SANTA LOOSES HIS...

For those out there thinking they're living through their own version of the Great Depression I give you a greeting card from THE depression. This card was published in 1931 by the Pyramid Card Company in Chicago.

To those offended by this greeting all I can say is it came from an old scrapbook. I didn't personally send this card to anyone, but come next year....

I can say that if you're offended by today's you'll probably also be offended by tomorrows. This statement guarantees that some people will be back tomorrow.

A whole LOTTA LOVIN'

I present to you a whole lotta ephemera lovin' through the early part of the last century.

Click on any image to see it larger.

Card dates from 1907.

Animated card. Sorry, just don't have time to do an animated version, but the fellow moves his arm up and down. Fickle fellow with twins? Published by Carrington Co., Chicaco, Ill.

Seriously, what is this guys problem? What is he looking for? A true love or a housekeeper? Such a romantic. Kick him in the keister and send him on his way.

From Gibson, probably in the late 1930s to 4os. Yes, yes...separate beds. Well at least they aren't sitting in separate bathtubs ala that stupid Cialis commercial.

When PIGS WERE BRAVE

Once upon a time, not so long ago, little kids loved Cowboys and Indians. A company could probably guarantee a sale of something by gearing it towards Cowboys and Indians. Pigs? Not so much. But maybe I'm wrong.

This card most likely dates from the 1950s. It was published by "Fravessi Lamont Inc." Other than that I know nothing. I purchased it in a stack of cards at the flea market, all to a boy named Ricky.

I always liked multi-purpose cards like this as a child. It's a card and a paper doll. And I would have loved the pig. And a pig with an Indian outfit? Whoa, that would have been a joyous surprise.

Click on images to see them larger.

Continuing with the Indian theme, here are a few other children's birthday cards. The one with the little girl making smoke signals has an actual feather on her headband still intact after over 50 years.

No publisher name given for this card. Click on images to see them larger.

Published by "A Forget-Me-Not Card" company. Click on images to see them larger.

UPDATE: Today I received the following comment and wanted to post it also as an update:

John Lamont said...

I can't tell anything about Fravessi, but Jean Lamont was my grandmother. She was a pretty talented water colorist. I have some of her work in the basement and alas, one of her best pieces was lost in the 9/11 attack (I had an office on the 59th floor and had her painting there.) Jean Lamont divorced and remarried Stanley Dell, who was a major translator of Carl Jung. They settled in Washington, CT, where she died around 1987.

Thank you John for adding this information. It's always so much fun to be able to expand on ephemera. I'm certainly sorry for the loss you suffered. Again, thank you.

UPDATE: From Anna Harding:

Fravessi comes from the first names of: Frances Duncombe, Vera Carlson and Agnes “Essie" Govett, who started the company in 1929. The company was later Fravessi-Lamont, then back to Fravessi (maybe in the late '80s). Fravessi was purchased by Olympia Sales Inc in 2002 and continues today as Fravessi and Fravessipaperstreet. Their retail site is olympiacardshop.com and they do carry vintage designs.

Thank you Anna!