A 3.5x5.5" vintage RPPC photo postcard (NOT a modern reprint) from the estate of a vintage postcard collector. This was part of a huge collection of antique postcards.
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Photo OverviewA beautifully composed real photo postcard capturing a Native American mother seated outdoors beside her infant, who is snugly secured in a traditional cradleboard. The mother wears multiple strands of beaded necklaces, a squash blossom-style pendant, and silver bracelets, suggesting Navajo or possibly Ute or Apache heritage. Her dark woven clothing and the lush natural setting of trees and grasses frame the intimate, dignified image.
The baby is wrapped tightly in a traditional cradleboard - a practice used across many Native American nations for centuries to safely carry and comfort infants. The caption printed on the front reads "Indian Mother and Papoose," and the catalog number A-711 appears in the lower right corner. The Kodak Paper back confirms this is a genuine real photo postcard (RPPC), printed on photographic paper from an original negative. The handwritten date on the back, 12/17/06, suggests this card dates to around 1906.
Historical NotesThe cradleboard shown here was a common and deeply meaningful practice among many western Native American peoples, including the Navajo, Apache, Ute, and Pueblo groups. Its use carried not only practical value - keeping infants safe while mothers worked - but deep cultural and spiritual significance. The ornate silver and turquoise jewelry worn by this mother reflects the high level of artistic craft practiced by Southwestern tribes, particularly the Navajo, who became renowned worldwide for their silverwork in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The early 1900s were a time of intense federal pressure on Native American communities through assimilation policies, including the Indian boarding school system which sought to suppress indigenous languages, dress, and customs. Images like this postcard, sold commercially to non-Native tourists and collectors, were part of a broader "ethnographic curiosity" market of the era, yet they also inadvertently preserved visual records of traditions that were under enormous threat at the time.
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Text PresentFront, lower left caption: "INDIAN MOTHER AND PAPOOSE"
Front, lower right: Catalog number "A-711" and what appears to be a photographer's mark or studio stamp
Back, top center: "PHOTO POST CARD"
Back, upper right: "Kodak - PLACE STAMP HERE - Paper"
Back, right margin (handwritten, rotated): "LOBCI 12/17/06"
Print analysisThis is a genuine Real Photo Postcard (RPPC) printed on Kodak photographic paper. The Kodak Paper stamp on the back is a strong indicator of an authentic photographic print made directly from a negative, not a halftone or lithographic reproduction. The date 12/17/06 written on the back strongly suggests this was printed around 1906, contemporaneous with when the photo was taken. This is considered a Type 1 original photograph.
ConditionAll postcards we sell are in fair to excellent vintage condition. Please see photos for any tears, folds, smudges, or other age damage that may be present.