Inscribed postcard of a Jewish pawnbroker & customer with a watch
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 3.500 inches (8.89 cm) | Width: 5.500 inches (13.97 cm)
Creator(s)
- Peter Ehrenthal (Compiler)
Biographical History
The Katz Ehrenthal Collection is a collection of more than 900 objects depicting Jews and antisemitic and anti-Jewish propaganda from the medieval to the modern era, in Europe, Russia, and the United States. The collection was amassed by Peter Ehrenthal, a Romanian Holocaust survivor, to document the pervasive history of anti-Jewish hatred in Western art, politics and popular culture. It includes crude folk art as well as pieces created by Europe's finest craftsmen, prints and periodical illustrations, posters, paintings, decorative art, and toys and everyday household items decorated with depictions of stereotypical Jewish figures.
Archival History
The postcard was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2016 by the Katz Family.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the Katz Family
Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Scope and Content
Postcard with a short message mailed in New York with a cartoon of a Jewish pawnbroker and a non-Jewish customer bargaining over a large pocket watch. This postcard is one of more than 900 items in the Katz Ehrenthal Collection of antisemitic visual materials.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Postcard with a color cartoon of a pawnbroker in pince-nez and an orange and yellow checked vest haggling over a pocket watch with a gentile customer in orange and yellow striped trousers. The pawnbroker's right hand is flipped over his shoulder, palm up, as he talks about the watch he holds face up in his left hand over his counter. The customer watches with an anxious expression and holds out his right hand with an extended index and middle finger. The pawnbroker has stereotypical Jewish features, such as curly head and facial hair, a very big nose and red fleshy lips, and stands next to a window with J. Mc. COHEN PAWN BROKER with the pawnbroker symbol of 3 hanging orbs. The back has 4 postmarks, an address, and a green 1 cent United States postage stamp with an image of Benjamin Franklin. See record 2016.184.739 for another issue this postcard.
front, right, cursive, pencil : we will be out Friday / on the train that leaves / here at six it will / probably get there about / half past. If it is / convinent for you / if not write back / by return mail / Carl. back, top center, postmark, stamped, black ink : WATERTOWN / MAY 29 / 10-AM / 19 06 / N.Y. back, top center, postmark, stamped, black ink : RECEIVED / 1 back, top center, postmark, stamped, black ink : PHILADELPHIA / ... / 29 / 8 AM / 1906 / N.Y. back, center, cursive, pencil : Ray D. Bonney, / 103 Washington St. / Watertown / N.Y. back, bottom left corner, pencil : C
Subjects
- Stereotypes (Social psychology) in art.
- Jews--United States--Caricatures and cartoons.
- Pawnbrokers--Caricatures and cartoons.
- Jews--Caricatures and cartoons.
Genre
- Object
- Information Forms