Historic Postcards Keep Purim & St. Patrick’s Day Traditions Alive
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A Lost Art Unites Generations
By Michael Perlman | mperlman@queensledger.com
Two major and distinct occasions are the Jewish holiday of Purim from sundown on March 13 to the 14th, which occurs on the Hebrew calendar on the 14th of Adar, as well as St. Patrick’s Day on March 17. Purim will consist of Megillah (Book of Esther) readings, parades and carnivals with costumes and games largely held at synagogues, as well as eating symbolic hamantaschen. The earliest Purim celebration began in 3405 (356 BCE).
St. Patrick’s Day will consist of church services and the 264th St. Patrick’s Day parade along Fifth Avenue. Originating in 1631 by the Catholic Church, the feast day of March 17 bears homage to Saint Patrick (c. 385 – c. 461), Ireland’s foremost patron saint. Irish immigrants were later responsible for introducing the tradition to America, and Irish-American pride became a norm, in addition to worldwide rejoicing.
Generations ago, it was common to mail postcards as a celebratory means, or as a routine way of keeping in touch or documenting one’s travels. In 1873, the first American “picture postcard” was produced. Today, a significant number of postcards from the late 19th and early to mid-20th century exist in a good to optimal state with fine penmanship and one-cent and two-cent stamps. The quantity of St. Patrick’s Day postcards far exceeds that of Purim, but the meaning is equally significant based on religious beliefs.
Deltiology is the collection and study of postcards, which derives from “deltion,” a Greek term for a writing tablet or letter. A postcard collector is a deltiologist. A majority of postcards were published during the first two decades of the 20th century. Today, all are considered to be collectible works of art, ranging from a few dollars to over one hundred dollars, based on their artistry, publisher, and rarity.
Purim postcards feature printed images or real photo postcards in sepia tone or black and white, and very few bear colorful illustrations. Above all, they are a festive source of Judaica, reflecting deeply rooted traditions in Israel. They aid in telling the Purim story and largely showcase 1920s to 1940s carnivals.
Most St. Patrick’s Day postcards are festive yet graceful lithographs, which feature hand-colored scenes of Ireland, musical scores, shamrocks, leprechauns, couples or children dancing, and golden harps among the imagery. At times, they are complemented by eloquent, romantic, and blissful poetry.
A Purim postcard standout was produced by USO (United Service Organizations), where the acronym was stamped on the back within a crest. USO was founded on February 4, 1941 during WWII, with a mission to be the GI’s home away from home, and strengthen America’s military service members by maintaining their connection with family, home, and the country. Approximately 1.5 million people volunteered their service. Today, the USO operates over 200 locations internationally in 14 countries and 27 states. A circa 1945 postcard features a Hebrew inscription, and one is in the National Museum of American Jewish Military History’s archives.
Author Michael Rugel shared that Corporal Herbert Blum mailed this Jewish Welfare Board postcard to his parents in Jersey City. He served with the 327th Signal Company, 8th Air Force in Europe in 1944 and 1945. Blum’s message relates the Purim story to that of WWII: “Dear Folks, History repeats itself in every detail as the modern Haman rushes toward his due end. Perhaps next Purim we shall celebrate doubly a triumph over evil and racial prejudice. All my love, Sonny.”
A real photo postcard depicting a family and/or friends in costume was likely produced in a studio, and is a one-of-a-kind most personalized means of deltiology. This card captures children’s timeless joy, and also recalls the Purim story’s hidden identity theme as one reason, where Queens Esther hid her Jewish identity from Persian King Ahasuerus and miraculously foiled Haman’s plot to commit genocide upon Jews.
A circa 1930s Purim carnival in Tel Aviv postcard is whimsical yet traditional, and a festive and unique work of art. Reality meets fantasy with brilliance. This photomontage was produced by Yaakov/Jacob Benor-Kalter (1897 – 1969), an Israeli artist and Poland native, who explored the Old City of Jerusalem and documented “new Jews” as they developed their homeland, while also highlighting historical monuments. His imagery largely ranges from 1923 to 1940. This card was published by S. Adler in Haifa.
A circa 1920s “Pageant of the Purim festival at Tel-Aviv” sepia postcard features attendees who dressed in suits and rode classic automobiles, and observed the Purim story, presented on an elaborate multi-tier stage. This postcard was produced in Poland and copyrighted by K. Hefner and J. Berger of Cracow. Their series largely dates from 1925 to 1939 and captures daily life, Jewish traditions, and special events in Eretz Israel. Several of their works are housed within The National Library of Israel.
An illustrated history with an authentically appointed Queen Esther is documented in a postcard by Harold Copping (1863 – 1932), a British artist, acclaimed for his illustrated biblical scenes. He was also highly regarded for The Copping Bible in 1910, Dickens’ child characters, and illustrations in early books and periodicals.
The traditional reading of the hand-carved and illustrated Megillat Esther, graced with a pictorial of Purim’s key scenes, is closely depicted in a postcard referencing the Musée De Cluny’s Judaica collection. The postcard’s reverse features a stamp from the Palais Du Louvre, where an outer circle references the Edition Des Musées Nationaux in Paris.
Scenery featuring bodies of water, bridges, and castles commonly appear on St. Patrick’s Day postcards, reminiscent of an Irish immigrant’s home country. An illustrious circa 1912 “St. Patrick’s Day Souvenir” reinforces the bond between America and Ireland with a handshake between a lush assemblage of shamrocks and American and Irish flags and crests, forming a banner that surrounds Cappaquin Co. Waterford, Ireland. It highlights Munster Blackwater, a river flowing through Kerry, Cork, and Waterford, and consisting of at least 27 bridges.
A circa 1910 festive embossed postcard is part of the B.B. London & New York Series 1603, and was printed in Germany. “The Dear Little Shamrock” is one of many songs that a deltiologist can play to honor the holiday, which also shows how a postcard collector can further embark upon a journey by collecting music scores. This song was written by English composer, pianist, and music teacher John William Cherry (1824 – 1889) and published by W.A. Evans & Bro. in 1871. An educational experience unfolds, as Cromwell Bridge in Glengarriff is depicted in dream-like lithographic woodlands. This seaside village in West Cork features ancient woods, lakes, and rugged mountains. The bridge’s name is suggestive of “crom choill,” an Irish term meaning “sloping wood.” It could also represent “Currach An Mhaoilinn,” which is a bare flat-topped marsh. David Myler of the Facebook page Walking with Stones, suggested that it is derived from “croimeal” or “moustache,” pertaining to the archways’ configuration.
Irish heroes must not be forgotten. Such is the case with a circa 1909 postcard by Raphael Tuck & Sons, Series No. 157 “The Emerald Isle.” Lord Edward Fitzgerald (1763 – 1798), Robert Emmet (1778 – 1803), and Wolfe Tone (1763 – 1798) are depicted in an ornate shamrock, accompanied by ribbon and smaller clovers. Their names are embossed in gold leaf. Fitzgerald was an Irish nationalist and aristocrat known for his gallantry, and as a leading conspirator of the United Irish Rebellion of 1798. Emmet is remembered as an Irish nationalist patriot, Irish Republican, and an orator who led rebellion against British rule in 1803. His speech from the dock is largely quoted. Tone was a leading Irish revolutionary figure and a founder of the United Irishmen, which revolted against British rule in Ireland.
This prominent publishing firm was founded in London by Raphael Tuck (1821 – 1900) and operated from 1866 to 1959. Other addresses included Paris, Berlin, Montreal, and 298 Broadway and 122 – 124 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. In 1894, his son, Adolph Tuck, created their first picture postcard. The firm was referenced as “Art publishers to their majesties the king and queen,” since Queen Victoria granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment in 1883.
A number of postcards depict Blarney Castle, which is sometimes complemented by an eloquent poem. It is surrounded by a heart-shaped wreath of three leaf clovers, with “Irish Hearts” inscribed in gold. Also evident is “Erin Go Bragh,” which translates as “Ireland Forever.” This expression of loyalty initially appeared in English in the late 1700s Irish rebellion against the British. A golden harp is adorned by a green ribbon. Ever since the 13th century, the harp has been Ireland’s heraldic symbol. Blarney castle, nearly five miles from Cork, is among the most significant sites, and is classified as a tower house designed by Gaelic lords and the Anglo-Irish between the 15th and 17th century. It is a tradition to kiss the Blarney Stone, which is built into its battlements, and this will reward a visitor with a gift of the gab, known as eloquence and flattery.
Prominent artist John Winsch (1865 – 1923) of Stapleton, New York, applied his touch to St. Patrick’s Day postcards. He was co-manager of Art Lithographic Publishing Company. Many of his cards were published in sets, and he produced approximately 4,000 designs between 1910 and 1915. He was highly recognized for his holiday themes, as well as his use of European artists who worked with his German printers.
A shamrock, which is Ireland’s national emblem, appears on a 1912 John Winsch postcard where an elegantly appointed couple uses a steering wheel to operate its inspiration for a hot air balloon. An aerial view captures a castle and the Emerald Isle theme of Ireland due to its rolling green hills. This postcard is Victorian yet innovative, since an imaginative approach and technological forms of transportation was embraced in the early 20th century.
A jovial couple is brilliantly captured in traditional St. Patrick’s Day attire in another 1912 John Winsch postcard, as they stand adjacent to the banks of the majestic River Shannon at a village known as Foynes. Spanning 240 miles, it is the British Isles’ largest river. Elaborate deep green and gold intricate calligraphy greets the postcard recipient, and signifies how designing postcards was a labor of love.
A modern-day collector or an early 20th century recipient feels like jumping into the watercolor inspired lithographs, as in the case of a scenic view of Shane’s Castle. It is framed by an ornate gold, blue, and green window-like border, graced with bright green shamrocks and alternating green leafy motifs. This ruinous castle is located on the northeast shores of Lough Neagh near Antrim in Northern Ireland, and was erected in 1345. Its name originated after Shane McBrian McPhelim O’Neill, ruler of Lower Clandeboy from 1595 to 1617.
A heavily embossed and multi-dimensional varied green and gold poetic postcard features a woman playing traditional St. Patrick’s Day music on a harp, evoking “dear Irish memories,” which cannot be fragmented by scientific force. Blarney and lakes O’Killarney are deeply rooted with tradition. The internationally acclaimed lakes in County Kerry consist of Upper Lake, Muckross Lake, and Lough Leane.
Another exceptional postcard that presents a musical score enables current generations to play classics, such as “The Harp That Once Thro’ Tara’s Halls.” This design was copyrighted in 1908 by M.W. Taggart, a New York City-based firm from 1905 to 1910, whose specialty was holiday and greeting postcards. The song was published in 1875 by the Poet’s Box in Glasgow and composed by Irish poet and barrister Thomas Moore (1779 – 1852). In Co. Meath is a mysterious hilltop known as Tara, where Irish high kings resided. Early ballads originated from folk culture and predated printing, but many have been preserved as a result of being recorded on broadsides.
A circa 1911 Raphael Tuck & Sons “Erin Go Bragh Series” of postcards No. 177 features a fairy wearing a laurel wreath on her head, while holding a flag in one hand and extending shamrocks to a beautiful and rare native land, as she overlooks the sun-accentuated waters. Along with a harp, it reinforces devotion to Irish heritage and embraces natural wonders.
Continuing the expedition, an abundance of four-leaf clovers and cameo and landscape mode gold-framed views become a window into an artist’s rendition of three iconic destinations. Ross Castle is situated in an inlet of Lough Leane, and it is presumed that it was erected in the 15th century by chieftain O’Donoghue Mór. According to Heritage Ireland, Sligo Abbey, a Dominican priory has been a focal point of Sligo’s eastern district since the town’s founding in the mid-13th century. It consists of a church, sacristy, chapterhouse, and a cloister among related buildings. Carrickfergus Castle stands proudly as a best preserved Irish medieval structure since 1177, when it was erected by Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy. It is located in Carrickfergus, a town on the northern shore of Belfast Lough.
