Here are some new superlative postcards, acquired at the September meeting of Metropolitan Postcard Club of NYC. Almost all are from the 25-cent box!
A "superlative" is an ultimate: Something described "to indicate the greatest degree of a particular quality." E.g. the fastest car, the finest horse, the smallest violin, the tallest bartender. It also includes "exaggerated or hyperbolical expression of praise." E.g. The Niagara of Pennsylvania, The Daddy of Them All (re a stage coach). In my collection, I also include "only" -- ultimate uniqueness -- as well as first, oldest, newest, last, and "capitol of" or "center of."
Many collectors confuse superlative with exaggeration cards. But they are not the same. Exaggeration cards are overtly tongue-in-cheek while superlatives are for the most part factual or allegedly so. There's a gray borderline area though: Superlative parodies or wildly bodacious claims.
Part of the fun is that superlatives can apply to anything. This is why you might see me sitting for hours at one dealer's table at a show. I can find a superlative in any category. They're really encyclopedic -- and the encyclopedia was always my favorite book!
I can't say when I began collecting superlatives. It started unintentionally, perhaps decades ago. Once I noticed I had a bunch, it became a passion to find more, and sort them into subjects to better understand them. My collection now overflows 9 notebooks. Fair to say I might have "the largest collection of superlative postcards in the world."
Enjoy!
All text © 2015 Marilyn Stern
To be used or copied with written permission only
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Most beautiful hotel in the world, The Fairmont, San Francisco
Largest air-conditioned hotel in Baltimore
Most spectacular cocktail lounge in the world, Top of the Mark, San Francisco
Orchid center of the world, Hawaii
Largest grower of winter-blooming cut gladiolas in America, A&W Glads, Inc, Florida
Oldest windmill on Cape Cod, Yarmouth
(already in my collection, but this is such a nice old white-border version)
Largest banyan tree in the U.S., near Ft. Lauderdale
Black bass, nowhere bigger and better, Devils Lake, Wisconsin
Largest astronomical observatory in the world, on Palomar Mountain, California
World's Greatest Highway, Pennsylvania Turnpike
New England's Highest Peak, Mt. Washington: Winter Wonderland
The Safest Skiing Place in the World, The Concord, New York
