Postcard set:Uncle Sam

The character Uncle Sam, now a symbol of the United States and of patriotism, has a long and colorful past. Uncle Sam is based on a real person, Sam Wilson, who was a beef inspector during the war of 1812. A printed image known as early as 1830 here and in Britain, Uncle Sam was probably a negative symbol--a caricature of the country--when depicted in England. Illustrators for the British "Punch" magazine designed his flag-striped trousers. But he became a symbol of national pride in the States by the time this set of postcards was mailed, a good ten years before James Montgomery Flagg's familiar image of Uncle Sam in the famous "I Want You" World War I recruitment poster.

Dating from 1907, at the height of the postcard craze, the four cards were mailed from four different people in New York to one student at Wells College. Gimmicky postcards were popular at this time and the manufacturer of this set, Franz Huld of New York, made several different versions. Each of these cards carries a poem that further emphasizes Uncle Sam's patriotic personality. Card sets such as this are highly prized by collectors today.