Military Related And Comical Post Cards.

I picked up few post cards yesterday at a little mom & pop antique shop. There was a few shoe-boxes just crammed packed with this stuff so I only got to go through a few hundred. I chose a few that I thought was endearing and military related (like Free Franking, APO's and military themed pictures) and even a few for my most recent area of interest hometown collection of Clearfield,Pennsylvania. So there is a Hodge-podge of stuff. I scanned a few.

The Bears: "Stuck again!"

Front:


Back:



In Bed: "Won't you join us?"

Front:



Back:



I call this one "The Old Geezer"

Front:



Back: Free Franked & Army examiner stamped- military related



"Watching Navel Maneuvers!"

Front:



Back:



"Uptown movie theater"

Front:



Back: Free Franked, Battle Creek Michigan 1942 CDS



"EE-YOW! Another Flat~"

Front:



Back: Free Franked, Abilene Texas 1942 CDS




Then there is this one that is sort of both chilling and proplexing to me. It's a birth announcement embossed card with a swastika on it and made in New York city? It must have been made just before hostilities broke out is all I can figure?

Front:



Back: The hand writing reads- "George Light Millersburg, From Howard Bauman" United Art Publishing Company, New York City. Split

back card.

This completed eBay listing suggests that the "To Darling Baby" postcard was from 1908 (even though the title of the listing says 1909, the postmark is 1908), back when the symbol had a "good luck" meaning and, of course, well before the negative connotation of the swastika was used in Hitler's Germany:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/To-Darling-...047675.l2557

I'll also add these two.

The mule barometer:

Front:



Back:



Front: "Shadows that pass in the night"



Back: Free Franked, Camp Butner, N.C. 1943 CDS

Thank you WT1. That makes me feel a little better about it. I didn't realize that card was that early? Thank you. -Jeff

Very interesting thread here. As stated previously, the swastika was a 'good luck' symbol. It was also a symbol used often by our own North American Indian and in ancient time is parts of Asia. It is unfortunate that the Nazis had to make it the symbol of tyranny and violence.

I have several cards of Canada and the United States with the swastika from the time of WW I and prior to it as well.

I have scanned an example from my collection.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Wow neat card! I was just discussing something simiilar with one of my "real life friends" recently. Wasn't there one or two Canadian towns with the name swastika or it being involved somehow? I seem to remember an earlier thread on this topic?

You're probably referring to Swastika, Ontario as shown below. There was even a post office there at one time. That would be an interesting postmark to seek out!

It sure would! Yes I believe that was what I was thinking of but just couldn't re-call exactly what or where. Thank you.

Wow! What a great group of cards.

wt1 beat me to the punch.

To the best of my understanding, the Swastika post office is still open (?)

The town (now city) of Kitchener was once called Berlin, but after WW I it changed its' name. I am really surprised that Swastika did not change.

Chimo

Bujutsu

Back to the Swastika issue, here's an interesting picture from a hotel postcard from Raton, New Mexico using that name:



And a modern news article explaining the name and -- eventually -- the name change because of world tensions:

http://www.stpns.net/view_article.h...662105436825

I'd feel a little funny about about trusting my delicates to this business...

I like the Abilene TX & Battle Creek MI Cards. The Abilene TX card since I "stole" my wife from the boys at Dyess AFB TX when I was stationed at Goodfellow AFB TX (San Angelo TX) and the Battle Creek card 'cause I just do, and FT Custer is where my mortal remains will be buried. (maybe)

One more swastika postcard and then a comical Charlie Chaplin card with a war reference to get the topic back on track.

I remember living in London Ontario many years ago, and the old building across the street from my bank had a swastika created in the brickwork in the upper corner of the facade. I though it odd (the owner had painted over, which only brought more attention to it, of course), but considering the age of the building, I know now that it was for luck, not world domination.

And of course Chaplin's movie, the Great Dictator, was a masterpiece that should be seen by everyone. I hear even Hitler had a copy.

In it's original context as a sign of luck, the swastika was usually tipped on point. When the Nazis came along they squared it off.