SHREDDED WHEAT ADVERTISING POST CARDS – SETS I – V

 

The early advertising post cards for The Shredded Wheat Company [Sets I – V] came in two views, designated as Series 22 and Series 103.  The Series 22 view – without the Series number – seems to have preceded Series 103.  There is a fair amount of room on the view side for a message on the Series 22 view, which was issued well before an address and a message could be written on the same side and sent at a postcard rate.  The Series 103 view however was also issued before this change in postal regulations, and was perhaps offered for those who did not wish to send much of a message. For many years, both these views came concurrently. 

 

Series 22 view	Series 103 view

 

There are small differences which separate these cards, but to sort them most easily, it is necessary to go to their backs.  The Private Mailing Card backs precede the Undivided backs. Both cards come with both backs.

 

Private Mailing Card back	Undivided back

 

Having made that distinction, we must then look to the headings and footlines.

 

Set I:      The first headline is “Greetings from the Home of Shredded Wheat” with a footline which reads, “Mailed from The Natural Food Conservatory, the largest and finest Industrial Building in the world.”  Only the view later designated as Series 22 comes with this combination.  There is no Series number on this card. This card has a PMC back.  [1902]*

 

 

 

 

Set II:   The second group has the same “Greetings from…” headline, but the footline has been changed to read, “Mailed from The Natural Food Conservatory, the finest and most hygienic Industrial Building in the world.”  Series numbers are now added.  These cards have PMC backs, as before.  Both Series 22 and 103 come with this combination of headline & footline. [ 1905]

 

 

 

 

Set III   In this third group, the heading has now been changed to “It’s All in the Shreds,” printed in brown; the footline remains the same.  Again, these are PMC backs.  Both Series 22 and 103 come this way. [1906]

 

 

 

 

Set IV   In the fourth group, the headline remains the same, still printed in brown.  The footline is now changed to “SHREDDED WHEAT -/The cleanest and purest of all cereal foods, made in the cleanest, most hygienic food factory in the world.”  The backs are now Undivided backs.  Both Series 22 and 103 occur this way. [1907]

 

 

 

 

Set V  In this group, the headline is still “It’s All in the Shreds”, but it is now printed in red.  The footline now reflects two products: “SHREDDED WHEAT BISCUIT AND TRISCUIT -/ The cleanest and purest of all cereal foods, made in the cleanest and finest food factory in the world”  Only Series 103 comes this way. [1908-1911] Should anyone come across a Series 22 with this red headline, I would be most interested to hear about it.

 

 

Any new discoveries, please contact jwalton971@aol.com.

 

 

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