This is Mazon Monday post #213. What's your favorite Mazon Creek fossil? Tell us at email:[email protected].
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Deltiology is the study and collection of postcards. The name comes from Greek, δελτίον, deltion, diminutive of δέλτος, deltos, "writing tablet, letter"; and -λογία, -logia. Deltiology is a very popular type of collecting. People all around the world collect and trade both vintage and modern postcards.
From Wikipedia
The initial views on deltiology were somewhat different from the ones we have today. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was believed that only a postcard that had been mailed, and thus “fulfilled its function”, could be a worthy collectible.[14] Moreover, many collectors would only be interested in a postcard with a view of a city or locality if it had been mailed from that city or locality. A blank postcard without a postmark was equated to a simple “picture”. Today, however, some collectors actually ignore cards with writing on them.[15]
Vintage picture postcards are described as being from the "Golden Age of Postcards" which was generally 1898–1919. Modern 'chromes' are color photographs and thus differ from photochromes generated from black and white photographs before c. 1915. Picture postcards are also differentiated on the basis of other features: undivided backs are typical for c. 1901–1906 in the USA, prior 1904 in Canada, and other years in other countries.[20] Divided backs followed undivided backs: c. USA 1907, while white border cards are common from c. 1915-1930. The time of the linens was circa 1930–1950, and modern chromes appeared after 1940.[21]
Last week, I stopped by the Carbon Hill School Museum to show curator Michele Micetich a postcard with a fossil fern. I was hoping to learn more about it. There were no specific markings, but it did reference Coal City, IL and it did have the correct name for the fossil fern, actually a seed fern - Alethopteris serlii. The card was printed by R. Pickens of Wakegan, Illinois.
As seen from this eBay sale, some of their cards featured fossils and minerals.
So, Michele knew that Lucy McLuckie supplied the photo in the postcard. We actually showed the postcard in previous post (Mazon Monday #135) about the John and Lucy McLuckie collection. As you should know by now, the McLuckies were prolific Mazon Creek collectors. They sponsored collecting field trips to Braidwood for many years. John worked for the Northern Illinois Coal Company. He is said to have collected fossils at lunch each day, depositing his finds inside his pant legs.
The postcard with the original fossil!
Michele had another postcard with fossil images from Lucy McLuckie. This postcard was printed by Nature Press of Alton, IL.
There was writing by June McLuckie on the back. It listed some of the special fossils donated to the Smithsonian in 1989. All of them appeared in the Langford books.
- Caulopteris mcluckie - appeared in book 1 (page 132)
- Eophrumus mclucki - appeared in book 2 (page 66)
- McLuckiepteron luciae - Lucy's wing, appeared in book 2 (page 93)
- Elonichthys peltigerus - John's fish, appeared in book 2 (page 114)
- Sigillaria - appeared in book 2 (page 183)
- Arthropleura cristata - Lucy, appeared in book 2 (page 23)
The writing also documents a visit by Bill and June McLuckie to the Smithsonian in 1996.
By the way, Michele's brother Mark Enrietta mentioned the "Postcard History Series - Grundy County" book by David A. Belden. It sounded interesting, so I found a copy.
The back has a postcard which Michele contributed. Her museum has many important... and interesting historical artifacts, including postcards.
On the back cover: Coal City photographer Anton Cinotto captured the pride of owning a new car. This Ford dates between 1912 and 1915 and was most likely purchased locally. This undated postcard belonged to Anna Strejcek, a Coal City Bohemian immigrant who moved to the home of her daughter, Anna Kolar, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Many of Coal City's Bohemian immigrants were coal miners, lived in Coal City's "Goose Alley," and became prominent in civic and social endeavors in town. (Courtesy of Michele Micetich, Carbon Hill School Museum.)
The book is very good with many interesting photos from the past. Unfortunately, it didn't include the McLuckie postcards!
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The Carbon Hill Historical Society, a chartered and registered not-for-profit organization, invites anyone interested in our museum and local history to visit and also to join our society, which owns the school and sponsors all of its programs.
Please phone Michele Micetich, 815-347-0810 or email [email protected] for more information on programs, presentations, hours and appointments.
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