Holiday Card

This is what is called a RPPC – a real photo post card. Back at the beginning of the 20th century people often had their snapshots made into postcards. This image is one such RPPC. I don’t know the story behind this as there’s no writing on the back, but I think that this photograph is the perfect expression of a winter’s day. With chickens.

Just look at the tassel on the boy’s hat! The wagon is homemade out of a soap box. The rooster and his two hens seem to be enjoying the ride. I wonder where they’re going. Don’t you?

I’ve turned this photograph into a holiday greeting card. It is available at Zazzle.

This photo dates from between 1907 and 1914. I know this because of the style of the printing on the back of the card. I am assuming that this child is a boy because of his dress. Girls at that time did not wear trousers. This child has a boy’s plaid pants and matching suit coat on underneath a winter jacket that has been outgrown. He’s also wearing boots that were likely borrowed from an older male relative. If this were the 1950s, then the clothing would be appropriate for a girl, but, not so in 1910.

Comments:

  1. I love this! If they weren’t enjoying the ride, they would sure as hell jump out! My chickens don’t stay anywhere they don’t want to be. Even when I have other ideas. ;)

  2. I think I would end up chasing after my girls if I tried this. Lol. I cant figure out how you get such good photos of your group. I tend to get all fuzzy bottoms when I take pictures.

  4. Beautiful quality photo for the time. And if my son saw this he would get his wagon ready for our girls for sure!

  5. Love the Goodwill Soap on the side of the wagon. Wondering if that might be a girl rather than a boy because of the tassel and the ruffle at the bottom of the coat?? Handsome rooster.

  6. I question that the human is a boy. To me, the figure is very feminine. When I was growing up in western Mass. I would sometimes pull snow pants up under my skirt when I went to school. Kept the skirt in better condition for the school day. When I went home I was more apt to stuff the skirt down in the pants yielding many wrinkles but who cared at that point.

  7. Pulling Santa’s sleigh? Ho-Ho-Ho…… buk-buk-buk……crow-crow-crow? It’s a lovely photo!!!!

  10. The outfit does look a bit feminine, with the ruffles, the way the coat sleeves are attached, and the too-short sleeves. But everything changes; in fact, pink used to be the color associated with baby boys!

  11. -Makes me want to put on some boots and tromp through snow! Crunch, crunch, crunch!

  12. I think the boy is a girl in the picture. When I was growing up in Iowa,on a farm, in the 4o’s and 50’s, 60’s, we wore jeans outside and inside all the time, and when we went to school in the winter, we wore jeans under our dresses to keep us warm. But then we had to take off the jeans when we got to school. Girls could not wear jeans to school back then. the girl has a ruffle under her jacket. I think she is a little farm girl.

    • I suspect you and I are about the same vintage! Always had to wear dresses to school and since I always had to walk, often through fairly deep new-fallen snow, the pants were a necessity. Those were the days!

  14. How interesting that this vintage photo should stir such a controversy about the gender of the child in it. I did some research into boy’s clothing circa 1910 and agree completely with Terry.

    But this picture touched me. I enlarged the photo only to see that both the pants and coat of the suit, and maybe the outer jacket as well, are moth-eaten, the outer jacket, most likely belonged to a girl – maybe an older sister, and his boots are a little too big. His hat could be hand knit. (Great tassle!) This boy is most likely part of a poor family. They loved him, were proud of him, and made a post card out of this beautiful photo. Touching indeed.