#PFTL: 'Greetings, from Cleveland, Ohio!' Part 1: The Classics
The "Greetings from Cleveland Ohio" postcard is one of the most iconic associated with the city. What many may not realize is that there are multiple eras for this card that span more than a century now. If you have a mental image of this one, it's likely from somewhere in the 30's-50's, and, in this week's installment, we'll take a look at some of the earliest examples in the archive.
Please note, this is only part 1, and, as these cards are used a lot, they'll end up in other stories in this series as well. TL;DR: if you have a favorite and it's not here, please be patient!
NOTE: The FreshWater Cleveland PostCard Archives Team does its best to transcribe the very old (often more than 100 years) script writing, that can often be faded, written in pencil, tiny, etc., and, at times, in other languages. When we cannot determine a word, it is replaced with "[???]." When we make a guess, the word itself will be followed with "[?]."
Greetings from Cleveland Ohio (c 1920s)Postmark: (Unused)Material: Linen
Card Front: The text "Greetings from Cleveland Ohio" where much of text has an airbrush treatment to make it feel like it's zooming up from the bottom left.
Card Back: Pub. by Geo R Klein News Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Made in USA.
Greetings from Cleveland Ohio (1939)Postmark: Cleveland OCT 12 1939 11:30PMMaterial: Linen
Card Front: "Greetings from Cleveland Ohio" with the classic block-letter cutouts showing Cleveland sights -- even a blimp!
Card Back: Pub. by Geo R Klein News Co., Cleveland, Ohio.
Printed Copy:
From its busy ore and coal docks on the Lake Front and the bustling steel mills of the Cuyahoga River Valley, to the outlying residential sections, the 1000 acre municipal airport and 10,000 acre Metropolitan System, Cleveland offers sights which are of interest and inspiration to all.
Written Text:
Dear Miss Pat
I received your first card
and I thank you very much.
I think as much of
you as you do of my
card & wish you the
best luck in your
last year of school. In
the hope we will
meet again, I send
you my best regards.
But[?] much work and
no more fun.
You old freind(sic) Lonny
Greetings from Cleveland Ohio (ca 1945)Postmark: Cleveland APR 2 1943 9:30AMMaterial: Linen
Note: We are estimating the postmark because it didn't imprint the year, but it would have to be around then based on the "Save The Easy Way" copy that's included encouring you the buy US Bonds on Payroll Savings.
Card Front: "Greetings from Cleveland Ohio" with "Cleveland" in block-letter cutouts, now with a couple of letters highlighting the bridges of Cleveland.
Card Back: Braun Art Publishing Co., Cleveland, Ohio.
Written Text:
Hi Baby,
Finally got here
had many troubles,
mostly brakes.
This sure is a
dead town. If you
were here I know
we could wake it up a bit.
Love, Ray.
Greetings from Cleveland Ohio (ca 19050)Postmark: (Unused)Material: Linen
Note: We are again estimating the age of this one, but basing it on font treatments. We actually searched around several sources and only ever found unused copies of this card.
Card Front: "Greetings from Cleveland Ohio" with "Cleveland" in block-letter cutouts, lots of yellow. This on also seems to have a background image behind all of the text (very busy).
Card Back: Published by Milton Candy & Tobacco Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Colorcraft -- Made by the Dexter Press, Pearl River, N.Y.; An inventory ID "30171"
Printed Copy:
Cleveland, with its busy ore and coal docks, and the Cuyahoga River Valley, with its steel mills and heavy industries to the outlying residential sections, the busy one thousand acre municipal airport and ten thousand acre Metropolitan Park System, offers sights which are of interest and an education to all.
Greetings from Cleveland Ohio (1958)Postmark: Cleveland MAY 15 1958 3:30PMMaterial: Cardstock
Note: This card was mailed to someone on a cruise ship. It has a double postmark - one from Cleveland, and another to say it was received by the ship (2 days later).
Card Front: "Greetings from Cleveland Ohio" with the "Cleveland" block-letter cutouts angled upward from the bottom left to the top right, and a 3D effect has been added. Inventory codes "C-15" (top right) and "5A-H704" (bottom right).
Card Back:Pub. by Geo R Klein News Co., Cleveland, Ohio.
Printed Copy:
Cleveland stands literally on the crossroads of commerce in the heart of the nation's industrial empire. It is the meeting place of coal and iron ore. The U.S. Census of 1929 lists 326 classes of industry. Nearly 300 of these are found in Cleveland. Within 500 miles of the city live more than 55 per cent of the people of the United States who represent 80 per cent of the nation's wealth and 75 per cent of its manufacturing resources. Cleveland is in the nation's belt of "maximum energy" with extremes of winter and summer tempered by Lake Erie. The mean maximum annual temperature is 56.5 degrees.Written Text:
My dear Mrs. Bass,
Sure wish you a
most wonderful trip
and don't forget
our fair city. God
bless you and keep
you safe. Your daughter's
friend Alma
Postcards From the Ledge is a look at what people were thinking / seeing around Halloween in the social media of the past—vintage postcards from Cleveland!
Again, this page is a tiny drop in the bucket of this style of card, and there are many with designs that could have been in this group that we'll be posting are parts of other stories in this series. This style, even for people outside of Ohio, tends to be what most people envision if they have a vision of a Cleveland postcard. There are currently 2 more stories planned for the "Greetings from Cleveland Ohio" cards, so stay tuned!