Hi, Everyone,

It’s Photo Friday!

Here’s an interesting real photo postcard produced by M. L. Zercher Book & Stationery Co. of Topeka.  The postcard was printed by Zercher in about 1910, and it shows a man on horseback, accompanied by a half-dozen greyhound dogs while hunting coyotes at Dover, Kansas.  A pair of coyotes are visible, draped across the back of the rider’s saddle.

A coyote hunter on horseback is seen with a half-dozen greyhounds while on a hunt near Dover, Kansas, circa 1910.

Zercher was the largest single producer of real photo postcards in Kansas history, creating literally thousands of views of towns throughout Kansas.  Also included in today’s view is an advertisement placed on the reverse of a Zercher postcard, itemizing the cost of purchasing bulk postcards.  They offer to print 100 cards for $1.50, and reduced prices for larger quantities of cards.

M. L. Zercher Book and Stationery Co. of Topeka printed its price sheet on the reverse of a real photo postcard.

Interestingly, Zercher offered to print the customer’s own photos on postcard blanks, noting, “We can copy from any good Photograph, Negative, or Black and White Post Card you send in, and make your own Views…” It was this offer that popularized Zercher’s postcard business across the Midwest.  Today’s view of the “wolf hunter” was most likely made by Zercher by photographing another photographer’s real photo postcard, while printing it on a Zercher blank.  The handwritten caption is a hint of the origin of the card, as it is not typical of Zercher’s in-house work.

Have a great weekend!