Vol. 4, No. 4, August-September 2008
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Postcard News From Courthouse Square
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This issue has information on upcoming postcard shows. We hope you this issue informative and adding to your interest in postcards and postcard collecting. Let us know if you have ideas for upcoming articles or contributors. Your feedback is welcome. Our membership is over 6,500 and an ad or article can get wide circulation.
We send a 'digest' version of this newsletter via email to our listserv, no attachments, then you click on the links to the full Postcard News from Courthouse Square Newsletter here.
Click on the underlined titles below to see the
NEW References and Check Lists From CourthouseSquare.net !
Mutoscope Girlie Cards: A Price Guide and Check List by John S Adams
Postcard History of the Early Santa Fe Railwayby Don Harmon
Birth and Development of American Postcardsby Dr. Dan Friedman
American Indian Photo Post Card Bookby Edward McAndrews
Seminole Views: A Postcard Panorama of America's Only Unconquered Tribeby Emmett H.L. Snellings, Jr
San Antonio's Historic Plazas, Parks and River Walk, A Vintage Postcard Profile by Lewis F. Fisher
Alamo to Espada, A Vintage Postcard Profile of San Antonio's Spanish Missions by Lewis F. Fisher
Eyes Right! A Vintage Postcard Profile of San Antonio's Military by Lewis F. Fisher
FEATURED ARTICLE:
Diving Horses
BY SARAH DUZYNSKI
The diving horse act was started by Dr. W.F. Carver in the late 1800s. He originally began the act with having horses dive off of a tower into a tank of water. In 1898 the tower was 32 feet high. Dr. Carver later raised the height of the tower to 40 feet and this became the standard height for his act. In the early days of his act the diving horses, Powder Face and Cupid, dove without riders. Eventually Dr. Carver added female riders who would ride on the horse during the dive. Below is a photo of Dr. Carver’s diving horse with rider.
Dr. Carver traveled all over the United States with the diving horse act but he frequently returned to the Midwest states to exhibit the diving horse. The Times-Republican said “No more thrilling and sensational finale could be provided for a performance than in the ride of the girl in red.” Although Dr. Carver was the first person to create a traveling diving horse act, he soon had competition. The two most popular diving horse acts in the 1900s were Dr. Carver’s diving horses and another act which featured two horses, King and Queen. Below is a photo of King diving.
King and Queen mostly performed out East. Besides diving into a tank of water, they also would dive into lakes. Unlike Dr. Carver’s act, King and Queen never dove with a rider. King and Queen became world travelers when they went to England to perform at the Crystal Palace. Below is a photo of King or Queen diving into a lake.
A recurring issue throughout the years the diving horse act existed was whether the horses were treated cruelly or not. Neither Dr. Carver’s diving horses nor King and Queen were forced to dive or treated cruelly. On one of the many performances King and Queen gave, the Daily Item said “The horses, King and Queen, climbed the incline as though they were anxious to take the plunge. There was no forcing the animals to do their trick and the crowd was immensely pleased with the work.”
The diving horse act continued on after Dr. Carver’s death in 1927 and into the 1960s, but it was no longer quite as thrilling as the days when his diving horses and King and Queen traveled throughout the United States. The days when Dr. Carver would outdo himself by building a triple deck tower that was a total of 60 feet high were gone. The diving horse act lives on through the photographs that are left and the stories that they can tell about those exciting days when people waited in tense anticipation to witness a horse make the daring leap off the tower.
I have been collecting diving horse photos, advertising and related articles for ten years. I am always looking to expand my collection. I am also interested in stories related to the diving horse. If anyone has any diving horse items they want to sell or if you know if the diving horse performed in your area, I can be contacted at seduzynski@yahoo.com or see my ad in the classified section of this newsletter.
Sarah at seduzynski@yahoo.com
(Ed. Note: Special thanks to Sarah, she comes to Morgan Rogan's huge Land of Lakes show in Minn. every summer looking to add to her collection. Lets find her a few new ones! )
Auction News from Lyn Knight Postcard Auctions:
Here is the latest on the upcoming Fall auction to be held online and at Lyn Knight Auctions in Lenexa KS.
Our Fall 2008 Postcard and Paper Auction is just around the corner, October 22,23,24. Cataloging has just finished, its off to the printer, and another great Lyn Knight Postcard and Paper Auction Catalog will be ready to go online and ship(printed) in late September. This sale promises to bring lots of fresh material to the market. We will not only have thousands of small lots of the finest vintage real photos, signed artists, and Halloween seen in years, but will have hundreds of box lots of both sorted and unsorted stock and bulk offers perfect for collectors as well as dealers. A great opportunity for some unpicked boxes from numerous sources, some great 'front table' stock as well as value bulk boxes of vintage cards, ideal for stocks, malls and internet sales. Hundreds of state view real photo lots are here as well.
Some highlights of the October auction include the two most recognizable Coca Cola postcard images, not only the "Coca Cola Girl' by Hamilton King, but the "Coca Cola Duster Girl" as well. Beautiful classic Coke advertising. Hundreds of 50 to 100 piece lots of sorted topics and views at reasonable low minimum bids should be very popular with both collectors and dealers attending or bidding online.
An important collection of Czech artists, Mucha, Kirchner, and other great Art Nouveau and Deco artists are here, and all major topical areas are well represented as well, in both printed and real photo formats. Major propaganda, poster-art, and rare advertising are here as well. Two Asian collections, one primarily Imperial Japan, and WWII propaganda are in the sale.
State views, including many small lots of real photo small town streets, depots, and more have been consigned and are present.
Jim Taylor, Managing Director
Lyn Knight Postcard Auctions
Lyn Knight Postcard and Paper Auction FALL Sale
Oct 22,23,24, 2008
(Wednesday, Thursday, Friday )
(Lot Viewing Monday and Tuesday, Oct 20, 21, earlier by appointment)
http://www.lynknightauctions.com
Lyn Knight Postcard and Paper Auction 2008 Fall Sale Catalog is being prepared. Price is $25 USPS Priority postpaid ($35 non-U.S. address), and prices realized will be forwarded by mail after auction. To order your catalog here, right now, just CLICK HERE
Lyn Knight Auctions will have a representative accepting consignments and buying for Spring 2009 sale at the following upcoming shows:
Sept 26,27, Plano(Dallas) TX;
October 10,11, LaQuinta Joplin MO; October 19,20 Wichita KS
Call Jim Taylor, 888.451.0340 for consignment cut off dates.
(For contact information and details, see our ad below or visit Lyn Knight Postcard and Paper Auction Website by clicking here)
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