In part one of this series, we examined some bad things that can happen to otherwise good postcards when not enough attention is paid to the correct mailing address by the sender. In part two, we will encounter some additional address errors that make receiving postcards problematic.
The first two post cards illustrated have a common theme. Shown here are the front and back sides of the first of these two cards. This linen card (BA-H2926) shows the United States Post Office in Lexington, Kentucky (Figure #1). It was produced by the Curt Teich publishing company of Chicago, for The Union News Company. The back of the card, (Figure #2), shows that it was sent from Caldwell, New Jersey, in June of 1946, to Echo Island Camp to the care of Mrs. Fisher. At the receiving post office, the auxiliary mark “CANNOT BE FOUND,” was applied in red ink. This may have been due to the fact that no state was indicated in the Echo Island Camp address.
The second card is similar in some respects to the first. This linen card was not published by the Curt Teich Company but by The Washington News Company. On the front of the card (Figure #3) is a picture of the New Post Office Department in Washington D.C. Figure #4 shows the back side of the card and indicates that the card was posted in Washington D.C. in January of 1942. The message reads in part, “Have plenty of Washington since we got here. Wish we could stay longer, see more. Starting back Thursday. Regards, Mary & Al.” The card was sent to Fairfield, New Jersey. However, the receiving postmark was for Caldwell New Jersey (sound familiar) not Fairfield. Not surprisingly, the addressee was not in Caldwell. After a search, the post office in Caldwell applied the handstamp “CANNOT BE FOUND” in red. This demonstrates that even when the address on a post card is correct, bad things can happen!
Figure #5 shows another Curt Teich linen card (OB-H2381) which pictures the Bank of Lansing in Lansing Michigan. The card was sent from Lansing in May of 1944 to H8323, East H (Street?, Avenue?) in Chicago, Illinois. The message reads in part, “Hello to you all King. I like to see you but I was in a hurry. But since I got your address, I will be over any time. Willie.” The post office in Chicago was as mystified by the address as we were and applied the handstamp “No Such No. K 1508 (the K 1508 apparently representing the postal worker who tried unsuccessfully to locate the addressee). Let’s hope that “Willie” had better luck when he dropped over.
Our last card is a real picture post card that has on it a tribute to Alaska’s flag (Figure #7). The card was published by the C.P. Johnston Company of Seattle, Washington (C8946). The message reads, “Dear Joyce, Got your name from a friendship book and would like to write to you, Would you like to exchange salt and peppers and state hankies? If so, do write soon. I’ve been in Alaska since 1946. Hoping you’ll write. Marge.” (Figure #8). The card was posted in Seward, Alaska, in May of 1961, to 310 Dover Drive, Warner Robins, Georgia (a United States’ Air Force Base). This address was crossed out in pen and an address in Belmont, North Carolina was substituted. At the top of the cards a red handstamp reads, “Change of address due to official orders.” This is only the second time that I have seen such a handstamp used on a post card. The first time was on a card sent to an Army officer in Germany who had been transferred back to the United States.
More bad things that happen to good post cards next time. Until then, good health and happy hunting!
