My husband's Wood family includes a few Irish ancestors (which I'll write about later this week). But his Wood relatives also liked to send New Year's greeting cards with shamrocks*--oooooops, four-leaf clovers for luck on New Year's. The cards had nothing to do with Irish connections, only with warm wishes for luck in the coming year.
Here are four of the colorful postcards sent to hubby's uncle, Wallis Walter Wood, during the 1910s. Isn't the little piglet above adorable? What a pig has to do with clover, I don't know, but the illustration is cute for a young recipient.
One card sent good wishes for luck in finding that pot of gold...a prosperous new year.
Another card featured a new-fangled flying machine (today it would be called "steampunk") equipped with a four-leaf clover propeller. Bet this aviation theme captured the imagination of the young boy who received the card!
*Thanks to
Dara for correcting me on shamrocks vs. four-leaf clovers! Much appreciated. I'm horticulturally challenged, it seems.
I love old postcards. They keep alive life in by-gone times. I've built quite a collection and love looking at them. Yours are a bit unusual and that is a good thing in terms of collecting.
ReplyDeleteI believe that is four-leaf clover, for good luck, Marian. Shamrock only has three leaves.
ReplyDeleteI love these posts of yours with the old postcards. I don't have any with a family connection, but I used to collect them myself. Our village museum had a huge collection on display a few years ago that was really incredible.
ReplyDeleteLovely old postcards!!!
ReplyDeleteNo New Year cards but I have St Patrick’s Day cards complete with crumbled remains of shamrocks sent to my great grandmother from her niece living in Limerick. That little clue led to discovering my great grandmother’s brothers and sisters, thanks to help from Dara.
ReplyDelete