back, and there's no real clue from the stamp box. 

I like art cards.

Cabinet Photo Circa 1880s-1890s of an Indian Warrior

This looks like a person I would not want to tangle with out on the high plains in the late 19th century.   Even though this is a studio portrait, the fierceness and a complete ability to handle himself on horseback comes through.  Personally, I think this is a magnificent picture.

There is information below the image.  "Loves Horses" and some other words I can't decipher are handwritten.  The photographer information is printed below.  This particular photographer "A. Bogardus" had offices in New York City - we've sold photos by him before, but nothing like this.   Actually it looks like the photographers were Sherman & McHugh, successors to Bogardus.  Bogardus was a lot better known, I think.

We have several American Indian photos up for auction currently, and what we've found while researching is that frequently these photographers (or their agents, or perhaps free lancers) would head west, stay there sometimes for years,  take tons of pictures, bring them back east and sell them. So that's why you see these posed pictures for photographers working out of of New York City, Chicago, or West Superior, Wisconsin.

Although we don't claim to be experts, this looks to be an authentic period photograph.  By authentic I mean it's not a photograph of a photograph.  It's not a new reprint.  The mounting looks right, although it appears someone has trimmed to top at some point in the past (a very common occurrence).  If perchance it is a reprint, I'm pretty sure it's a 19th century reprint.

This is a "Cabinet Photo".  Cabinets were popular in the late 19th century, from about the 1870s on.  Typically it consists of an albumen print affixed to a 4 x 6 inch (give or take) cardboard backing.  The photo t is usually a bit smaller than the cardboard, of course.  Frequently the age of a photo can be estimated by the graphics on the cardboard - as time went along and printing techniques changed and improved, graphics, especially on back, got much more elaborate.  On the earlier cards the printing was much plainer.

This is a bit smaller than the standard Cabinet Photo - the whole thing measures 3.5 x 5 inches, or just a shade smaller than a standard sized postcard. The top has definitely been trimmed & it's possible the sides have too. 

I always worry about authenticity with items like this, but I see nothing about it that would cause me to think it was anything other than a 19th century photograph.  I like this one quite a bit.

Update:  This one sold!

Racey Helps - The Astonished Angler

This is an artist signed standard/chrome postcard by Racey Helps.  Racey Helps was a children's author & illustrator, and there are many beautiful postcards of his work, featuring animals in all sorts of situations.  This one is called "The Astonished Angler" - apparently a mouse has gone fishing and accidently caught a frog.

This piece of art was done under the auspices of the Medici Society in London, which till exists.

I'm not sure of the age, but Racey Helps died in 1970 or so, making this postcard from the 1960s at the latest.  I like it.

Update: Sold!

An Antique Photo of a Young Woman with Wire Rim Glasses

There's probably no real reason I should like this photo, but for some reason I'm drawn to it.  I think it's the expression, more than anything. Her head is slightly tilted, and she has a "get this over with and let me get out of here" kind of look.  She's dressed nicely, lots of bows and lace, with a very high collar.  She's also wearing wire rimmed glasses, which is interesting.  She could have taken them off and no one, especially now, would know the difference.  I'm glad she didn't, because for me it adds another element to the photo.  It makes her seem more human.  I've always found this photo intriguing, wondering what was on her mind.

There is no date information on the photo, but I'm pretty sure it's in the 1890-1910 time frame.   She looks to be in her early 20's, which would mean she was born somewhere between the late 1860s to late 1880s, give or take.  If she were born in the later end of that spectrum, she could have lived well into the 2nd half of the 20th century.  She would have lived to an age where her grandchildren and great-grandchildren (perhaps even her children) would have trouble believing she was ever young, strong, in good health & dressed stylishly.   

The photographer's name was Ingalls, and he worked at Knowlton's Studio in Farmington Maine. 

Snapshot Men on Motorcycles, Summer of 1938

This is a small snapshot of 4 men and their bikes. On the back someone has handwritten "Summer of 1938".   The two bikes on the right appear to be Harley Knuckleheads (either '37 or '38) - you can see the roll bars on them.  The one on the extreme left may also be a Harley, but the one right next to it is probably something else. 

The photo has lots of creasing, but it's still an interesting image.  Old time Harleys in the field, raising a ruckus no doubt.

Update:  Sold!

Just a quick word on comments - specifically mine.

Ever since I started this blog way back on May 22, I've had a couple of issues, probably related.  1st, it never seems to realize I'm signed in.  2nd, I have extreme difficulties responding to comments.  It's gotten to the point that I'm just going to respond to comments with a separate post for now.  Sigh.

So Christine H. thanks for your comment on the Sammelwerk post.  I think they're interesting little pictures.  I tried to reply to your comment, but it just won't let me. 

Sammelwerk Nr. 9 - A wedding in Augsburg

 

This is the front and back of a very small picture, and I'm really not sure how to categorize it, eBay wise.  

They are German, and are all "Sammelwerk Nr. 9".  Sammelwerk is a collective work, and if I'm reading the German correctly on back there are 300 of these in 5 groups (34 thru 38).   I believe these are miniatures from selected artists, and that they all appear in a book somewhere, but I might just be making that up.  A bit of wishful translation thinking.

Anyway. These are all 2.75 x 3.25 inches, so they're rather small.  Most are signed, (not autographed, big difference) but I cannot read the signature.  Almost all of them have paper missing on the back - they appear to have been glued into a scrapbook at some point.  The only thing that changes on the back printing wise, are the picture number, the title, it's group, and the broad time period in which the scene takes place.  Everything else on the back is the same for all of them.

They all depict scenes of daily life in Germany over a period of 5 centuries.  We have about 30 of the 300, and eventually they'll all get listed.  

Its just we're not really sure what category to put them in.  They could be considered trade cards, but they are not from the Victorian era, they're newer.  But I honestly don't know how new or how old.  And everything's in German, and though I know a smattering of German and I have access to online translators, translations can still become an issue.   On this particular one, the title is Burgertrauung in Augsburg.  Well I'm pretty sure Trauung is a wedding, and I think Burger has to do with cities, so is this a civil wedding ceremony?  Not sure.  The translator didn't help me out much.  Augsburg is a city near and dear to my heart, btw, not too far from Munich. 

So these are neat, but something new for us.  New things are always weird.

Little Girl, Big Dog - Early 20th Century Postcard

For some reason people seem to like little girls with big dogs.  I can't blame them, I partial to the dogs, myself.  Just ask Pickles.

There is a whole series of these cards, and I have a couple of them.  Some of them have the same dog & girl, others are different.  But the background and scene are the same.

I've noticed that postcard publishers do that.  You'll see the exact same pictures in different formats sometimes.  Sometimes you'll see the same picture but with a different caption.  I think I have a postcard which somehow placed the Rocky Mountains in Kansas.  

This is a pretty postcard, early 20th century, divided back.  On the back the word "post card" is printed in about 20 different languages.

Not sure what kind of dog it is, but it's pretty good size.

Update:  Sold!

Comic Linen Postcard - Love Thy Neighbor

This is a comic linen postcard, probably from the 1930s, perhaps early 1940s.  It was published by CurtTeich-Chicago, very big in postcard circles.  It depicts a couple of travelers at a campground.  It is also part of a series of 10 cards, though I have no idea what the other 9 cards are.

Linen postcards were popular from around 1932 to 1952 or so.  The cards get their name because they were made from ragstock, and you can see & feel the ridges in them.   Sometimes these cards have borders (like the previous generation white border postcards), and sometimes the ink bleeds all the way to the edges.  However the white border postcards have a smooth surface and linen cards do not.  Also, the colors on linen cards are generally brighter and more garish than earlier cards (and the later chromes for that matter). Subjects were pretty much anything you can think of, including comics.

Comics were drawn, sometimes even signed by the artist.  They frequently pushed the limits of risque-ness allowed during the era (you could buy these in any drugstore, after all).  Some barely hinted at it, and some did a lot more than hint. A few might have some strong social commentary.  Lots lampooned husbands & wives.  And some just had Scottish Terriers saying "Hoot Mon" to each other. 

Update:  Sold!

Snapshot - Summer of 1934, Interesting Clothes

This is a snapshot taken in the summer of 1934, probably with an inexpensive camera.  It is about 3.5 x 5 inches, but someone trimmed the edges at some point.  There is more information about the person - his name, and the fact that he died at some point - on the back.  There is no information about the location or why he's dressed this way.

People buy snapshots for lots of reasons.  Sometimes it's the fashion, sometimes it's an interesting location, lots of times it because of what I call "accidental art".  Most of the people who took snapshots were (and are) amateurs with cheap cameras who want nothing more than a remembrance of something.  Sometimes what they come up with is very interesting.

Well this one is quirky, sort of.  A man is standing on some steps leading to what is probably a very nice house, perhaps a clubhouse, leaning back on a railing, and wearing a rather unusual outfit.  (Men don't usually wear outfits, but I'll make an exception here).   The over all impression is that he's a person of above average means. 

We've had this photo listed for quite a while, with no takers.  But it's a little odd & things like this tend to catch someones eye eventually.