Now that we’ve made it through Turkey Day, December is here and it’s time to kick off the 2020 holiday season. As you may have realized, I love vintage postcards and today want to share one of the cutest Christmas cards in my collection.

Hattie L. mailed it from Greenville, Michigan on 24 December 1909 to Gladys Whiting of Cortland, New York – 110 years ago!

Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle (1865-1934) was a well known American illustrator who created quality artwork for the newly popular postcard in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

In 1895, the Zeppelin airship was patented in Germany, followed by a U.S. patent in 1899.

Sometime during the first decade of the 20th century, Ms. Clapsaddle decided that Santa Claus needed to join the modern era:

From my personal postcard collection

Although this isn’t really a genealogy-related post, it got me thinking. Zeppelins were actually used for travel, including transatlantic trips, until the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. Between 1910 and the beginning of World War I, over 10,000 paying passengers traveled in a zeppelin airship.

Not exactly my idea of a fun way to cross the Atlantic!

As far as I know, no one in my family ever took any type of trip in a zeppelin. Do you know of any of your ancestors who did? Did they share the story of their adventure?

However you celebrate this holiday season, best wishes for fun with friends and family, but stay safe and healthy, please!