On the heels of last night's Victorian trade card child-safety debacle, here's a tattered old postcard featuring a kid — I'm pretty sure it's a girl — atop a burro.
Written in pencil and cursive on the back of the postcard is:
From George Strickler
That's it, unfortunately.
The other thing of note about this postcard comes when you zoom in closer and look at the child's hat.
Those crossed rifles are the insignia of the Infantry Branch of the United States Army. The "42" above the rifles likely refers to the 42nd Infantry Regiment, which was constituted in 1917.
I'm not sure what the "SV" below the rifles refers to. Any experts on this topic out there?
Great photo, Chris! Do you have any idea why she would have worn the insignia?
ReplyDeleteNo idea. Best guess would be that it's a relative's hat -- father, uncle, brother. I don't have anything further to go on, unless the girl pictured is the "Valera Sell" whose name appears on the back.
DeleteThe SV would refer to the "Sons of Veterans" a creation of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). Now known as the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
ReplyDelete