.
.
.
Florence M. Kahler needed to find an Easter greeting for John Herr.
She selected a fine postcard, printed in Germany, which pictured a big pink egg.
In 1907, the United States Postal Service introduced the "divided back" post card which permitted one to write the address in one half of the card, and inscribe a message on the other half.
Florence was used to squeezing a tiny message onto the front of the card, and so she did on the card to John Herr.
You can see her inscription of "Happy Easter" and her name, "Florence M. Kahler" on the bottom of the card.
.
.
.
.
.
Florence addressed the card to Mr. John Herr, Millersville, Lanc. Co., Penn.
There were several Herr families in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, some of them quite prominent.
Before maiing the card, Florence remembered that she would see John Herr at the Easter sunrise service, and so the card is not stamped or postmarked.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I invented the part about the Easter sunrise service, but I believe that the card reflects the 1907-1908 period in which the divided back was still new.
The card was certainly printed before 1914, as the importation of German-made cards stopped entirely with the outbreak of the Great War.
Copyright 2008, The Wimsey Collection
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 35
I am glad that you enjoyed the card that Florence gave to John.
The German methods and machines were the best in the world at the beginning of the 20th century.
Even the variety of paper money in the various German states was lavish and wonderful.
Great card! Thanks for posting the chick with it's head turned forward! Your collection is incredible.
He ain't heavy, Dannielle.
This egg looks like it could be an illustration for the "Magic Easter Egg".
Thanks, Matt and Lyndon.
"Forward-looking chick" sounds like a progressive hottie, but it isn't.
I am glad that you enjoy the cards, Doug.
Herr is still a prominent surname in Lancaster county, PA. One of the families makes the better-than-most potato chips. The German-heritage population of Lancaster Co. has been there since the 1600s and is still dominant, followed closeley by Swiss Germans.
One doesn't know if John recieved it, Aniko.
One would hope that he did so, and that the pink egg remained a talisman of love throughout his long life with Florence.
Happy Easter to you, too, Fran.
The remarkable Kate C. will soon stop by and tell us some fascinating detail about the lives of the correspondents.
Kate C. is a talented genealogist who has collaborated on many postcard stories.
I have eaten Herr's Potato Chips, and Snyder's and Utz's, and Wise's, and Martin's, and Charles' and many more.
Pennsylvania produces a larger variety of potato chips than any other state.
True trivial fact about the Keystone State.
I have never been fond of them, perhaps because I was introduced to so many other chips before I tried them.
My favorite are the super-unhealthy, early-death inducing "kettle cooked" chips from little known family producers like Martin's.
One can buy unlabeled chips made in country kitchens at the Farmer's Markets.
We ended up not sending any at all. I couldn't find a package without a religious message and did not want to buy individual cards. Too expensive that way.
It is well-made and still in good condition after a hundred years.
Second-place goes to the Terra™ Yukon Gold chips.
I love if the taste of the potato comes through, and dislike the greasy saltiness of other brands. Wise™ chips are the worst of all.
When I was a little girl, my mother used to cook potatoes & eggs as a family dinner, and sometimes Dad would steal some of the potato slices out of the pan and salt them for nibbling. yum.
She died only a dozen years after she gave the big pink egg to John.
I am not surprised that there are a gazillion John Herr's in Lancaster County.
Dannielle, I love all the Terra chip varieties, had the red white and blue ones every time I flew Jet Blue last summer.
I also agree that the Wise chips are at the bottom of the list.
I just can't put Lay's with my "favorites".
Thanks, Sheila.
I like this card a lot.
Kate would have to help us determine if this is a common name in those locations.
I din't believe I know anyone by the name "Kahler", but many of the old names in post cards have been recognized by another reader.