Shylock - Merchant of Venice

Shylock Postcard (1906) – Antisemitic Shakespeare Illustration

This early 20th-century leather postcard illustrates Shylock, the Jewish moneylender from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice.  it reflects both the popularity of novelty postcards and the persistence of antisemitic stereotypes in American culture.

The front of the card shows a caricature of Shylock with exaggerated features, clutching what appear to be moneybags. The caption reads Shakespeare Illustrated – The Merchant of Venice, ‘Shylock’. The border mimics a cut-out pattern, a common style in cheap comic postcards of the period.

Antisemitic Imagery

While the card presents itself as a “literary” illustration, it trades on longstanding antisemitic stereotypes:

• Shylock is drawn with a hooked nose and hunched stance.
• He is shown obsessing over money, echoing the trope of the greedy Jewish usurer.
• The cartoon format reduces Shakespeare’s complex character into a crude stereotype, perpetuating cultural prejudice.

Postmark and Usage

Date: September 19, 1906 (Allegheny, PA, 4:30 PM). Allegheny City was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907.
Stamp: 1¢ Benjamin Franklin definitive
Recipient: Miss Anna Disher, Erie, PA

Publisher

No publisher imprint is visible. This was likely produced by Knickerbocker Leather & Novelty Company (New York) in 1906.

The following video is a performance of Shylock's famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech from The Merchant of Venice, which provides context for the character on the postcard.

 

Written by Lawrence

September 20, 2025