• a boy in an Uncle Sam top hat and long-tail coat standing over a just-fired miniature cannon
• a group of cherub-faced children excitedly cradling armloads of red rockets
• Betsy Ross painstakingly sewing the first American flag.

Embossed with shimmering gold stars, exploding firecrackers and brilliantly colored ribbons, these little penny postal cards offer a glimpse into a unique time in American history.

While certainly not the most popular postcard-sending holiday in early 20th Century America (Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day and even Halloween were bigger), the Fourth of July nevertheless offered buyers a distinct array of choices by some of the most recognized artists of the day including Raphael Tuck, Ellen Clapsaddle and E. Nash.

They also offer today's patient collector an enormous variety of appealing vintage pieces.

Card Sharp

Bill Smith | The Beacon

Fred Longshaw holds two of his patriotic postcards at his shop in West County.

 

Fred Longshaw, a St. Louis area insurance broker and considered by many to be St. Louis' "Postcard King," has bought and sold postcards for more than three decades. While his personal favorite postcard holiday is Thanksgiving (he was born on that day), he also has a special interest in what he calls "patriotic cards."

He says that while many people are drawn to the brilliant July 4 cards and their often very detailed artwork, the holiday has fewer collectors than many other categories, largely due to the expense. While many cards from the early 1900s sell for less than $5, most of the patriotic-theme cards are priced in the $10 to $15 range and higher, depending on the artist, look and rarity, he said.

The cards often show soldiers on horseback, drummer boys, children lighting fireworks or famous American landmarks like the Liberty Bell or Independence Hall. Others depict such American patriots as Paul Revere, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. One of his cards shows the music and words to Francis Scott Key's "The Star Spangled Banner."

Interestingly, many of the most popular Fourth of July cards showing young children igniting enormous firecrackers, shooting off cannons and firing small flaming pistols were mailed at a time when school officials and others were calling for an end to such celebratory shenanigans. As early as 1906, the Playground Association of America was heading up a campaign for a "safe and sane July Fourth," pushing for civic celebrations to replace unsupervised, private festivities.

In his book "American Historical Pageantry; The Uses of Tradition in the Early Twentieth Century," David Glassberg says the "Safe and Sane Movement" wanted an outright ban on the private sale of fireworks. In the book, Glassberg quotes a Springfield, Mass., high school teacher, saying that the recent rash of fireworks injuries "mock the claim that our July Fourth as present observed, is in any sense a festal day; rather, it is a day of terror, anxiety and dread."

Most collectors are attracted primarily to the postcard illustrations, often done in red, white and blue color schemes. The text on the cards, if present at all, is usually secondary to the drawings, and often, the cards say nothing more than "July 4th" or "4th of July."

Occasionally, though, they offer a bit more. "With Freedom's soil, beneath our feet, and Freedom's banner streaming o'er us," reads one from Raphael Tuck & Sons, described as "Art Publishers to Their Majesties the King and Queen."

A 1907 copyrighted card from the Rose Co. and postmarked 1910, reads:

"This is the day that we celebrate,

When we look back and we contemplate.

That Fourth of July of an early date."

For photographs of other Fourth of July and patriotic postcards, visit:

http://gurukul.american.edu/heintze/postcards.htm or http://www.fireworksland.com/postcards/postcards.html

HEARTLAND FOCUS ON:

Belleville Flea Market, Belleville, Ill., on the site of the Belle-Clair Exposition Center at Highway 59 and Illinois Route 13.

The monthly show offers one of the largest and most diverse selections of antiques, collectibles and (dare we say it) schlock for sale in the Midwest. The sprawling fairgrounds has all of the usual flea market bargains -- plastic bins filled with packages of felt-tipped markers, screwdriver sets and tube socks -- but there also are sometimes amazing treasures to be uncovered. One true story involves a highly collectible 1960s cereal box sold by a dealer a couple of years ago for a dollar, which the buyer later resold for more than $800.

Postcards, toys, magazines and glassware are typical of the kinds of vintage collectibles at the show. Much of the show is inside the large expo center, but during the warmer months the market spills out into the front parking lot, a covered runway and several smaller outbuildings. While the show is not technically supposed to open until 9 a.m., early birds often arrive more than two hours earlier to scour for bargains.

The market is free, and prices are "negotiable" with many dealers. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the third full weekend of every month, with the next show for 2008 July 19 and 20.

Some recent items and asking prices at the Belleville Flea Market:

• 1930s "Uncle Wiggily and His Flying Rug" children's book with dust cover in very good condition: $1
• Set of two 1950s Japanese-made Bambi ceramic bookends: $22
• 4-foot aluminum silver Christmas tree, circa 1960s, in its original storage box: $30
• Vintage plastic wrapper for Bunny Bread pineapple turnover, probably from the 1960s: $11
• 1940 Coca-Cola "Planets and Stars" space book cover, unused, in excellent condition: $1

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