Five Begging Postcards for A. Souslin.

[Dayton, Ohio]: Circa 1909. 5-1/2" x 3". Five unused divided-back postcards. White cardstock illustrated in halftone from photographs to recto. Light wear and some soiling/staining; scuff to one card, slightly affecting image. Very Good.

An apparently complete set of cards depicting the treatment of Alonzo Souslin for a broken neck, which we presume to be begging cards based on the inclusion of pictures of his wife and young son, and the listing of his address at the base of each card. The cards are titled as follows: "As Removed from Miami Valley Hospital to Wife and Baby," with an image showing Souslin in a full torso and head cast; "A Warm Back," showing Souslin in a back, neck and head brace; "Their Only Support," showing Souslin in the brace beside his wife and son; "As I Will Have to Go," showing Souslin in the brace and wearing a suit; and "Will Papa Ever Be Able to Buy Me Any More Toys?" showing Souslin's 2-year-old son, Marion, with a few scattered toys as props.

According to the cards, Souslin had his neck broken on October 23, 1906, while he was decorating the new N.C.R. building in Dayton, Ohio; he "[w]as stooped over in the act of removing rubbish, plank fell striking edgewise on back of neck." City directories appear to confirm this, as Souslin is listed as a painter until 1906, followed by a few years when no occupation is listed; in 1909 and 1910 his occupation is "postcards" and he later became a travelling salesman.

We find one listing in OCLC for a 1906 pamphlet by Souslin and Howard L. Burbin, entitled My Story of a Broken Neck, but no mention of these cards.