There Is So Much Wrong With This Postcard

Let me count the ways:

1. No message written for the recipient.
2. Postage was due from the recipient.
3. Either little animals have started eating this, or someone took
some scissors to it for some reason.
4. Addressed to "Mrs Th Birch, Orchard St near Westfield Ave, City". I
guess the post office assumed it was for local delivery.

An interesting find.

Nicely designed postcard indeed. Thanks for sharing this.

It was for local delivery since it was marked "City". It was common for there to be no messages as the sender probably thought the message on front was enough plus at this point in time it's been only about 3 years or so that senders were allowed to write on the addressed/stamped side anything more than the address. Maybe the sender didn't have the 1 cent to pay postage on them? It's not marked as postage due, but it's obvious the postage due stamp came after the initial machine postmark. It's a shame that it is damaged. Tuck's postcards are usually on the nice side, but age can be cruel. The paper usually gets brittle if not stored well.

Nice usage of 1c postage due.

Could it be that the stamp may have fallen off the card since the machine cancel from Elizabeth, NJ does not extend to the 1c Postage Due stamp? Either that or there was never a postage stamp on the item to begin with, another distinct possibility.

Just checked the 1910 US Census for New Jersey. The addressee was one, Hattie M. Bird (age 46), wife of George S. Bird, a machinist by trade. Their two children were Ethel and Helen. Their address in 1910 was 26 Orchard Street, Elizabeth, NJ.

Thanks wt1. I used to have an Ancestry website subscription several years back when I was doing some genealogy. Looks like another membership could come in handy.

I don't use the Ancestry website nor do I subscribe to any premium service. The US Census data is offered to me free-of-charge by my local public library's on-line access. I just need to enter my library card number and full access is given. Granted some libraries have more and/or less liberal on-line access policies, but I actually have the US Census site bookmarked so I can access it at will. A lot of old period newspapers are accessible through many public libraries, too. I find it invaluable in researching covers and/or other postal history items.

Also, don't forget that amazing free website for old US Postal Bulletins. That site, too, has great information for researching US postal history items.

Here's some additional history on that post card "Christmas Chimes". First, it is a Tuck's Post Card, produced in Great Britain, more exactly noted to be as follows:




The verse on the post card "Christmas Chimes" is by one Clifton Bingham (1859-1910). Here's a link to his biography (which also notes that he provided verse to Raphael Tuck for use in his children's books):

http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpsu...bingham.html

Finally, if you want to see another example of that Post Card, here's a link to one being offered on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Christmas-c...t_1124wt_836

Here is Orchard Street, courtesy of Google Earth Street View. 26 Orchard St. is the building on the left (I think).



Cheers, Robert

Thanks Robert. That building actually looks like it may the same one that was there in 1910.