Greetings from the Future Popcorn King, Oklahoma City, Okla., 1906

"Oklahoma City, Apr. 19, 1906. Greetings from the future 'Popcorn King,' James Isaac Brown."

"Popcorn King"? Huh?

Well, after a bit of searching, I finally located a brief newspaper article, "Is Called 'Popcorn King,'" Oklahoma State Capital (Guthrie, Okla.), July 21, 1909, p. 2, that sheds some light on the subject: "Shawnee, Okla., July 20.--Four years ago Isaac A. Brown of Pittsburg, Pa., came to Oklahoma with a view of locating and establish[ing] himself in business. He saw his opportunity in Oklahoma City and embraced it. Brown is known far and wide as the 'popcorn king' of the new state [Oklahoma became the 46th state in 1907]. He manufactures an average of thirty-five pounds of popcorn a day and a near total of six tons a year."

As far I've been able to determine, Isaac A. Brown, the Popcorn King named in the article, is the father of James Isaac Brown, the Future Popcorn King who's pictured above. Unfortunately, I haven't found any further evidence regarding the later reign of father or son as Popcorn King.

Etta Brown Tinkham, who wrote the message about the Future Popcorn King, was apparently James Isaac Brown's mother or stepmother. She wrote another message on a second real photo postcard on the same date as this one. See Armada and Her Mamma with Oklahoma Apple Blossoms, Oklahoma City, Okla., 1906 (is the Future Popcorn King holding the same kind of apple blossoms, or might he be grasping a handful of popcorn instead?).