Antique, Vintage Christmas Postcards from 1909

In the year 1909 Christmas was as beloved a holiday as it is today, with postcards being among the more popular ways to send greetings to family and friends.

To that end we've included several Christmas postcards from that year to give a glimpse into the variety of ways the holiday theme was expressed through art created to be shared with others.

In this first Christmas postcard from 1909 we have a couple of winged angels appearing as children. The soft colors are magnificent, as is the inclusion of what appears to be the star that led the wise men to find Jesus long ago.

I also like the tree and uneven fence on the left.

Next we have a mother and daughter working together to create a dish to include in the Christmas meal.

These are such terrific snapshots of the era, including the way people dressed at the time, as well as the hairstyles and types of kitchen utensils and tools used to make the various parts of the Christmas meal.

Also interesting is the table and the way the dishes and other things are displayed on the shelf.

Finally we have this wonderful depiction of Santa delivering his big bag of gifts via a dirigible. Seeing what is in the gift bag is a nice look at what was popular and desired at the time.

The way the basket is attached to the dirigible via the vines is very cool looking, as it the basket itself.

Hopefully you enjoyed this brief look at the way Christmas greetings were expressed over 100 years ago. Without meaning to, the artists also give us a wonderful glimpse into the way life was lived during that period of time, and how people viewed this wonderful time of the year.

Fantastic Folk Art Antiques

Folk art is a wildly popular collectible genre, which encompasses a wide variety of items and mediums. It's almost impossible to describe because of the expansive number of way people express themselves across an infinite number of interesting areas.

One way of characterizing folk art is in its purpose. Usually folk art isn't primarily made for aesthetic purposes, but rather to be something that is also useful.

That's not to say there isn't aestheticism involved, as there are many artisans that have painted and sculpted with beauty in involved, even though the choice of materials used can be very unique.

Personally, I don't like modern artists who simply create a "folksy" type of art as simply another art form. Real folk art is spontaneous and reflects something of the culture and people making it.

Here are several pieces of folk art in photos to show disparate the creativity among
these artists can be.

Beaded Folk Art Chair


I wanted to start off with this beaded folk art chair to show how skillful and dedicated an artisan in the genre can be.

It's a magnificent work that really would be an awesome addition to any antique collection. The colors are vibrant and beading and detail very ornate.

Rooster Made from Metal Sign
Next we have this metal folk art rooster made from a metal sign. How cool is that?

This is what makes folk art so indescribable and compelling. You have someone design a fantastic rooster from a piece of metal from an earlier period of time.

The colors of the body of the rooster are terrific, as is the darkened area by the head and tail.





Folk Art Lamp and Base

Finally we have this gorgeous handmade lamp and base, made of mortered stones.

Notice the very shiny varnish finish over the entirety of the lamp.

The design is exquisitely ornate, and would look fantastic in many interior design schemes.



Well there you have a brief look at some fantastic pieces of folk art, confirming why it continues to be one of the more collectible antique items out there. This is why I continue to collect these extraordinary, one of a kind pieces.

Nice Looking Antique Toilets

Even though antique toilets may not be something that are appealing to a lot of people, they are in fact a window on the past, and some of them can be very ornate and nice looking, being part of the decor, and not only for utilitarian purposes, as you'll see below.

This first toilet was built by T. R. & Co. in 1902. The tank is made of oak with that finely embossed finish on the toilet.





Next is this really nice toilet from the medieval period. I don't have an exact, or even close date on this, but it had to have been a toilet from a noble's home or possibly royalty. It's far too nice for a commoner of that period.



There are so many varieties of antique toilets out there that it would be impossible to show even a tiny portion of them. In this article I just wanted to include a couple vintage toilets which were designed with idea of being an addition to the decor of the room it was in.

Coca Cola Matchbox Car Collectibles

Coca Cola items continue to be among the most desired and collectible by fans of vintage brands like the soda company.

That extends to the diecast car area, and specifically to the Matchbox branded Coca Cola cars and vehicles they've introduced through the years. Many of them are awesome.

In its 'Models of Yesteryear' series, Matchbox released this great replica of 1912 Ford Model T, with "Enjoy Coca Cola" on the side. Although the packaging is bland, the car itself is awesome.



Matchbox released this Coca Cola 1958 Porsche 356a coupe. Now is that a great looking car or what?



Another Coca Cola Matchbox release includes these two great vehicles from the 1950s. They are, on top, 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible, and on bottom, the FJ Holden Panel Van.



I love the Coca Cola Matchbox Dodge Coronet Convertible below. That engine looks great, as does the tropical look we all imagine when thinking of going on a vacation.



These two Matchbox Coca Cola collectible cars below were really cool in the day, and it's hard to believe how popular the Chevrolet El Camino was at the time. I remember seeing them all over the place in the 1970s.

As for the 1970 Ford Boss Mustand, what's not to like about this popular car?



Speaking of the 1960s and 1970s, here are a couple of cars that rocked the world back then: the Volkswagon Beetle. How many times did we take trips where we yelled out "slug bug" and gave one of our siblings a hit, or were on the receiving end of one?

Fascinatingly, the Volkswagon Beetle style, in general, has recently made a comeback.



What a great selection of Coca Cola, Matchbox diecast cars to enjoy and appreciate. This is what collecting is all about: quality designs reminding of us of the wonderful days of our youth.

Vintage Knitting Advertising

Any type of vintage advertising gives up a snapshot into the past, and that's very true concerning vintage knitting advertising, which is fun to see, because of the focus and in some cases, new contraptions made to help the prospective knitter.

It's fun to see this Nomotta ad for yarn, selling itself on the premise that a "little bit of yourself goes into everything you knit." Having a mom and daughter dresses alike with the knitted hair is a humorous touch.



This 'Knitting Jenny' ad is great. It was a precursor to modern marketing, and is fascinating in how it uses, back then, the same techniques to sell their product. Not only that, the product is very cool, and I'm sure it was a very compelling product for moms to acquire for their daughters. Anyone remember it?



In this final piece of vintage knitting advertising, we see this image of a mom and her daughter dancing in joy over the apparent ease of use of the "Hero" measure knit, which included a ruler on the knitting needle to make it easier to use. Fun and creative stuff for the day.



This was an enjoyable look for me at past knitting advertising. I'm sure you got a chuckle out of it and memories of times you had in the past when you started your own creative streak.

Vintage Valentine's Cards | Hearts, Flowers, Umbrellas

Vintage Valentine's Day cards, or at least cards designed with that vintage look, still are the most compelling to me, as long as they are true to the period.

Probably my favorite part of the genre is the innocence and wholesomeness included in most of these old cards, as well as the way the people of the bygone era dressed. For me, it's just as enjoyable seeing either or both.

In this first Valentine's card, it shows a Victorian couple surrounded by flowers, with the simple message: "To My Valentine." That look they're giving each other says it all!

Another aspect of classic Valentine's cards were the inclusion of umbrellas and a heartfelt poem. Here we have hearts raining as the woman says a prayer to St. Valentine for the man in her life.

Finally we have this wonderful image of what appears to be some extra Cupids pouring out hearts out of a horn upon the woman. It's beautiful how she has her dress out catching the hearts. The roses on the side are a very nice touch as well.




As you can see, vintage Valentine's cards are fantastic pieces of art, and show when it comes to love between a man and a woman, it never goes out of style.