“Greetings from Missouri, The ‘Show Me’ State” Foldout Postcard
Date
Format
- Illustration 280
- Postcard 131
- Photography 36
Type of Work
- Finished work 5479
Publishers
Techniques
Dimensions
Locations Made
- United States 710
- Missouri 4
- Camdenton
Bright colors, large letters, and detailed illustrations help to capture the publisher's perception of Missouri in the 1950s. The vivid imagery on the outside, and within the postcard, is accredited to halftone printing. The postcard opens like a folder, and holds 9 postcards that feature imagery on the front and backs. Different locations within Missouri are provided alongside their corresponding print, such as the Missouri State Capital and Roaring River State Park. All of the postcards are connected, similar to an accordion. The inside of the folder describes various facts about Missouri to the reader, involving their education, crops, locations, and establishment. The previous owner of the postcard documented the time they were present in Missouri, October 1950, to purchase the card.
The folder was published by Blair Cedar and Novelty Works around the 1940s and 50s. The card refers to Missouri as the “Show Me” state, however it's unclear exactly how and when Missouri coined this nickname. The significance of the postcard can be deciphered through its evocative imagery and extensive information about Missouri, pushing America to travel and experience more within the United States. By advertising the state though the personal connection of the sender and the receiver, the opportunity to promote business was more successful. Not only did the postcard remind the receiver that the sender was thinking of them, but it was also personal recommendation to visit the location advertised on the card.