The postcard bears the inscription, "France! The Jew! Here is the enemy!" It is an anti-Semitic illustration portraying a grotesque Jewish figure entering France, following its destruction of other European nations, or control over other nations. This monstrous caricature controls both the press and the justice system, while clutching sacks of money. Above its eyes, the word "Talmud" is prominently featured. The postcard depicts various so-called assets associated with Jews, including ownership of railroads, with city names encircling the monstrous figure, and a Jewish figure above, holding bags representing various companies. There is also an inscription for "Panama". What had Panama got to do with the "Jews are the enemy" statement?

The Panama Scandal of 1893

The Panama Canal Scandal marked a notorious episode within the French Third Republic, resulting in significant losses for many investors. In 1893, the revelation of corruption involving prominent political and financial figures within the Panama Canal Company led to a distressing period where some publishers unjustly scapegoated Jewish individuals. This came on the heels of the Dreyfus Affair which erupted a year later.

On February 4, 1889, the Tribunal Civil de la Seine issued an order for the liquidation of the Panama Canal Company in Paris. Work on the Panama Canal project came to a halt, and a court-appointed liquidator undertook the task of preserving the existing infrastructure, tools, and machinery. Over the following years, substantial losses were incurred due to the humid and warm climate of the Panama area. The French government, reluctant to accept takeover offers from various American companies it deemed inadequate, prolonged the liquidation process.

The extent of the bankruptcy became evident by 1892, leaving approximately 800,000 French citizens in financial ruin. These citizens had invested in the company's stocks, bonds, and shares.

In 1893, numerous ministers faced allegations from French nationalists, accusing them of accepting bribes from Ferdinand de Lesseps in 1888 to facilitate the stock issuance. This led to a corruption trial against Lesseps and his son Charles. Members of parliament were implicated in receiving bribes from the Panama Canal Company to conceal its true financial status. 

This scandal left an indelible mark on the development of French antisemitism, as it involved two individuals of German-Jewish heritage, Baron Jacques Reinach and Cornelius Herz. While they were not part of the bribed Parliament members or the company's board, they were entrusted with the distribution of the bribe funds. Reinach operated covertly as a financial adviser to the government and managed its interactions with the Panama Company. Herz, on the other hand, was Reinach's contact within the radical faction, but his duplicitous dealings and blackmail ultimately drove Reinach to take his own life. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_scandals

Deltiology

Artist: Possibly: Adolphe Willette
Publisher: The Grand Orient de France (GODF), Lyon, France
Printer:
Date: Circa 1900

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#6 in series

Postcard shows a scene from the novel, "Oliver Twist", written by Charles Dickens in 1837-8.
The image depicts Fagin, a pickpocket and miser of Jewish descent, examining his concealed valuables under the veil of night, believing everyone else is asleep. Nearby, Oliver, the young boy forcibly brought into Fagin's gang of juvenile delinquents, observes from his bed. Fagin's portrayal is marred by anti-Semitic undertones and the reinforcement of negative Jewish stereotypes.
He is often referred to simply as "The Jew," and his character is characterized by traits of greed, cruelty, and the abduction of young children, whom he trains to become thieves. He is also referred to as the "Old One", meaning the Devil.
Charles Dickens, the author, justified this characterization by suggesting that if he were to create a character involved in fencing stolen goods, that character would have to be of Jewish origin because, in his view, such criminals were predominantly Jewish.

Artist: Arthur Moreland. The link is to "Postcard History" newsletter.
Publisher: Samuels Ltd, London, England
Printer:
Date: Early Divided Back Era


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portrays a caricatured figure resembling a Jewish man, holding a flag adorned with offensive anti-Semitic imagery. This depiction includes exaggerated features such as an unkempt beard, unruly hair, bushy eyebrows, prominent pointed ears, and exaggerated fleshy lips.
In the center of the flag, the man's disproportionately large hands are depicted as though they are extending from his head like wings, which is commonly associated with harmful stereotypes of greed. Surrounding this central figure, two scenes allude to harmful stereotypes about Jewish people supposedly using arson as a means to collect insurance money. One scene is titled 'Our Friend' and depicts a burning building, while the other is titled 'Our Enemy' and portrays the fire department.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, peddlers were itinerant vendors who traveled alone, carrying their wares as they moved from place to place. Jewish men often engaged in this occupation, specializing in selling refurbished clothing they had purchased, cleaned, and repaired for resale at a profit. Unfortunately, Jewish peddlers were frequently depicted in a negative light as untrustworthy individuals who sold subpar items at inflated prices.

Artist:
Publisher: Hubin's Big Post Card Store, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Printer:
Date: Early Divided Back Era (1907 - 1914)

Postcard shows each character with a smug look on his face.

"The Five Frankfurters" is an anti-Semitic comedy in three acts, by Carl Rößler, which refers to the five sons of the banker Amschel Meyer Rothschild, the ancestor of the famous Frankfurt banking dynasty. The Rothschilds' success story began in Frankfurt am Main towards the end of the 18th century, when they created one of the largest banking dynasties in Europe. Never in history has a single family owned as large a share of the world's wealth as the Rothschilds in the 19th century.
In the comedy, Rößler is about the Frankfurt banker Meyer Amschel Rothschild, who went grew from a humble start into a huge European bank, penetrating into government financing.

The stereotype of Jew in which he controls all the money.

Artist:
Publisher: Carl Andelfinger & Co, Munich
Printer:
Date: 1911

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