J.s. Pa. RPPC With Odd Subject Matter

Don't know if it helps, but the marking on the front of the card reads "1907", presumably the date the photo was taken.

To me, it looks like the entire town is participating in a patriotic parade. Quite a few US flags on display.

A little digging reveals that this was likely the "Fireman's parade" put on by the "Neptune Fire Company (established in 1860)" on the 4th of July, 1907.

From Wane Welshan's book Jersey Shore

Here is another image from that very day in 1907. It was put on by the NYC Rail Road Shops in S. Avis.

There is another card but I was sort of hesitant to post it. I know it isn't politically correct but it was then and sometimes, history isn't pretty.

Thank Goodness that not *every* old postcard with black people was an exercise in wink-wink racism.

Perhaps the band was publicizing its availability to perform at public/private events?

Perhaps the band was affiliated with the local Negro League baseball team? (channeling my Inner Ken Burns)

It may have been the band parading thru town, not the town parading the band.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who, if he won the lotto, would consider buying racist ephemera for the specific purpose of ritual burning)

Here is a few more from that day (but these ones aren't mine...yet!)

It was an independence day parade put on by the NYC Railroad and "Shops" and most likely was a band of performers or something similar as you suggest. Now the "blackface" image is certainly an exercise in racism but wouldn't have been looked at twice back then. It's just interesting to see all the decorations and how the townsfolk was close back then and all assembled for this event which nowadays is all but overlooked.

Even the Black Face thing needs to be seen in context.

For example, there was a time (a long time) when female operatic roles would be played by male actors, as it would not do to have talented women on the stage and on the road. You have to be a bit of a scold to insist that every implementation of paternalism is also misogyny.

Yes, some of the Black Face stuff was awful racial comedy, but it was often outdone by the stuff that genuinely black actors were asked to do in the movies, later.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Thank you for the reply ikey. :)

Do you think these are Caucasians in "black-face" or actual real life black people? I really can't tell from this image and this is asked for my own edification. Comments (as long as appropriate) are quite welcome. -Jeff

For what it's worth, this is quoted in a Jersey Shore Historical Society reference on the community:

Wear'n'tear ('condition') so dominates our thinking; if only we could free ourselves a bit!

The image on this card is, for example, fairly well-composed. The quarter-view of the carriage & horses is correct. While we cannot see what might have lay outside the frame, I think that any cropping that would cost us the sidewalk, etc, would be counter-productive.

There are zillions of postcards with poorly-composed images in pristine condition ... who would trade this card for one hundred of those?

The context of the image was apparently known to the sender & addressee, so we're left with work to do.

Part of that work might be explaining the address; was this card in lieu of attending an ocean voyage departure party?

And that stamp box belongs in the National Stamp Box Hall of Fame!

Condition, shmondition.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

I agree 100% ikeypikey! Thank you.