This card was sent from Munich to N.Y. City at the beginning of the 2nd Boer War in 1900. It is titled "A Sharp Old Gentleman", and it pictures Paul Kruger between two young ladies. One damsel is the Orange Free State, and the other is the Transvaal. John Bull says, "Two! At his age." Paul Kruger replies, "Ha! Ha! And none for you, you jealous old man."
The card poked fun at the British, who were Germany's new adversary in the age of colonialism. The card refers to the Boers' defeat of the British in the first Boer War. Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II had very publicly congratulated Paul Kruger for his victory, much to the Brits' chagrin.
At the conclusion of the the 2nd Boer War in 1902, the British were victorious. So it was John Bull who ended up with the last laugh, and the two young ladies.
The card appears to be of French manufacture. Although it was written in Leipzig, Saxony, it was mailed in Munich, Bavaria.
Posted 05/17/2016 5:25 pm
