Club Bali

A 1940s neon sign from the Neon Museum of Philadelphia; postcard courtesy of J.C. Hoffmeier.

Torn from the Pages of My Life

Art by Paolo Rivera

Art in the Mail, 1906

A multi-media postcard sent from Egypt to England in December of 1906. Luigi Fiorillo (1847–1898) was an Italian photographer, active in the Middle East and parts of Africa. In 1890, he entered into a partnership with A. Marques as “Marques & Fiorillo photographers & editors, Assuan” (Aswan), who created and published this card. After Fiorillo’s death in 1898, his sons and widow continued the studio’s activity into the 1920s.

Cracker Jack Baseball

One hundred Cracker Jack coupons, or one coupon and 50 cents, was all it took to score 176 Cracker Jack baseball cards in 1915. Or you could eat a lot of Cracker Jack and collect one card per box. A handsome album to hold the cards was also available for 50 coupons or one coupon and 10 cents in coin or stamps.

And who knew that Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis played baseball?

Go Big Red

A handmade leather postcard posted in 1907 from F.S. in Ithaca to Agnes Gunsalus in Skaneateles.

Scouts

I cannot look at this without hearing Tom Lehrer’s “Be Prepared” playing loudly in my imagination.