Fortune Teller Postcard, copright 1910 - Real or Repro?

This is a neat early 20th century postcard (I think).  I have to explain the I think part.  

I've seen other examples of this exact card for sale, but they were reproductions.   One card was printed in Hong Kong, another had info on the back indicating it was printed in 1989, and they were both 4 X 6 inches, or continental size.

It's not uncommon for old postcard to be reproduced at a later date - and usually there's no big secret about it.  Repros are usually larger than the original, usually look wildly out of place with modern times, and usually have information on the back (a zip code, area code in a phone number, a URL, a date etc) which tells you it's not an original. Frequently it'll even have the word "reproduction" on the back somewhere.  But in case it doesn't, an early 20th century postcard will not have publisher info with a zip code, and it is very unlikely to have been printed in China, it's not going to be continental size and so on.   Also, it is very unlikely that some one will have multiple copies of a really neat (and possibly rare) early 20th century card for sale.  That's a red flag for me. 

There's nothing wrong with selling a reproduction, as long as the seller is up front about it.  The other sellers who had this card did not hide the fact that they were selling a reproduction of an early 20th century card, so that's cool.  And it  leads me to question the copy of the card I have, especially since I've seen no other instances of this card claiming to be original. 

As far as I can tell, which means I don't have any evidence otherwise, the "Fortune Teller" postcard I have is original.  It is standard size (about 3.5 x 5.5 inches) there is a copyright date of 1910 in the lower left corner, the stamp box and everything else on the reverse looks correct.  Though I suppose I could be fooled, the printing on it does not have the look of the later "chromes".  There is no dates, publishing information or anything esle on the card to indicate it was a reproduction of an earlier postcard.  At least nothing I can tell. 

So, I'm calling it original.  For the most part I only sell original postcards, and I try to be careful about making sure they are originals.  I remember listing a couple of WW II era military aircraft postcards that had web addresses on the back, so they were reproductions, but I made that obvious in the title & listing.  But it is not routine (in other words almost never) for me to list a reproduction postcard.  As a rule, I don't like them, so I won't list them.

C. V. Muttich Art Postcard, early 1900s

This is an early 20th century art postcard of a painting by C. V. Muttich.  It's title is "Girl from Trentschin", which I believe is a city in Slovakia, or perhaps the Czech republic. 

I like art postcards, especially ones of artists I'd never heard of, like Muttich.  I still don't know much about Muttich, except he was Czech, and I've seen his firs name (Casimil) spelled with a "K" as well as a "C".  I suspect "K" is more correct.  He apparently did several of paintings similar to this one.

It's a pretty picture.  The girl is wearing a very elaborate dress & head scarf, very central European, and looks contemporary to the time of the painting (1914, give or take). 

A House on Austin Avenue, Barrington, NJ - early 20th Century Photograph

This stark photo is obviously a picture of a house.  What's interesting about it is that the exact address of the house is written on back, and that's unusual, at least for me.  I can tell that it had at least two fire places (very likely more), probably did not have electricity, telephone, or indoor plumbing.  There are other houses in the area, but none seem to be close by and there are no trees, so I suspect it is a fairly new construction.  It could be that it wasn't complete when this picture was taken, but I don't see any evidence of construction going on. 

I used google earth to try to look a the exact location (give or take), and none of the houses looked anything like this.  Austin Avenue today is still a residential area, with modest houses & large trees all fairly close together.  It seems to also be very close to an interstate highway.   I'm pretty sure the building in this photo no longer exists and has been long forgotten.

We've listed several pictures on eBay related to Oliver Phillips & his wife's family (the Hackners) and the house on Austin Avenue in Barrington was referenced several times.  And it was referenced in such away that could lead a person to believe that it was not the family's primary address, but I don't know for sure.

Update:  Sold!

Photograph of a Man with a very large Dog

This is an antique photo of a man with a very large dog, I think a Great Dane.    It was photographed by Renshaw, of 2718 Girard Ave in Philadelphia.  Writing on the back indicates the man is named Louis Haeckner, and that he was born in Germany.

We've listed a lot of photos of the Hackner's (sometimes spelled Haeckner) recently.  Margaret Hackner, who I suppose was a daughter, married Oliver Phillips, and we have a lot of photos of that side of the family.

This is an early 20th century Gelatin Silver photograph, and there is heavy silvering on the photo, so heavy that if you tilt it slightly one way or another, the silvering is all you can see.  Tilt it slightly toward you and you see a sharp photograph.   I don't know the exact date of the photo, but it is probably 100 years old or close to it.

It is an unusual studio photo - a man with a huge dog in his lap - and the type that many people find interesting.   At least I do. 

Update:  Sold!

Another Update - the dog may be a Presa Canario, not sure.

Little Girl Holding a Parasol

This is an 1880-90s era cabinet photo of a little girl holding a parasol, perhaps an umbrella.  I looked to see what the difference was & I gather that all parasols are umbrellas, but not all umbrellas are parasols.  A parasol, as its name implies, was used to shade a person from the sun.  It was not water proof.  Although I don't know for sure what she is holding, I think it is a parasol.

This is a studio photo, made to look like an outdoor setting.  It could be a beach setting, but there's something that looks like a big tree behind her, so I don't know.  And I love her expression.

I like this photo because of the girl's expression & the props in it.  The photographers were Wardlaw & Learnen of Rochester, NY.

Update:  Sold!

Chandler Motor Co. Light Weight Six - Early 20th Century Postcad

This is an antique postcard advertising an automobile made by Chandler Motor Company.  It is advertising a Light Weight Six for $1,295.00 - the Six referring to the number of cylinders. 

Chandler Motor Co. was in business from 1913 - 1929, and were considered a mid-priced & mid-level automobile, luxury wise. They were purchased by a competitor in 1929, and the brand was discontinued.

This postcard is postmarked, and though the date is hard to read, I believe it is 1915.   The postcard has the look and feel of an early 20th century card, that is pre-1918.  There is a cancelled 1 cent stamp on it, and postage rates were 2 cents from 1917-1919, and again from 1925-1928.  So I'm fairly confident the cancellation date is 1915.

This looks like a touring car, and even though it's "only" a light weigh six, it appears to have enough power to chase a bear up a steep hill.  And even though it's "only" a medium level automobile (performance & luxury wise), it is still elegant enough for a chauffeur to drive around a lady with a large hat.

It's a nifty bit of automotive and advertising history.

Update:  Sold!

Comic Postcard - The Whole Dam Family at the Beach

This is a comic postcard that was part of early 20th century popular culture.  It is a representation of the "Dam" family, from the patriarch (I.B. Dam) to the Dam dog, who is planting a big sloppy lick on the Dam baby.  There were posters, postcards, toys, music and two silent movies (The Whole Dam Family, The Dam Dog) based on this family with an unfortunate last name.


This particular card is hilarious - I laugh every time I look at it. I've even looked at it with a magnifying glass to make sure I caught all the nuances. 


Anyway, it's the whole Dam family at the beach.


Update: Sold!