About Face: There’s a Collectible Postcard for Every Expression
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Postcard collectors often say that we collect whatever strikes our fancy. “Ummm,… I’ll know it when I see it,” is a phrase often heard at postcard shows.
Every once in a while, I see a face that brings a particular character trait to life for me. A clear word springs to mind, and the postcard image personifies that trait. When I hear the word, I see the face. And when I meet a real person with that particular characteristic, a small ghost of the face on the postcard shimmers on the fringes of my consciousness.
When I find a postcard with such a face, I just have to have it. It doesn’t matter whether the card is domestic or foreign, new or old, in excellent or poor condition—it just grabs me and won’t let go.
So here, for your enjoyment, are some samples from my “faces” collection:
Joyful: This little girl (right) always makes me smile. I can take this postcard out of the box on a really rotten day, and it never fails to make me grin. I’m guessing she’s a girl from her flower earrings, but I can’t be sure—and it really doesn’t matter. She makes me want to jump for joy and giggle with delight, and my heart swells with happiness when I look at this face.
Stern: Did your mom or dad ever give you “the face”? You know the one—the look that would suddenly take over his or her visage when you did something really, really wrong. It was enough to strike fear in your heart, make you run to your room and swear never to do that bad thing ever again. Hard. Severe. Firm and unyielding. Uncompromising. Grim. This man (below) portrays all of those characteristics to a “T”. His mouth is set, his brow is furrowed, his face is taut and his arms are straight down at his sides.
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Resignation: This woman’s wrinkled face (below) is the evidence of her hard life. In her twilight years, her teeth are gone, and she’s leaning up against the cold stone wall, pensively smoking her pipe, one arm tucked inside her cloth over-blouse for warmth. She personifies the unresisting acceptance of her life as inescapable, and she’s submitted to it.
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Determination: This woman (below) has gotten her television. She’s taking it home, and nobody better get in her way. The dictionary defines determination as “firmness of purpose; resoluteness” and this image brings vigor and life to that concept.
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Stoic: Here is the quintessential person (below) who can endure pain and hardship without showing her feelings or complaining. Her mouth set in a straight line, hands folded in her lap, hair pulled tightly behind her head. This strong American woman most likely bore children, survived many struggles and emerged with strength.
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Bliss: There is something monkish about this fellow (below), smiling up from his hood. There is an innocence about him as he smiles upward. Perhaps the sun is shining down on his face. Maybe he is having a deep spiritual epiphany. His crinkle-eyed, unselfconscious, complete and utter happiness is calming to the soul.
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Wisdom: This is the face of a person (below) who has seen and experienced myriad things in his lifetime. Well-dressed and well-groomed, he appears to be thoughtful, careful and well-centered. He looks like someone I would turn to for his knowledge and sound advice when trying to decide which course of action to take. A member of the Pawnee Native American tribe, this man served as the Indian Councils Philosopher, most likely through the 1960s.
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Wistful: There is something a bit melancholy about this small child’s expression (below). It’s as though he’s longing for something—perhaps something he sees. Can’t you almost see into his little mind and heart, wishful and pensive? His striking eyes and full cheeks make me want to pick him up and give him a hug.
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Funny: Our appearance and our expressions often turn our faces into masks. We try to hide our annoyance at the small irritations of life; we attempt to laugh at everyone’s jokes and look pleasant even when we face aggravations at work or at home. This last postcard (below) beautifully illustrates just how true that is. This fellow, among the masks, is just another face in the crowd.
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Bonnie Wilpon, the author of “Postcard History of Sarasota and Bradenton, FL,” and “Postcard History of Hollywood, FL.” (published by Arcadia Books), is a Worthologist who specializes in postcards.
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