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• Holidays: Pinecone Man Christmas Postcards

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      CommentAuthorRandy
    • CommentTimeJan 21st 2010 edited
     


    Here's a scan of a Curt Teich embossed Pinecone Man Christmas postcard, postmarked December 23 -- close to Christmas, but not quite on the sought-after date of December 25! It seems as if the pinecone man is having a tug-of-war over a wrapped piece of candy with a French (?) figure/toy.

    Does anyone know of any military or international significance to this tug-of-war? Could the top of the pinecone man's "head" represent a German spiked-helmet, with the fir twig being the spike? The other figure seems to have a "Napoleonic-type" hat, don't you think? Could the card's figures involved in a tug-of-war be symbolic of tense relations between Germany and France on the eve of World War One?

    Too bad the year the card was posted isn't legible in the postmark. If the image was on a card produced in France or Germany, I think that would tend to support my proposed interpretation more than it being on a card produced in Chicago, as this one was. Something to ponder that hopefully will lead to a lively discussion!
      PineconeMan.jpg
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      CommentAuthorpostcardy
    • CommentTimeJan 21st 2010
     
    It has an undivided back so probably is before 1907. I think that is a Christmas cracker they are pulling on. Does it have a word on it?
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      CommentAuthorRandy
    • CommentTimeJan 22nd 2010
     
    postcardy,
    Thanks. I had never heard of a Christmas cracker until your comment, but I believe you are absolutely correct! Here's a link about Christmas crackers:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_cracker

    Attached is an enlargment of the word on the cracker. Any ideas from anyone on it?
      Detail.jpg
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      CommentAuthorLonghunter
    • CommentTimeJan 22nd 2010 edited
     
    That is a neat card! Maybe there is a suggestion that since the item they are pulling on is a "cracker" and a cracker was an item used at Christmas to produce fun then this might show that these 2 "opposing" figures are putting their differences aside for the time of Christmas. Christmas is a time of peace on earth and good will toward men. Maybe even though there might be tension between these 2 countries, they are joining together in the celebration of Christmas even if for that one day.
    Is the word on the cracker maybe in either French or German?
    I also think I have seen the pinecone man on a different card. Could he be a central figure in a series of cards?
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      CommentAuthorpostcardy
    • CommentTimeJan 22nd 2010
     
    "Aus liebe" means "from love" in German. Most old holiday postcards were made in series, so the same pinecone man may be on other cards in a series.
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      CommentAuthorLonghunter
    • CommentTimeJan 22nd 2010 edited
     
    Since the card is pre 1907, I checked to see what the timeline was for events leading up to WW1 which escalated in 1914. There was tension between Germany and France with some major events taking place starting in 1905 so the theme of the card could have a conotation of easing the strained relations between the 2 counties.
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      CommentAuthorLonghunter
    • CommentTimeJan 22nd 2010 edited
     
    Curt Teich is of German decent. He immigrated from Germany in about 1896.
    Was the pinecone man a character Curt used on much of his posrcard art?
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      CommentAuthormlmtf6
    • CommentTimeJan 22nd 2010
     
    What a gorgeous card... Here are a couple of others...
      img020.jpg
      img019.jpg
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      CommentAuthormlmtf6
    • CommentTimeJan 22nd 2010
     
    Here's the back. It's the same on both cards...
      img023.jpg
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      CommentAuthorLonghunter
    • CommentTimeJan 22nd 2010
     
    Nice!
    I like that theme for a Christmas postcard.
    Are there other pinecone man cards?
 

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