Superlative postcards: recent additions

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

Click image to enlarge & view in slide show mode

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

Also see www.fond-regards.blogspot.com/2015/07/oldest-people.html

Oldest People

On July 6 Susannah Mushatt Jones celebrated her 116th birthday in Brooklyn, determined by Guiness World Records to be the world's oldest living person. In honor of centenarians everywhere, here's a sampling from my Superlatives collection. Enjoy

Click on any image to enlarge & see slide show view.

Ka-we-tah-ke-shig, oldest American, a Minnesota #Chippewa. Born 1784. Age 127 in this photo. Died at 138. According to the postcard anyway.

Translated from Danish: "#Denmark 's oldest woman, Ane Maria Olesen, #Vejle #Søndermark. Born March 25, 1806." Mailed July 24, 1911, making her ca. 105 years old. (Printed card)

Oldest man in the world, Zaro Agha, allegedly 156 years old. Born 1775 in Turkey. 

Fought against Napolean in 1799. Married 11 times. Has 35 children and 522 great great grandchildren. With #BertramMillsCircus. UK?

Oldest bookseller, Paris. Photo by Yvon. (Printed card.)

 Written message on back IDs him as the oldest #freemason in the world.

Mexico!

In honor of Cinco de Mayo. 

Twenty vintage postcards from the collections of

Marilyn Stern, Jenna Stern & Leslie Perez.

Comments are welcome. Enjoy!

Click on pix to enlarge.

 

Flights of Fancy: Postcards from the dawn of aviation

CLICK ON PIX TO ENLARGE

 A hero goes a-wooing: Scene from Finland's 19th century epic poem the Kalevala.

Ilmarisen (Ilmarinen) is a clever blacksmith who invents all manner of wonders to win his beloved's hand. He even creates a giant metal eagle, yet alas, doesn't use it for transportation.

Unidentified European card. The notion of flying was romantic.

What better way to be alone together?

Swedish Easter witches. Broomsticks were more common but those witches were resourceful!

Two popular tropes: ballooning and multi-babies.

"End of the World. Aeroplanes for rent. Save who you can."

Souvenir of May 19, 1910, arrival date of Haley's comet.

In this series, desperate people head for the moon and mars via aeroplanes, balloons and airships, even life preservers and umbrellas. In one scene, a man stares at his empty wallet above the caption: "All is lost. What if the catastrophe never happens?"

ALL POSTCARDS FROM THE MARILYN STERN COLLECTION

Happy Thanksgiving 2014

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I prefer my bird live at Thanksgiving time.
"Still Life with Parrots," Jan Davidz de Heem (Dutch 1606-1683), John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Fla.

 Let's remember & honor those who lived here before us.

 Keep an eye on the kettle!

 May all be welcome at your table. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Recent postcard acquisitions: Metro Postcard Fall Show, Nov 2014

CLICK ON PIX TO ENLARGE

A weapon in the war between butter & oleomargarine begun in the late 1800s. 

Citing a Yale scientific study, this 1918 card warns that a butter-free diet may lead to stunted growth, infertility, blindness, even death. After a century we've come full circle with butter back in style. (The French are just laughing.)

 A "heart doctor." Maybe his patients ate too much butter?

 Another take on matters of the heart. From Roy Lichtenstein's pcard collection perhaps?

  Another beach scene: fowl in a foul mood. For my roosters & hens collection.

  Another sea-related card. Seems to be a combo of real algae + a color transfer made from algae. Very unusual. (Pressed dried flower cards are more common.)

Back to the City by ferry. Early use of term "sky-line." 

This was a generic NYC card used to advertise a clothing store sometime after 1906.