In April of 1908, six year old Donald C. Minor received this Gartner and Bender feline.

Postcard collecting was a favorite hobby in the early 1900s and many creative entrepreneurs entered the printing industry.  German publishers set the standard for early postcards and produced beautiful inexpensive cards that were imported by the thousands.   American publishers like Gartner and Bender of Chicago, felt the pressure of this competition and implored the federal government to set tariffs on their European counterparts, to stabilize and grow the American business.

This excerpt from 1908 Congressional Tariff hearings states the case succinctly.

Source:  Hearings, Volume 17, By United States. 60th Congress. 2d session., 1908-1909. House.  Accessed from Google eBooks 26 April 2011.