Harvest Home Display with Minister

In this real photo postcard, a minister of a church (location and date unknown) stands in the midst of fruits and vegetables that decorate the altar in preparation for a Harvest Home service.

"Harvest Home" is a religious celebration that's still held today at some Lutheran, Reformed, and other churches in Pennsylvania and elsewhere during the late summer or early fall. As seen here, the observance typically involves a display of tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, cornstalks, flowers, etc.

For additional examples, see Harvest Service, Lutheran Church, Strasburg, Pa., 1907, and Harvest Home Greetings, Methodist Church, Strasburg, Pa., 1909.

In this photo, the inscription at the bottom of the stained glass window on the right-hand side says, "Donated by Robert, Ella, & Sallie Wise."

The signboard hanging on the wall on the left-hand side of the photo provides the following information about the church:

Register - Attendance & Offering
Number on the roll - 200
Attendance today - 114
Attendance a year ago today - 81
Offering today - 236
Offering a year ago today - 104