The $1000 Gift To Animals – Day 5

It’s the last day of our zoo animals on vintage postcards fun.  Let’s continue our visit to the New York Zoological Park.  For those who’re just joining us, this is the zoo that resulted from Fordham University’s selling the land it sits on to New York City for $1000.

So far, we’ve visited elephants, brown bears, and arctic foxes, giraffes, and the hippopotamus, Indian Leopard, and Malay Tiger.  Today’s vintage postcards picture the Barbary Sheep, the Eland, and the Rocky Mountain Goat.

Eland

New York Zoological Park Eland

 

Eland are considered to be the largest of African antelopes.  They have spiral horns and white, vertical stripes on their torso.  Although you can’t see it in this postcard, they also have a crest of erect hair along the spine.  Males weigh twice as much as females, but females have longer horns.  They may be the slowest of antelopes, but are accomplished jumpers that can clear a 10′ fence from a standing position.

Barbary Wild Sheep

NY Zoological Park Postcard of Barbary Wild Sheep on Mtn Sheep Hill

 

The Barbary Sheep is the sole wild sheep of Africa.  It has been impacted greatly by hunting, and livestock.  The Egyptian Barbary Sheep is currently classified as extinct in the wild, but some believe they still exist in southeast and southwest Egypt.  This sheep has developed an exceptional ability to remain motionless when danger threatens, thus remaining unseen to predators.

Rocky Mountain Goat

New York Zoological Park Postcard of Rocky Mountain Goat and Shelter

 

The mountain goat is not threatened.  They have strong forelegs that allow it to jump quickly.  These goats are highly competitive, with the female being more aggressive than the male.

 

I hope you enjoyed your tour of the New York Zoological Park’s animals thru vintage postcards.  This tour is an example of how vintage postcards are more than just pretty pictures and pieces of old paper.  They are an adventure!

  

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The $1000 Gift To Animals – Day 5, Delayed

Hello New York Zoological Park vintage postcard tour participants.  It seems our tour has hit a “snag” by developing a migraine.  Bummer.  Please hold onto your tickets.  They will be good for the resume of our tour on Thursday, 03/04/10.  Thank you for your patience as we repair the tour guide.  Extra strength Excedrine Migraine should do the trick (and a little more sleep).

The $1000 Gift To Animals – Day 4

It’s time for more zoo animals on vintage postcards fun.  Let’s continue our visit to the New York Zoological Park.  For those who’re just joining us, this is the zoo that resulted from Fordham University’s selling the land it sits on to New York City for $1000.

So far, we’ve visited elephants, brown bears, and arctic foxes, giraffes, and the hippopotamus.  Today’s vintage postcards picture the Indian Leopard, and Malay Tiger.

Malay Tiger

NY Zoological Park Vintage Postcard of Malay Tiger "Princeton"

The Bronx Zoo (formerly known as The New York Zoological Park) has another wonderful page of interesting info on this endangered animal, the tiger.  For instance – this big cat’s tail twitches when on the prowl.  I was saddened to learn while reading this page, that half of all tiger cubs die within two years.  Be sure to check out the web page of your local zoo.  It too might have pages of interesting info on it’s exhibited animals.

Indian Leopard

New York Zoological Park Vintage Postcard of Indian Leopard Cub

 

The Minnesota Zoo, my local zoo, has a wonderful exhibit on the almost extinct Amur Leopard.  I make sure to visit it each time I go.  The leopard avoids tiger territory.   The leopard is an excellent stalker and tree climber, who will descend head first (unlike most cats).  They have also been known to leap out of a tree onto their prey.  Yikes.

 

Be sure to come back for the last day of our visit to the New York Zoological Park, Wednesday 03/03/10, to find out which animals on vintage postcards will be visited.

 

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The $1000 Gift To Animals – Day 3

Ah, so you’re back again.  That’s great.  Aren’t animals fun?  Let’s continue our visit to the New York Zoological Park.  Remember, this is the zoo that resulted from Fordham University’s selling the land it sits on to New York City for $1000.

So far, we’ve visited elephants, brown bears, and arctic foxes.  Today’s vintage postcards picture the giraffe and hippopotamus.

Giraffe

Postcard of Giraffe at NY Zoological Park reaching up to man on fence.

  

The Bronx Zoo has a wonderful page full of fun facts on this tallest of animals.  What I found interesting, was the scientific research being conducted to determine how many species of giraffes exist.  This had been mentioned while I was touring Disney’s Animal Kingdom several years ago.   If found to be true, some giraffe species may be threatened, due to smaller populations, rather than the current status of “lower risk”.  One wonders if there may be subspecies of other lower risk animals we don’t yet know about, that should be protected.

 Hippopotamus

Postcard of Hippopotamus Pete at the NY Zoological Park

  

The St. Louis Zoo has a similar page of info and fun facts on the hippopotamus.  For instance - hippos can run faster than humans, and baby hippos can nurse underwater.  Be sure to check out the web page of your local zoo.  It too might have a page of fun facts on it’s exhibited animals.  (note, the hippopotamus is not on the list of exhibited animals at the Bronx Zoo at this time)

 

Be sure to come back each day, starting Saturday, 02/27/10, thru Wednesday, 03/03/10, to find out which animal on vintage postcards from the New York Zoological Park will be visited that day.

 

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The $1000 Gift To Animals – Day 2

Ah, so you’re back.  That’s great.  Let’s continue our visit to the New York Zoological Park.  Remember, this is the zoo that resulted from Fordham University’s selling the land to New York City for $1000.

Today’s vintage postcards picture the Alaskan Brown Bear, and the Arctic Fox.

Alaskan Brown Bear

New York Zoological Postcard, Alaskan Brown Bear

The Alaskan Brown Bear, or Kodiac Bear, is a threatened species found off the southeast coast of the Alaskan peninsula (Kodiak, Afognak, and Shuyak Islands) that rivals the polar bear as the largest land based predator.  It has a noticeable hump above the shoulders.  The adult male can reach a height of 8.5 feet when standing erect.  Although it cannot see very well, this bear can manage a speed of up to 40 mph.  Note, bear cubs have no fur when born.

Arctic Fox

New York Zoological Vintage Postcard of the Arctic Fox

 

The Arctic Fox, or Polar Fox, is found in the arctic and alpine tundra of Eurasia, North America, and Canadian archipelago, Siberian Islands, Greenland, inland Iceland, and Svalbard. This predator and scavenger’s status is good, but is heavily dependant on the fluctuating rodent population, mainly lemmings.

 

Be sure to come back each day, starting Saturday, 02/27/10, thru Wednesday, 03/03/10, to find out which animal on vintage postcards from the New York Zoological Park will be visited that day.

 

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The $1000 Gift For Animals

Not long ago, I was excited to discover several vintage postcards from the New York Zoological Park in a 900 postcard lot I’d just bought.  This excitement was because I’d recently become a member of the Minnesota Zoo.  I go to this zoo to relax, while watching frolicking baby otters, sleepy Red Pandas (very cute), darling Prairie Dogs, endangered Amur Tigers and Leopards (they have such BIG paws), and other animals up close.

The Gift

My membership in the Minnesota Zoo helps support these wonderful animals and the zoo’s conservation efforts.  In the 1880s, Fordham University sold most of the land another zoo sits on for $1000 to the City of New York on condition it be used for a zoo and garden.  This led to the formation of the New York Zoological Society in 1895 (WCS), one of the first conservation organizations in the U.S.

The Bronx Zoo

The New York Zoological Society’s wildlife conservation efforts led to the opening of the Bronx Zoo (originally called the New York Zoological Park) in November, 1899 featuring 843 animals in 22 exhibits.

Over the next five days, I will be featuring vintage postcards of animals exhibited at the New York Zoological Park (Bronx Zoo).  Be sure to come back each day to find out which of this zoo’s 843 animals on postcards I’ve posted.

Elephant House at the New York Zoological Park

Riding Indian Elephant, Gunda, at the NY Zoological Park

Pair of East African Elephants at the NY Zoological Park

  

 

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The United States of Snow

This afternoon, I opened my browser (to prepare a post on Victorian trade cards) to find the Yahoo headline:  Snow in 49 states at one time.  Cool (no pun intended).  The lone hold-out was Hawaii, which coincidentally has a ski club (huh?).  Snow in this many states is so strange, that stats are not kept on it.  Trust the USA to be strange, lol.

In honor of this strange happening, I’ve posted several Victorian trade cards where snow is a prominent part of the image:

JP Coats Victorian Trade Card, Ducks on Ice

Star Crystal Baking Powder Victorian Trade Card

Lydia Pinkhams Patent Medicine Trade Card for EH McAllister, Druggist

 

Surprise, It’s A Santa-In-The-Box Postcard

It’s again Postcard Friendship Fridays at The French Factrice blog.  This is an event, hosted by Marie, where postcard collectors share an example of what they feel is “postcard perfect”.  It’s a great way to show why this hobby is so fun.  This week, I’m sharing two postcards featuring the children’s toy, the Jack-In-The-Box.

Christmas postcard of girl enjoying a toy Santa-In-The-Box from series 288

 

Box Toy’s Origins

 

The first wind-up toys were made in Grecian times.  The art of making this type mechanical toy was revived in the 1400’s by watch and clock makers, with versions based on clocks which had a bird “popping” out.

  

  

 Another theory regarding this wind-up toy’s origins has it evolving from captured runaway black slaves, or “Jacks”, put in wooden boxes.  Children playing around these boxes, would poke sharpened wooden sticks though the knotholes.  The Jack inside would yelp, often busting through the box’s top.  If this theory were true, it makes me wonder how many parents would have let their children play with such a toy had they known it was based on mistreatment of a human being.

Christmas postcard published by Davidson Bros. no. 761-4

  

** Remember to hop on over to Marie’s and check out all the postcard enthusiasts sharing this week. 

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My Favorite Vintage Postcard Images

It has occured to me that many of my posts on antique and vintage postcards, while informative, have been a little too factual and “dry”.  This resulted in a slight detour from why I personally collect postcards – more the enjoyment of the postcard images themselves than the details and history behind them.  Below you will find a few of the many postcards I’ve sold in my web store, whose images I’ve found very beautiful.  Enjoy! 

I almost kept this one.

I find all BW Angel Postcards soooo darling.

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Butt Flap Pajama Postcards

Every postcard collector has a topical interest that spurs their interest in this great hobby.  I’ve already posted about one of my favorites, Santa Claus.  I’d now like to post about another, children in footed pajamas (or pyjamas- originally from the Persian word “payjama” meaning leg garment).

The Butt Flap

I noticed many of the postcards in my collection showed flaps in back.  According to the blanket sleeper section on Wikipedia, the flap in back was called the drop seat, trap door, or butt flap.  This flap allowed the wearer to use the toilet without removing the sleeper, and was traditionally closed with buttons.  OK, then how does the wearer open the flap, then re-button when done if it’s in back?  MOMMY!! 

In some US states, laws were passed preventing zippers or buttons in back as it was considered abusive (the wearer being forced to ask for assistance when using the bathroom).  This puzzled me.  The footed pajama was worn mainly by infants (who didn’t know how to dress/undress themselves and used a diaper), and toddlers (who probably didn’t know how to dress/undress themselves, thus needing to ask for assistance any place).  Some laws go just a teeny bit too far.

Another Footed Pajama Feature

The elastic back waist was a band around the rear half of the waist in larger sleepers designed to give a better fit.  In many of the postcards in my collection, this is shown as a buttoned strip of cloth.

No matter what the specific pajama feature is, the children wearing footed pajamas on antique and vintage postcards are still darling.

Note:  Marie over at The French Factrice blog is hosting Postcard Friendship Fridays.  Hop on over to Marie’s and check out all the postcard enthusiasts sharing this week. 

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