Happy Vintage Valentine's Day!!

Yes, I prefer used Valentine's cards. My collection is from the early 1900s.

Patriotic Postcards

It's a red-white-and-blue kind of weekend! Happy 4th of July!!
Not surprisingly, I like these quaint, vintage patriotic post cards.


JULY
Handwritten: "Dear old U. S. A. on the 4th of July. My last cent boys(?)" 
COPYRIGHT 1905 THE ULMAN MFG. CO. N.Y. . Postmarked March 1907


"The Star Spangled Banner" Postmarked January 1913

The last three verses of The Star Spangled Banner aren't even vaguely familiar to me.

THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket's red glare, the bomb bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Chorus:

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? 

On the shore dimly seen thro’ the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,

A home and a Country should leave us no more?

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution:

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,

Oh, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand

Between their loved homes and the war's desolation;

Blest with vict'ry and peace may the Heaven-rescued land

Praise the Pow’r  that hath made and preserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto - "In God is our trust!" 

Written by Francis Scott Key – September 1814

Proclaimed the National Anthem by an Act of Congress – March 3, 1931

"OUR FLAG" 
"WHEN you see the STARS AND STRIPES displayed, son, stand up and take off your hat! Somebody may titter. But don’t you mind! When Old Glory comes along, salute, and let them think what they please! For of all the signs and symbols since the world began, there is never another so full of meaning to mankind as the flag of our country.
That piece of red, white and blue bunting means five thousand years of struggle upward. It is the full blown flower of ages of fighting for liberty. It is the century plant of human hope in bloom.
Our flag stands for no race. It stands for men, men of any blood who will come and live with us under its protection. It is the only banner that means mankind. It is not the flag of our king – it is the flag of ourselves.
OTHER flags mean a glorious past; our flag, a glorious past and a still more glorious future. It is the flag of our fathers, and of our children yet unborn. It is the flag of to-morrow.
It stands for the open door of ambition and opportunity – of equal rights to every one beneath the shadow of its folds.
Our flag waves defiance at all the ghosts that have so long intimidated men: the ghost of monarchy, the ghost of war, and all their kind that still lay shadowy hands upon the life of Europe and Asia.
Listen son! The band is playing ‘The Star Spangled Banner.’ They have let loose Old Glory yonder. Stand up! Some people over there are smiling at us. Stand up, bare your head, lift up your eyes and thank God that you live under that flag, which means the redemption of the world.”



"IN GOD WE TRUST" 
"THE AMERICAN CREED" 
by William Tyler Page. Accepted by House of Representatives, April 3rd, 1918. 
"I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect Union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it; to support its Constitution; to obey its laws; to respect its Flag, and to defend it against all enemies."
 

200 YEARS OF FREEDOM 
Words and Music by Glenn E. Heck 
"Tell all the world a-bout it, Stand on your feet and shout it. 
Two hun-dred years of lib-er-ty…….. 
Tell all the world our Sto-ry, two - hun - dred years of glo - ry. 
We know the joy of be - ing free. . . . . . 
Wake up the world, we're mov-ing, Wake up the world, we're march - ing 
on - ward to high-er des-ti-ny. . . . . 
Two hun - dred years of free-dom, two hun - dred years of free-dom, 
Two hun - dred years of lib - er - ty! 
May our na - tion, un - der God, re - mem - ber where our fa-thers 
trod and raise our ban - ner proud and free for peo - ple of the 
world to see. 
- ty. . . . Two hun - dred years of Fine lib - er - ty!" 
"200 years of freedom is the official Bicentennial Song of Warner Robins, "Georgia's International City", written in 1975 by Glenn Heck. The arrangements for solo, chorus, barbershop quartette [sic] and band are by Lyle Heck."

Vintage Easter Greetings

More sweet vintage Easter Postcards!

"Easter Greetings"


"EASTER GREETINGS!" Postmarked April 1914


"Easter Greeting" Postmarked April 1907


"Easter Greetings" Postmarked 1910


"Easter Greetings" Postmarked April 1908

Earlier Easter Goodies!
Easter Finery
More Vintage Easter Postcards
Vintage Easter Postcards
Easter Color!
Western Union Easter Greetings
Easter Fun
Easter Ham
Brach's Easter Candy
Easter Shoes

Even More Vintage Christmas Postcards

I have a few more vintage Christmas postcards to share! If you missed the others, check out "More Vintage Christmas Cards" and "Vintage Christmas Cards".

Cozy by the fireplace:


"Wishing You Christmas Cheer" C. 1909 Postmarked 1914

Cozy cottages nestled in the winter's snow:

"A Merry Christmas" Postmarked 1913


"To greet you in all sincerity this Christmas" Postmarked 1919


"Christmas Greetings"

More cottages but without the snow:

"To Wish You A Merrie Christmasse" Postmarked 1909

These make me smile happily.

More Vintage Easter Postcards

I find vintage holiday postcards delightful! 
Easter Greetings!!


Easter Greetings
Postmarked 1911


A Joyous Easter


Easter Greeting
Christ our Lord today has risen,
Sing his praise forever more,
Lift your voice reach him in heaven
That your soul he may restore.



A Joyful Easter


Fond Easter Wishes


My postcards from last Easter are here.

Vintage New Year's Greetings

I'm having a hard time believing 2013 is over!  That's the thing about the calendar . . . there is no pause button.  I feel pretty certain that those who originally sent these beautiful and charming New Year's greetings would not have any inkling that they would be "sent" again as wishes a century later. 

"1 January - A happy New Year" mailed December 1907. Message on back reads

"Dear Friend. We all wish you a Happy New Year. Mama is sick in bed with the grip. Family Goetz"

(Hope Mama got better.  I've noticed in my growing postcard collection that illness was frequently reported this way.)


"A happy New Year"

"Best New Years Wishes.

To you dear friend

Sincere Greetings

I fondly send

This New Years Day"

 
"This card brings our best wishes for the New Year"
 
"A happy New Year" copyrighted 1908
 
"A happy New Year" mailed January 1911

"I send this New Year greeting
Just to speak a word of cheer,
And assure you my good wishes
Will go with you through the year."

"A Happy New Year" mailed January 1909

"A Happy New Year. 
In friendship true, 
for auld lang syne, 
Accept this greeting wish of mine."

"New Year Greetings 
And love sin-
cere. May our friendship 
grow with 
each passing 
year." 
(kind of an awkward second line . . . I would have designed it so it didn't appear to promote loving sin!  :-) )

"Right hearty Greeting for the New Year" mailed December 1910

"My New Year Gift to You. 
My New Year gift will not be brought 
By an expressman's cart. 
It is neither tied nor wrapped 
But comes straight from a loving heart." mailed December 1929

"Best Wishes for a Happy New Year" mailed December 1912

"A happy New Year - 
Time to be good to thee 
And added years bring 
only added pleasures." mailed January 1915

"Here's to Today
Write it on your heart 
that every day is the best 
day of the year." mailed December 21, 1912.

Message on back reads in part ". . . I am sorry to say we won't get (?) before Christmas J?erry cut his foot right at the ankle with the axe. We will try and come in between (?) and New year."

How awful!  I hope Jerry wasn't crippled for the rest of his life!

Glad tidings for a healthy, prosperous, grippe-free and axe-to-the-ankle-free 2014!!!!

Vintage Thanksgiving Postcards

I'd love to know if it was common to send Thanksgiving postcard greetings a century ago.  I have never sent Thanksgiving cards but I sure love to see what was mailed 100 years ago.


"Thanksgiving Greetings" Mailed November 1909


"Best Thanksgiving Greetings"


"Best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving"


Thanksgiving Greetings - Mailed November 1916

Be sure to enjoy the vintage Thanksgiving postcards I posted last year!

Happy Independence Day!

A few more from my vintage patriotic postcard collection:


"July 4th 1776" postmark reads Jul 4 7 am Millvale PA (no year!!). Printed in Germany.
I can read most of the message and I thought it was pretty interesting - I wish the postmark had a year rather than the time of day.  

"Hello Well how are you Sadie & I are pretty warm up here. We are getting lots of rides on the Street Cars. We was on a flying machine Sat. night & we were scared half to death. We went flying ?? the air ?? "

"Long May it Wave over Land & Sea" Copyright 1910 L. R. Conwell, N.Y. mailed June 1911


"Greetings from Laughlintown, Pa." mailed Oct 1910


"Birthplace of Old Glory - Open to the Public" Souvenir Post Card Co., New York. Printed in Germany


"Next Sunday will be Rally Day in the School ~ Will you help make it a Grand Success by being present early yourself? Bring someone not already a member. Urge your parents to come. Cordially yours," R. D. Form No. 2 Goodenough & Woglom Co. 122 Nassau St. N. Y.

***Happy 4th of July!!***

They Fought Like Heroes

A few Civil War images postcards on this Memorial Day.

"They fought like Heroes, Long and Well, and Then like Heroes died."

Used in 1910






I scanned the bottom two postcards together - if anyone knows anything about the original painting these come from, please comment.



I'm feeling sad but grateful to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.