This vintage postcard was employed as advertising for New Jersey Governor candidate, John Franklin Fort (1852-1920). Fort was a Republican and won his race to become the 33rd Governor of New Jersey. He served between 1908 and 1911. He defeated Democrat, Frank S. Katzenbach. In 1908, Fort participated in New Jersey’s first radio broadcast. In 1910 he established New Jersey’s first Department of Education. Fort was followed by Woodrow Wilson in the position of Governor. Wilson went on to become the President of the United States. Fort was a lawyer. He obtained his law degree at the Albany Law School. Governor and ex civil war General, George B. McClellan, appointed Fort to serve as a judge in a Newark district court. In 1884, 1896, and 1912 he served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. In 1900, he was appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court. In 1915, Wilson, now President, appointed Fort to the Federal Trade Commission. He held the position for about four years but was forced to resign due to failing health. At one point,Wilson appointed Fort to act as US Ambassador to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Besides featuring a portrait of John Franklin Fort, the postcard also displays a drawing of the state capital building in Trenton. It is interesting to note that John Franklin Fort’s uncle, George Franklin Fort, was the Democratic Governor of New Jersey from 1851 to 1854. This postcard was published by the Whitehead & Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey. Benjamin Whitehead (1858-1940) was born in Newark. He received his technical information from the Cooper Union Institute in New York City. He became a printer and some of his printing samples were exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. In 1876, he opened his own firm in Newark. The business was named Whitehead & Clark. Whitehead liked to travel domestically and abroad (he visited 22 nations) and he took many photographs as well as gathered ideas for novelties for his business to produce. Whitehouse was joined in business by Chester R. Hoag (1860-1935). They incorporated their business in 1892. Whitehead & Hoag manufactured over 5,000 different novelty advertising items. They were considered the largest business in the nation that manufactured advertising novelties. They were particularly well known for their efforts producing advertising buttons. The company opened offices around the U.S. and in some international cities. In 1959, the company was sold and shuttered it’s doors. This would be nice addition to any New Jersey politics collection. The postcard is from about 1907. (SOLD)
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
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