Wamego Kansas J.E. Stewart Furniture & Undertaking Parade Real Photo Postcard
This postcard captures a mobile advertisement for J.E. Stewart Furniture, likely part of a local parade or promotional event in the early 20th century. The elaborate horse-drawn wagon serves as a portable stage, displaying furniture items and featuring individuals in distinct costumes, possibly clowns or characters associated with a performance troupe, indicated by the visible "ROBINSON" signage. Such spectacles were a common method for businesses to attract public attention and showcase their wares in an era predating modern mass media.
These street-level promotions reflect a period when local merchants heavily relied on direct community engagement and public gatherings for advertising. The use of a theatrical element, perhaps a collaboration with a traveling circus or minstrel show (such as Robinson's), amplified the draw, turning commercial promotion into a public entertainment. This form of advertising was integral to the economic and social fabric of American towns and cities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
These street-level promotions reflect a period when local merchants heavily relied on direct community engagement and public gatherings for advertising. The use of a theatrical element, perhaps a collaboration with a traveling circus or minstrel show (such as Robinson's), amplified the draw, turning commercial promotion into a public entertainment. This form of advertising was integral to the economic and social fabric of American towns and cities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
