model t ford humerous postcards
Ford Model T postcards.A number of humorous postcards referring to Ford's Model T were produced in the 1920s. This first postcard, printed in England, is franked 1926 and was sent to a Master Donald Fry in London from his father. The card shows a Model T zooming away from its owner, his tools and even his hat sent flying skywards.
The following rhyme is also included:
There was a little man;
His name was Henry Ford.
He took a bit of rubber
And a little bit of board,
A little drop of petrol
And an old tin can,
And shoved the lot together,
And the darned thing ran!
On the reverse is a red 1 penny stamp. A note printed on the card reminds the sender that: "A half-penny stamp only required if not more than five words of a conventional character are used, together with name and address of sender". I wonder when this idea was dropped? It must have been a nightmare for post office staff to count the words on each and every postcard, to ensure the correct stamp had been used.
The stamp is franked with the patriotic reminder that "British Goods Are Best", a little ironic given that the subject of the postcard - an American-designed Model T - is featured on the other side. Many Model Ts were built at Ford's plant at Trafford Park in Manchester though.
That Dear Old Flivver.Flivver, that's a word I'd not encountered before finding this old postcard some time back. Apparently, it's a slang term that dates back to the days when the Model T was a regular sight. Somewhat derogatory, it specifically referred to cars - often Model Ts - that were a bit rough and ready, perhaps worn out, not far from the breaker's yard. In later years, words such as "jalopy" (the original name of this site in its very earliest beginnings) tended to be used in describing cars in parlous condition.
This American postcard was printed in North Carolina, by the Asheville Post Card Co. The poem printed upon it, written by King A. Woodburn, reads as follows:
The following rhyme is also included:
There was a little man;
His name was Henry Ford.
He took a bit of rubber
And a little bit of board,
A little drop of petrol
And an old tin can,
And shoved the lot together,
And the darned thing ran!
On the reverse is a red 1 penny stamp. A note printed on the card reminds the sender that: "A half-penny stamp only required if not more than five words of a conventional character are used, together with name and address of sender". I wonder when this idea was dropped? It must have been a nightmare for post office staff to count the words on each and every postcard, to ensure the correct stamp had been used.
The stamp is franked with the patriotic reminder that "British Goods Are Best", a little ironic given that the subject of the postcard - an American-designed Model T - is featured on the other side. Many Model Ts were built at Ford's plant at Trafford Park in Manchester though.
That Dear Old Flivver.Flivver, that's a word I'd not encountered before finding this old postcard some time back. Apparently, it's a slang term that dates back to the days when the Model T was a regular sight. Somewhat derogatory, it specifically referred to cars - often Model Ts - that were a bit rough and ready, perhaps worn out, not far from the breaker's yard. In later years, words such as "jalopy" (the original name of this site in its very earliest beginnings) tended to be used in describing cars in parlous condition.
This American postcard was printed in North Carolina, by the Asheville Post Card Co. The poem printed upon it, written by King A. Woodburn, reads as follows:
Postcards courtesy of the Ford Model T Postcards | The Jalopy Journal The Jalopy Journal