MailOmat 1939 Post Office Kiosk

MAILOMAT ~ 1939
Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter Co.

I don't know about you, but I spend
my fair share of time at the
 Post Office Kiosk.
These lovely ladies above are modeling the hottest postal technology circa 1939...
the "MAILOMAT"

 from Rust Craft Rustler, September 1939

"The 'Mailomat' a coin-operated letter box, made its debut last spring in the lobby of the

 General Post Office in New York City.

Developed by the Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter Co.

 of Stamford, Conn.,

 in cooperation with the U.S. Post Office Dept.,

 the machine is a public-use version of the postage meter now used by numerous business firms.

 It is, in fact, a complete automatic post office.

The customer drops a coin in a slot, twists a dial to the postage value he needs and inserts his letter, which is stamped, post-marked and deposited in the U.S.  mail box for collection."

"John Doe...Any Place...Any where..."

"The machine will take up to 60c in coins at a time, and can handle air mail, foreign and special delivery mail.

After the New York Post Office test, sample installations will be made in hotels, filling stations, department stores, etc.  to find out which locations are best suited for the Mailomats, which Pitney-Bowes will eventually start leasing out."

https://www.bonanza.com/booths/vintagerecycling

1940s Modest Maidens and Victory Rolls

"I wanted to send him 

      a birthday card......

         but I can't find one that says

 'to a stinker!'"

a little comic from my ephemera collection. 

1946 Modest Maidens~ 

loving those VICTORY ROLLS!

1940s women would fashion 

their hair into rolls

as a show of patriotic support

for their beloved

 soldiers overseas. 

Victory Rolls are commonly 

thought to 

be named in honor of a

WWII plane maneuver 

of the same name.

you can get a closer look at this beautiful card,

 as well as, more

 WWII greeting cards HERE

https://www.bonanza.com/booths/vintagerecycling

Hi, Little Sis

A Sunshine Card, Made in U.S.A.

french folded with embossing details 

original price 25 cents

Happy Birthday!
May this be a sunny day
Beneath a sky of blue~
May it be a day
When dreams and wishes
All come true!

a beautiful card, 

with a touching personal reflection on 

greeting card etiquette: 

"Hi, Little Sis,

They tell me you are

 having a birthday, 

you know I have never had to look 

out for anything like this, 

for 

when my Sweet heart 

was here 

she'd take care

 of everything.

But I hope you have a nice birthday. 

I am sorry I haven't been over to see Art,

but last Sat & Sunday I worked all day,

and then I took down with the flue, 

but hope to be seeing you soon. 

Love to you both from,

Brother Joe"

A Sunshine Card, Made in U.S.A.

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1943 comic ~ WWII rations

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Mom you're sure a Sweetheart! 1950s Rust Craft

Hi, Mom! It's Mother's Day!
A Special card for you alone
with these two things to say~

"As a
MOM you're sure a SWEETHEART,
And you rate a PERFECT DAY!"

Another card from my "greeting card theme cards" collection, for Mother's day. This tall card has a heart die-cut embellishment on a spring mounted inside with a cute "Mom" illustrated. So cute, the little guy illustrated on the cover is holding this card.  Made by Rust Craft Pub c. 1950s

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Love you, Mom!!

https://www.bonanza.com/booths/vintagerecycling

I hunted "Verra" Hard for a Special Card ...

I  HUNTED VERRA HARD FOR A SPECIAL GET WELL CARD

slide the purse and the bear's head moves back-and-forth

mechanical get well card made by Norcross, french fold, die-cut detail with cute

 greeting cards illustrated

 on the cover, 

as well as, inside. circa 1940s

"The 5 cent type said, 'GET WELL, PLEASE' ~ The 10 cent - 'MAKE IT SNAPPY'  ....So, 15 cents should bring you health And keep you feeling happy"

cleverly using the verse to promote buying higher priced cards...believe me that's no coincidence! The greeting card industry worked(s) hard on promotion at every level. 

and on the backside, an adorable Norcross logo and a special note~

Dear Mary~
On Monday I heard of your accident and today I talked to Joe and Bob at U. of P. Schoolmen's Wk. exhibit.  I'm glad you are home and hope you will have a rapid recuperation!  You will now have the rest you needed after N.Y., etc.
Saw Barney today~streamlined and looking better then I seen him look for a long time.  Bill B, Henry K, J. Far, are among the "Ambassadors of Good Pencils" no exhibits!
No Worries! And they are enjoying it!
Take care of yourself and you'll be  'up and at it' again. Don't eat too much. Best wishes, Helen 

it is, indeed a 15 cent~er!

Do you collect a "theme" or by "subject"? 

Tell us in the comment section!

click here to see more cards from my

 "collection of greeting card theme greeting cards" 

~~~~~~~~

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A.M. Davis Quality Cards

A DOUBLE EASTER WISH ... May Easter bless you inwardly ...In answer to my prayer ...And also bless you outwardly ... With lots of things to wear

Albert M. Davis would have been remembered

 for "QUALITY CARDS" even if he didn't print it

 on the backsides of his beautiful greeting cards.

  imho, A.M. Davis cards are among the

 most charming little pieces of art and I love finding them for my collection! 

Here's a lovely Easter bonnet ...But the flowers found upon it ...Aren't so gay ...as the wish a friend encloses ...In the petals of the roses Easter Day

 In his book, The Romance of Greeting Cards, Dudley Chase describes Albert M. Davis as follows:

"Though he started on a shoestring financially, he possessed other assets more important.  He was endowed with an iron constitution, the ability to work hard and like it, a keen sense of what made a good card verse, an uncanny gift in the selection of assistants, and a business judgment which kept him for many years one of the foremost men in the industry."

There's just one thing I'd rather do ...Then send this Easter wish to you ~ And that's to come myself and bring ...the very best of everything ...To make my wish come true

According to E.D. Chase, A.M. Davis company was founded in Boston,

 the story goes as follows:

"Albert M. Davis, who was manager of a wholesale book house which

 also distributed huge quantities of Greeting Cards imported

 from England and Germany.  in 1906 he received a

 card on which was printed (a) sentiment of Charles Dickens. 

 Considering it the kind of greeting the American public needed

and wanted, he searched until he found another similarly appropriate,

 then wrote six more himself.  He published the eight on deluxe post cards

 from the best grade of stock, and priced them to retail at five cents.  

How Correctly he judged the American need!

  This complete line of eight cards attractively printed 

became the following year a forty-card line, with sixteen Christmas,

eight New Year, eight Birthdays and eight miscellaneous. 

 The sales were phenomenal and, foreseeing a bright future in 

American cards, he resigned his position with the book firm, 

he began publishing cards full-time and the

 A.M. Davis Company of Boston was born"

Though Easter Day showers Should spoil all the flowers That bloom on your Easter Day hat... May the colors so run..That a rainbow of fun..Will be formed in your heart for all that

these first four early examples with the little Easter bonnet girls are heavy stock "folders"
although they open, the verse is on the cover and they are blank inside.

they all have golden edge detailing
Chase notes, "two years after the business started...Mr. Davis had added
enveloped plain flat cards and folders tied with ribbon and having decorative designs on the cover.  These were part of the foundation of what is now known as the American Greeting Card"
my last example is a darling "flat"~also heavy stock, with golden edge detailing~
, which expresses exactly my wishes to all of you! 

May every Easter blessing find its way to you on Easter Day

SEE MORE! 

1940s Easter Window Displays

WWII Easter Store Signage 

vintage old stock Easter Cards for sale

https://www.bonanza.com/booths/vintagerecycling
source: Ernest Dudley Chase, the Romance of Greeting Cards, 1956

Victorian New Year - H.M. Crider

A Joyful New Year 

 do you have your Easter card order ready?!

this great little New Year's Victorian

 trade card wishes to remind

 shopkeepers, Sunday school teachers,

 and others to do so!

Easter Cards. By Mail

50 Cards were sold per each box; the card advises,

 "If you cannot use the 50 cards, you can club with two or three others who may want a supply of cards.  

The offer is liberal and your order should be given as early as possible."

cards were available in multiple formats, fringed and not, booklet or flats and with a choice of messages, including: blank, Scripture, Day School, or Christmas.

 The back of another trade card tells more,

 "Having completed my arrangements to manufacture cards in immense quantities, at the lowest rates, you will find it to your advantage to always deal with H.M. Crider....."  

Henry M. Crider 

born 1839 in Pennsylvania.

 There are many words to describe H.M. Crider including:  poet, essayist, minister (licensed to preach in 1861), author, teacher, Cottage Hill College, Penn. faculty member,  publisher, bookseller, stationer, newspaper founder and editor, inventor, businessman,  husband and father.
He really lead such an interesting life, in such a fascinating time period~would make a great movie!

The Crider Brothers were publishers, booksellers and stationers during the Victorian era, in York, Pennsylvania. They became known for their marriage booklets and certificates for which they gained many copyrights and sold world wide, as well as, photographic memorial certificates, scripture cards, silk fringed greeting cards and fringed booklets, books and much more.

1866 H.M. Crider "originated and published the

 "photograph marriage certificate"

 which he and his brother eventually produced in several varieties including "Orange Blossom", "Rose" , the "Oak and Vine" and "Cedar and Vine"  selling nearly 2 MILLION by 1885!

you can see a trade card for the marriage certificates in the Philadelphia Library digital archives  HERE (check out the picture on the left side/click to enlarge) 

Patents were attained for the marriage certificates which featured cut windows for photos of the bride and groom and sometimes even the minister.

Henry also patented a FRUIT PICKER! you can read about that on UniversalYork HERE

 H.M. Crider wrote "Pedagogics" in 1866 which was sterotyped by L. Johnson & Company, Philadelphia and printed by Sherman & Co.

An interesting little book in which HM talks to teachers about the teaching profession in "olden times". These are teachers who taught in log cabins and disciplined their students with hickory switches! Henry himself began teaching at age 16 in rural Pennsylvania and at one point ran a night college for men through Cottage Hill College. 

you can read and/or listen to his book,

 PEDAGOGICS for free on archive.org HERE

     Henry M. Crider lived until 1903. 

Hope you are all enjoying the New Year! 

My friend Mary has been working hard on a new blog sharing her wonderful collection!

 check it out HERE >> NOSTALGIC GREETINGS

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagerecycling
sources:

Biographical History of York County, Pennsylvania 1885;  edited by John Gibson 

various trade cards and advertisements 
archive.org

Happy Halloween from Lucy Bear 1980s

Lucy Rigg 1989

Hope your Halloween is frightfully delightful!

 LUCY and COMPANY
Current, Inc. copyright Lucy Rigg

yes, I'm a genX~er and yes, I remember receiving and giving Lucy Bear cards.  I loved her whimsical illustrations so much that in 1989 I bought a Lucy Bear baby book for my first daughter...which I still have and it's stuffed to the gills and actually filled out... like I said she's my FIRST daughter...I would show you but that would involve moving a tv to get to her hope chest...so maybe another day:)

Lucy Rigg is a Seattle artist, 

 in the 70s she handmade dough figures she called "Rigglets" 

and sold them in Seattle street markets. 

gotta. love. that. 

a trademark search shows this description of

 Rigglets

 "Small Decorative Objects-Namely,

 Small Figures of Bears and People Made Out of Baker's Clay 

(Salt, Flour, and Water). 

 Filing Date November 9, 1979"

According to the Saint Louis Post Dispatch

 July 30 1990,in an article titled

 "Home is Where the Business is" written when

Lucy was, "in town to autograph bears at two of the St.Louis shops that carry her wares, Filigree's and Cordially Yours."

Lucy began drawing bears in 1969

" Rigg drew her first teddy bears 21 years ago, 

when she was pregnant...an interior decorator,  married..."

 the article describes her as a "lanky Seattle artist (who) presides over a veritable empire of bearobilia, under the labels Lucy & Me and Lucy & Company."

1981 Lucy and Me Enesco

1981 dish with handle, bears decorate the inside as well

by 1979 Lucy was designing figurines for Ensco and within the first year changed the mark on the figurines from "Rigglets" to "Lucy and Me" -the name of her company.

between 1979 and 1998 over 1000 figurines, mugs, bells, banks, plush bears and more were designed. 

Lucy also designed products for CR Gibson, Frances Meyer, Current Inc. and It Takes Two.

1979 Enesco Vase with bunny

lucy and me 1979 Lucy Rigg Licensee Enesco Imports

backside of vase shows decorated egg

Lucy and Me 

 shows five trademark entries detailing all types of products. excerpts as follow:
(REGISTRANT) LUCY RIGG & CO. CORPORATION WASHINGTON

  "BELLS; TIN RECIPE BOXES, TIN BOXES, TIN BASKETS, TIN COOKIE BOXES, ALL SOLD EMPTY. FIRST USE: 1979... FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 1980 Filing Date February 22, 1988"

" MUSIC BOX TOYS. FIRST USE: 1980 FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 1980

Filing Date February 22, 1988"

"CANDY JARS, CANDY DISHES, UTENSIL RESTS, SUGAR BOWL AND CREAMER SETS, CUP AND SAUCER SETS, INFANT DISH SETS INCLUDING SECTIONED PLATE, BOWL AND MUG, AND FLOWER VASES, SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS, COLLECTOR PLATES, PORCELAIN BOXES, PORCELAIN FIGURINES, CERAMIC MUGS, DECORATIVE WOOD BOXES, WOOD JEWELRY BOXES, TEA POTS, BOWLS, DISHES, TEA SETS INCLUDING CUPS, TEA POT, SUGAR BOWL, CREAMER AND SPOONS, CERAMIC COOKIE JARS; PORCELAIN VASES; AND PORCELAIN AND GLASS CANDLE HOLDERS AND CANDLES SOLD AS A UNIT AND TIN LUNCH BOXES. FIRST USE: 1979 FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 1980 Filing Date August 6, 1987"

"  PLASTIC FIGURINES, PLASTIC ORNAMENTS FOR DECORATIVE USE, PORCELAIN ORNAMENTS FOR DECORATIVE USE, TIN ORNAMENTS FOR DECORATIVE USE, PORCELAIN WALL PLAQUES, WOOD WALL PLAQUES, CERAMIC PICTURE FRAMES, PLASTIC PICTURE FRAMES, FABRIC PILLOWS, NOVELTY ITEMS, NAMELY, SNOW DOMES, CERAMIC WALL HOOKS, DOLL DISPLAY SHELVES. FIRST USE: 1979. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 1980 Filing Date August 6, 1987"

 DOLLS, PLUSH ANIMALS, FABRIC CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS, FABRIC CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS, TOY BANKS, AND PORCELAIN AND PLASTIC CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS. FIRST USE: 1980. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 1980 Filing Date August 6, 1987"

Nov 1981 Ad, Eugene Register "the largest selection of Lucy Rigg Tins"

Brunch with the Bears  "You're invited to the premiere appearance of the costumed larger-than-life ENESCO Lucy & Me Bear ....meet these big and beary cute teddies and see the newest additions to the original Lucy & Me  gift collection too.  It'll be a honey of a bear affair..." 1986 Eugene Register Guard

 "It's A Lucy & Me Bear Affair!  You're Invited to meet with Lucy Rigg, creator of the lovable Lucy & Me collection.  Lucy will be signing figurines and answering questions about the collection and you'll have a chance to see the newest additions to the line" ad 1993 The Day

awhile ago I was junkin in Seattle with mom and 
 I was able to score a treasure 

stashed away since the 80's

 ..... personally signed Lucy Rigg prints!

Christmas 1983 signed by Lucy Rigg

1983 signed by Lucy Rigg

Teddy Bear Picnic signed by Lucy Rigg 1983

 ''And luck,'' Lucy Rigg added quickly. ''I've had a lot of luck.''

1990 St. Lois Post

so did I finding these!

would you believe I dug these out of the bottom of a junk bin?!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagerecycling
sources:
St. Louis Post July 30, 1990
US Patent and Trademark Office
The Day 1993
If you collect Lucy Bear you really should check out this site  http://www.lucybears.com


Have you had a chance to take my 4 question survey? I'd love your input!

  a little survey about collecting greeting cards, 

please check it out!

 https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R75Z8QB Click link to take survey .
Happy and Safe Halloween!

mid century Halloween Card Shop

Get in the Spirit with a Halloween Window!

Rust Craft would test and suggest various 

window displays for their distributors.  

This is their suggestion for a

 Halloween theme window 1957.

 excerpt as follows: 

Spooks, hobgoblins and witches will be in their favorite haunting grounds the night of October 31st !  Rust Craft suggests a window display which captures much of the spirit of the 'Witching Hour' by the use of traditional (but inexpensive) Halloween symbols and suggested use of colors.

When putting in your window, by all means use BLACK for your background; it will be a contrast for the colorful oranges and yellows of your Halloween cards, particularly Rust Craft........

In the upper half of your window...tack white masks on colorful party streamers.  Place your Rust Craft Window Streamer in the center  Cut out several bats from black cardboard...tie them to string or wire..  

Halloween wouldn't be complete without a witch...so tack up a cardboard witch, taking her annual broomstick ride, in the upper right hand corner...then add a crescent moon to brighten things up. 

  The friendly Rust Craft Ghost fits in the bottom left of your window along with grinning Jack O'Lantern! 

 The finished window won't frighten anyone...

but it will "scare up" lots of customers for 

Halloween cards and party goods!"

Oct 1957 Rustler

Interestingly, I didn't notice any Halloween cards or mention of them in the 1940s issues of Rust Craft that I have.  Although there certainly were Halloween cards they apparently didn't have the marketing value they soon developed. The Sept. and Oct. issues during WWII emphasized the marketing of Christmas cards and the importance of relaying to customers that they should mail early so that soldiers could receive cards in time for the holiday. I found this one pumpkin graphic in 1943 issue, whereas the 1957 issue of the dealer publication features a jack O'lantern on the cover as well as the above window suggestion.

1943 Rust Craft ad

Source: Rust Craft Rustler October 1957 and 1943

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagerecycling

see more
Rust Craft window suggestion for September 1957