Here are assorted postcards of the Man O’War statue and monument at Faraway Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. Although there may be variations on the back, these are the only images used of the statue at its original location that I could find. There are many postcards of Big Red while he was alive plus ones in which the statue is included in a collage. But if you see any ones with different photos, please let me know. I’ve purchased copies of most all of these for my personal collection.
Postcard View Folders
According to postcardhistory.net, “Postcard View Folders are approximately 6” x 4½” booklets with an outer printed cardboard cover. They contain multiple views, often printed (one or both sides) on a long strip of paper accordion style folded or stapled as pages in booklet format.”
Lexington, Kentucky – Horse Center of the World – “Man O’War Statue”This one boasts of 14 Views in Natural Color. Man o’ War’s statue at Faraway Farm is featured on the cover. Copyright MCMLXIII (1963) by Curt Teich & Co., Inc., Chicago, U.S.A.
Inside it starts off with background and history for Lexington, Kentucky “Heart of the Blue Grass”. It is distributed by Central Kentucky News Co., 1236 Versailles Rd., Lexington, Ky. Color Photos by O.F. Brockmeyer (10) and J.C. “Skeets” Meadows (4). It is a CURTEICH® 3-D NATURAL COLOR REPRODUCTIONS. The ID is D13638.
Kentucky The Blue Grass State – “Man O’ War”This one does not reveal a copyright date but features a different photo of the Man O’War statue (though one of the known ones already used and displayed above). The inside flap reads “Greetings from.” It is distributed by Southern Post Card Co., Box 306, Goodlettsville, Tenn. It has a service mark is from Plastichrome by COLOURPICTURE of BOSTON, MASS. 02130. The ID is P91349.
The first included card reads “Old Black Joe” is well known to visitors at My Old Kentucky Home near Bardstown, Ky. The sidebar then goes on to discuss Kentucky and the wonders of The Blue Grass State.
Kentucky “The Blue Grass State” – Man O’ War Statue – Lexington Kentucky”This one is a variation of the one above but with green trim. The inside also does not show a copyright date nor does it have a “Greetings From” section. It is Published by Adamas Specialty Co., 806 Church Street, Nashville, Tenn. “Plastichrome”® produced by Colourpicture Publishers, Bostom 15, Mass.
The first featured card also has a photo of “Old Black Joe” playing banjo for some southern belles with the same caption “Old Black Joe is well known to visitors at My Old Kentucky Home near Bardstown, Ky.”
Man O’War Statue Pictured in Collages
The Immigrant Story Behind the Classic “Greetings From” Postcards
Long before Instagram, Americans showed off their travels using Curt Teich’s cheery linen postcards.
The most prolific producer of the iconic 20th-century American travel postcard was a German-born printer, a man named Curt Teich, who immigrated to America in 1895. In 1931, Teich’s printing company introduced brightly colored, linen-textured postcards that remain familiar today—the sort that trumpeted “Greetings from Oshkosh, Wisconsin!” “Greetings from Rawlins, Wyoming!” or “Greetings from Butte, Montana!”
Man O’War Statue as a “Logo”
Here’s an interesting mark I found on a few postcards. The Man o’War monument is stylized as a logo on the back of postcards featuring sites in Slade County. Each one has a different ID but all are published by the Kentucky Post Card Company out of Bowling Green or Campbellsville, KY. An illustration of a Kentucky Colonel with top hat and cane adorns the top left corner. In the top center area there’s an outline of the state with the words “Kentucky – the blue grass state – since 1792.”
KPC 17 / S24250 reads “Natural Bridge State Park – Slade, Kentucky” with a view of the arch from afar.
KPC 19 / S24265 reads “Hemlock Lodge – Natural Bridge State Park – Slade, Kentucky” and features a photo of the lodge.
KPC 85 / S24269 reads “Natural Bridge State Park – Slade, Kentucky” on the back with a view of the landmark from underneath the arch plus two ladies perched atop a rock on the front. It has a May 16, 1961 postmark.
