This week for Flashback Friday we feature another example in our series of ‘Big Letter’ postcards of the 1940s. On New Years Eve, 70 years ago, an anxious Josephine is looking for her missing fruit.

Hello Mrs Blinn. Will you please see about the fruit for me We didn’t get it yet. I don’t know what happened. I feel much better now. Oh the 10th will be here before I know it. Hope you had a nice Xmas & will have a Happy New Year. Thanks for everything. Josephine

Now, I have no idea, of course, whatever happened to Josephine’s missing fruit, but I sure hope Mrs Blinn was able to assuage her dilemma.

Big letter postcards used a graphic design motif in which the name of a city, state or tourist attraction becomes the subject. The ‘big’ letters framed various landmarks characteristic of the place the card represents. They were popular with the American traveling public from the late 1930s through the 1940s. Following the introduction of ‘photochrome’ postcards in the 1950s, the popularity of big-letter cards began to fade.

Can any of our Goodnight Raleigh readers identify the vignettes depicted in this week’s featured postcard? Extra points if you know the significance of the upside down postage stamp!

Our Flashback Friday ‘Natural Color’ postcard this week was published by the Raleigh News Agency, and was printed by E.C. Kropp Co. of Milwaukee, WI.

E. C. Kropp Co. (1907-1956)
Milwaukee, WI

A publisher and printer that began producing chromolithographic souvenir cards and private mailing cards in 1898 under the name Kropp. These cards were of much higher quality than those that would printed under the E.C. Kropp name.

They became the E.C. Kropp Company in 1907 and produced large numbers of national view-cards and other subjects. Their latter linen cards had a noticeably fine grain. Sold to L.L. Cook in 1956 and they are now part of the GAF Corp. U.S.

Chromolithography (Lithochrome)
The term chromolithography specifically means a lithographic print produced in three or more colors. Many forms of color lithography exist, but only those drawn by hand in many hues rather than produced through photography are now generally called chromolithographs. In 1889 the world’s first color postcard was printed in Austria. Chromolithography was still being used to produce color cards well into the 20th century.

“Flashback Friday” is a weekly feature of Goodnight, Raleigh! in which we showcase vintage postcards depicting our historic capital city. We hope you enjoy this week end treat!