An undated business card for bicycle rentals in Interlaken, Switzerland. I like the absurdity of the small illustration of the bicyclist whose head is about to hit the street lamp (he reminds me a little of Tintin, though I'm not sure those are actually plus fours that he's wearing). I just hope that the poor guy's skull is as unverwüstlich as the bicycles are supposed to be!
Unverwüstlich!
Vermietung von Fahrrädern.
Location de Bicyclettes.
Bicycles to rent.
Fritz Götz Vélos - Interlaken.
Marktgasse. Telephon 6 74.
Google Translate:
Indestructible!
Rental of bicycles.
Bicycle rental.
Bicycles to rent.
Fritz Götz Bicycles - Interlaken.
Marktgasse [Market Alley]. Telephone 6 74.
Tags: ephemera business cards cards name cards names advertising advertisements ads advertising cards paper printed Fritz Götz Vélos Götz Fritz Götz businesses men clothes clothing plus fours knickerbockers knickers trousers hats bicycle rentals bike rentals bicycles bicyclists bikes cycles Fahrrädern vélos bicyclettes rent rentals renting vermietung location accidents crashes street lamps unverwüstlich indestructible German French English languages multilingual illustrations yellow Marktgasse Interlaken Switzerland Swiss antique old vintage typefaces type typography fonts
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The illustration on this Christmas card from 1930 is a reference to the stock market crash that devastated the economy the previous year and signaled the beginning of the Great Depression. We see ticker tape spewing out of a stock ticker machine as brokers run around in the background trying to place buy or sell orders for stocks as the chaos of the crash unfolds. Despite the volatility of the market, the card's message is to have a "Merry Christmas anyway."
"The Bulls and Bears may have their day / But Merry Christmas, anyway. Your son, Ross."
"You can take stock in this greeting."
Handwritten date on the back of the card: "Dec. 15, 1930."
Tags: ephemera greeting cards greetings cards Christmas cards paper printed Christmas Xmas December 25 Christmas greetings holidays ticker tapes stock tickers machines stock markets stock exchanges stockbrokers stock market crashes crashes Art Deco illustrations borders green pink black 1929 1920s 1930 1930s antique old vintage typefaces type typography fonts Great Depression Depression
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"Behind the Flying Saucers. Frank Scully. The book everyone is talking about. Popular Library. Earle Bergey."
Earle K. Bergey's wonderfully frightening cover illustration of saucers in the sky and panic in the streets certainly helped to make this "the book everyone is talking about" when it appeared in 1950. But author Frank Scully's account of flying saucer crashes and dead extraterrestrials in Arizona and New Mexico was probably enough to get people talking even without the cover.
Scully wasn't the only one writing about such scary topics in 1950. Author Donald Keyhoe also argued that The Flying Saucers Are Real:
Tags: ephemera book covers books covers paperbacks paper printed Behind the Flying Saucers Scully Frank Scully authors flying saucers UFOs extraterrestrials spaceships spacecraft crashes invasions outer space space men women children clothes clothing pajamas night nighttime dark darkness frightening panic fear pointing streets cities strange unusual illustrations 1950 1950s old vintage typefaces type typography fonts Bergey Earle Bergey artists illustrators Popular Library publishers
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"Have just run across some old friends."
A postcard addressed on the other side to Master Willie McClinton, Black Bank, Ont., and postmarked Toronto, Ont., March 6, 1911.
Handwritten message: "Sunday [March 5]. Dear Willie, Your mother was up to see us a few minutes today. You will have a great time keeping house. We are having a snow storm tonight. Robert's cat can play the piano. He walks back and forth over the keys. Goodbye for now. Your cousin, Dorothy."
Tags: ephemera postcards paper printed autos automobiles cars motorists run across accidents car accidents crashes car crashes men strange unusual puns word play humor humorous funny comic amusing punning illustrations illustrations borders 1911 1910s antique old vintage
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This valentine was incomplete when I bought it--there's no greeting or caption--but I thought it was interesting anyway. Perhaps the missing sentiment was "You quack me up, valentine."
Originally posted on Ipernity: Motorcycle Valentine.
Tags: ephemera greeting cards greetings cards valentines paper printed Valentine's Day Saint Valentine's Day February 14 holidays hearts children girls motorcycles motorcyclists clothes clothing dresses helmets hats wheels accidents crashes ducks animals die cuts illustrations incomplete humor humorous funny red blue green old vintage
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