I have a collection of vintage chicken (and, of course, goats, too!) Valentines which I’ll be sharing with you during this Valentine week. Here’s the first one. What I love about this is that it was drawn back when everyone was familiar with horses and harnesses. Notice how the feathers of the chick’s chest are pulled in from an unseen strap? That little cart is realistically ready to roll. If an artist were to draw that today, the chick would be fluffy all around, and if, by a miracle, the postman chick were to come to life and step forward, the cart wouldn’t follow. But, this little guy can pull his heart anywhere.

This old postcard just goes to show that people have been fooling around with photos a hundred years prior to the invention of Photoshop.

This postcard is a spoof on how farmers used to take poultry to market. Live chickens would be loaded up into crates and packed into a wagon, which would then all be weighed on on a scale. The chickens would then be unloaded and the wagon weighed again. Payment to the farmer (or poultry dealer) was based on the difference. This method was certainly easier than weighing each chicken individually, although it wasn’t as accurate. The man in the front here is fiddling with the scale’s weights.

I do love old egg baskets. So, when I stopped at an antique coop on Saturday, and spied a wire basket that I didn’t yet have in my collection, I couldn’t resist. I have one of this style, but not of this size!

The vintage basket that I use daily is on the right. The new, super-sized basket is on the left.

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Of all of my baskets, I think that this style is the most practical. The little feet on the bottom keep the eggs from smashing if I set the basket down too quickly (as I have done, and have had broken eggs to show for my carelessness.) The shape keeps the eggs securely in the basket, even if it tips, or a dog knocks it as I walk (again, spoken from experience!) The handle is comfortable and secure. All in all, a design that is both beautiful and functional.

But, perhaps I am being a tad too optimistic thinking that my new basket will be useful in the barn? The four eggs a day that I’m currently collecting would roll around in it and crack. So, I have brought the basket inside to display the eggs that I have blown out. They used to fill a bowl in the dining room. That basket is so large that now it looks like a small collection.

This is a cabinet in my entry hall. It’s a seed chest from a southern hardware store. Perhaps in years past it held a similar basket, holding eggs for sale.

I’ll be at the Northeastern Poultry Congress tomorrow, and of course, I’ll have my camera. A hundred years ago people were doing the same thing – going to poultry shows and taking photographs of the stunning, beautiful (and sometimes odd-looking) birds. Maybe there will be a mottled Houdan like this one.

Post Update: This contest is closed. Judy M. won!

To celebrate the publication of Vintage Chicken Photographs: 30 Postcards, I’m having a giveaway! I am so excited about this book. The photos are charming, funning, and evocative. The quality of the paper, printing and binding is superb. To see more about it, go to it’s page on my store. (Did you notice that I now have a store? I have some fun plans for it!)

All you have to do to enter is to click on one (or more) of the media share buttons at the bottom of this post. Let your friends know about this book on FaceBook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google+, and then let me know, here, that you did so. If you don’t do any social media, that’s fine, too. Just leave a comment and you’re in!

The winner will be selected by a random number generator on Thursday, January 17 at 9 pm EST. This contest is open to all, so my international readers are invited to enter.

Can’t wait to see if you won? Purchase a copy now! I’m running a special for the month of January – FREE SHIPPING, even to international addresses. (Yes, that’s crazy, but I want to share this with you, even if you live in New Zealand, Brazil, or Poland!)