Bert Palmer Atkinson (1881-1955), a New Hampshire photographer, was "The Post Card Man" who had the "winning cards." He created this postcard to advertise his business and to serve as an
advance card to send in advance of his visits to let potential customers know when to expect him (see the
other side of the card, where he could add his arrival date and a message).
To get his customers' attention, Atkinson used a trick photo. It shows him seated at a table with four other versions of himself, and the way that his five selves are holding postcards in their hands makes it seem like they're playing a card game. This strange scene is a "multigraph" – a type of photograph that uses mirrors to create the illusion that a set of quintuplets is seated around a table.
The "2A113" designation in the lower right-hand corner is a Curt Teich production number that indicates that the postcard dates to 1932 (see the Newberry Library's PDF document,
Guide to Dating Curt Teich Postcards).
For more information about Atkinson, see the New Hampshire Historical Society's description of the
B. P. Atkinson Photograph Collection, 1912-1942, undated.
The Post Card Man
I Have the Winning Cards
2A113
Side 2
The best that is made in Local View Cards, Souvenir Folders, and Advertising Matter -- Universally Used.
I will call on you on or about
____________
Yours very truly,
B. P. Atkinson
Made by Curt Teich & Company, Inc., Chicago, U.S.A.
