First off, this ain't a postcard. I've done a couple of postcards and may share them in the future - if I can find them! It isn't that I don't like doing them, but a postcard is usually a bit smaller than this, and a postcard has a 'view' side and a 'message' or address side.
This is properly called a COVER. It began life as an envelope and most covers have no gum on the flap for they will never contain a message (although some do, but then that piece is called a 'stuffer'). I belong to an organization called the American First Day Cover Society. Members collect old and new covers just like some people collect stamps - or postcards - or anything for that matter.
Secondly, this is not what I would consider a piece of Old Paper Art. However, it has vintage lettering on it, and I now realize that I liked it back then for the same reason I like it now - The Lettering!
I do not remember where the First Day was held for these stamps, as generally, the Postal Service designates one city for the First Day of Issue, and that's the only place where you can buy the stamps. I know that we made arrangements with the Postmaster in Cody, Wyoming, to purchase the stamps there, so I believe that in this case, it was a Nationwide release. There were not a whole lot of people in the Post Office when I purchased (and canceled) some of them, so I don't believe that Cody was the First Day City.
Although there is a longer backstory to this issue, I'll save it for next Friday! For now, I'll just share the cover.
How interesting, Dave. Years ago, Howard Davis, a French Canadian who went to war and ended up during the blitz, in London, being married to Esme, an English lady, his new wife. They almost died in the V1 and V2 attacks but lived and came to Canada. I met them by mail years later when both lived in the house Howard built on Vancouver Island near Victoria, BC, Canada. We wrote letters back and forth. Howard was something of an artist but was renouned for his map making skills and his maps of Vancouver, British Columbia. Anyway, long story short, he decorated some envelopes and sent them to me with letters inside. I did the same and sent them back to him. Essentially that is the story except that we traded about 8 to 10 before we both got tired of doing envelopes. LOL. You are welcome to use this one if you wish.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to one:
http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu223/oldmanlincoln/March2009/howards-postcards/howard_20011.jpg
I absolutely adore this postcard. I've always been intrigued by Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley. Their story is fascinating, as is this postcard.
ReplyDeleteHappy PFF!
WOW!!!! This card is fabulous, thanks for sharing and I enjoyed the story.
ReplyDeletedebby
people will collect anything, huh? postcards, envelopes. I love old lettering too.
ReplyDeleteMy father used to collect first day covers too though I don't remember any quite as colourful as this. I haven't continued that collection because I'm finding keeping the postcards going is more than enough to keep me busy.
ReplyDeleteI love that old-fashioned Western style lettering.
ReplyDeleteThanks for explaining about first day covers. Really interesting.
ReplyDeleteI love that you told us the story of this cover. I have seen them before, but I didn't know that they had a stamp for Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill! My mother used to collect them. You used to be able to get them in the post office. Now you can barely get stamps.:)
ReplyDeleteForgot to say, the banners I am showing are actually envelopes too. And the original letters are inside.
ReplyDeletePick a Peck of Pixels is my photo blog with a difference -- I am hoping you are the difference. For this blog to be famous and me written about in the Wall Street Journal like I was in the seventies, will require more than a couple of dozen hits a day. If 10,000 visitors leave comments then it is instantly famous and your comments are part of history. Lets Make History.
What a fun vintage cover!
ReplyDeleteThis is breathtaking! What an absolute postal gem. I just had to enlarge it so that I could properly gawk! I collect covers too from Colonial France;) Happy very late PFF from me! My internet connection decided to be naughty.
ReplyDeleteSince this is from fairly recent history, when did Covers first start being used? Are there actually proper 'vintage' covers out there?
ReplyDelete