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An authentic, highly detailed slice of early 20th-century fraternal history and secret society ephemera, this 1910 United States official 1-cent government postal card was custom-printed for the Wachusett Encampment, No. 10, I. O. O. F. (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) of Worcester, Massachusetts. Sent to Patriarch J. Nelson Flagg—the well-known long-time superintendent of Worcester's historic Mechanics Hall—the card features an elaborate fraternal vignette showcasing the All-Seeing Eye, tent, crossed staffs, and the iconic "F L T" three-link chain logo. The card utilizes an ingenious pre-printed margin checklist where the lodge Scribe, G. S. Potter, hand-stamped indicators to schedule a "Regular" meeting for Monday, January 17th, adding a personal handwritten "if possible" ink note to the attendance prompt. The reverse side features a crisp Worcester, Mass. machine postmark dated January 15, 1910, boldly canceling the standard-issue William McKinley postal stamp. The card contains early specialized ledger/sorting punch holes along the margins, adding great character for collectors of fraternal administrative history.
- Type: United States Official Government Postal Card (UX18 McKinley Issue)- Organization: Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F. Wachusett Encampment No. 10)- Year: 1910 (Printed 1909, Postmarked 1910)- Postal Cancellation: Worcester, Mass., Jan 15, 1910 (Wavy Line Machine Cancel)- Key Names: J. Nelson Flagg (Recipient / Mechanics Hall Supt.); G. S. Potter (Scribe)- Iconography: All-Seeing Eye, Tent, Three-Link Chain (Friendship, Love, Truth)
Note the machine punch holes. Please review all images for detail and condition.
