Ephemeral Artists

Sent to Mrs. Nell Frishour, Dayton, Oreg., and postmarked Portland, Ore., Oct. 31, 1909, with the message: "Look out for ghosts tomorrow night. E.W."

"Thanksgiving. A wingless steed will take the winner to a fine Thanksgiving dinner. C. Beecher. Copyrighted 1908 by Fred C. Lounsbury. 2088-4." From what I can determine, Tom Turkey is driving the winning football team to a victory meal. But does Tom know what main dish is traditionally served at a Thanksgiving dinner?

"I'm enjoying myself immensely. Wish you were here."

" Martian Time-Slip , by Philip K. Dick , author of The Man in the High Castle. A deathly trap waits for the colonists on Mars." Cover art by Ralph Brillhart from the 1964 paperback edition.

A Thanksgiving postcard by illustator Frances Brundage .

"Hallowe'en Greetings. Frances Brundage." A Halloween postcard by illustrator Frances Brundage . Printed on the back: "Halloween Series-Postcard No. 120." Postmarked Washington, D.C., Oct. 30, 1913, and addressed to Miss Anna Harrison, 602 E St., S.E., Washington, D.C. Message: "Sorry! Certainly wish you a pleasant time tomorrow evening. Sincerely, Dave."

"Decoration Day. Story of the Flag. C. Bunnell." This 1908 postcard for Decoration Day (now called Memorial Day , of course) is unusual for its humorous take on the holiday. The illustration of a couple kissing behind a flag is quite a contrast to the depictions of monuments, gravesites, and soldiers that typically appeared on Memorial Day postcards in the early twentieth century.

"The Morning After. July 5. Witch hazel, liniment, arnica. F.L. 219/6. Gene Carr." Postmarked at Milton Mills, New Hampshire, on July 6, 1915. Cartoonist Gene Carr 's postcard demonstrates the dire results of a dangerous evening of Fourth of July fireworks in the early twentieth century. On July 5th, the heavily bandaged kid now needs a crutch for walking, as well as medications—witch hazel, liniment, and arnica—for treating aches and pains. The poor cat obviously didn't fare too well either. The ill effects of holiday fireworks are also the subject of early stereographic cards like The Glorious 4th of July / The 5th of July .

"When can their glory fade."

"Here's to the Birthday We Celebrate! Ellen H. Clapsaddle. Painting only copyrighted by the Int. Art Pub. Co. 1912."

"Remember green Erin. The morn's mornin' to you! Painting only copyrighted by the Int. Art Pub. Co. 1908." A Saint Patrick's Day postcard by artist Ellen Clapsaddle .

"Erin Go Bragh. Ellen H. Clapsaddle. Painting only copyrighted by S. Garre 1907."

"Hallowe'en Greeting. Ellen H. Clapsaddle. Painting only copyrighted by the Int. Art Pub. Co. 1912." Handwritten: "Annie Miller, 1912."

"Hallowe'en. Friendly fairy, witch, or fay, fulfill the wish you wish to-day. Ellen H. Clapsaddle."

Owls a hooting in the tree, Pumpkins making faces mean, And lots of thing that you can't see Tell us that it's Hallowe'en. A vintage Halloween postcard signed by artist Ellen H. Clapsaddle.

"Hallowe'en. Uncertainly. Hope. Despair. Happy ever after. Ellen H. Clapsaddle. Int. Art Pub. Co. 1909." In a Halloween posting about Pumpkins and Postcards and Portents–Oh My! , Mikaela Taylor of Middlebury College explains that the illustration on this postcard reflects a Halloween custom that involved throwing chestnuts in a fire: "Anthropomorphized nuts, paired off with the titles 'Uncertainty,' 'Hope,' 'Despair,' and 'Happy Ever After,' represent the practice of interpreting the behavior of chestnuts in a fire. Those participating would assign two chestnuts to a couple and observe whether the chestnuts burned together, jumped apart in the flame, crackled loudly, or came together. A couple was said to live a long happy life together if their corresponding chestnuts burned brightly and quietly next to each other, or their relationship would end in disaster if they crackled contentiously and popped in different directions."