Description
“My circumstances compel me to become master of my own boat.”
– Eliza Thorrold
This square postcard is a reproduction (offset printed, NOT letterpress) of “Even Keel,” an “unofficial” member of our series. This design began as a large 3-foot-by-3-foot steamroller print we created at the 2011 Roadworks Festival in San Francisco, CA. We also printed a small letterpress keepsake edition of the piece. Both versions were individually hand-painted with watercolor, and both are sold out and won’t be reprinted. However, this postcard faithfully reproduces the hand-lettered typography and hand-drawn illustrations of the originals.
Eliza Thorrold (1860 – 1935) was the first licensed female tugboat master on San Francisco Bay. After her husband Charles, who piloted the Ethel & Marion before her, died an untimely death, she fought for and received her operator’s license to continue their tugboat business in his stead and provide for her family. After she left the high seas and entered retirement as a landlubber, she became master of her own taffy pull by opening a successful ice cream and candy shop with her son.
Even Keel is stuffed to the gills with symbols of nautical San Francisco. Eliza takes the helm along the brightly-colored shore, surrounded by a foggy Golden Gate Bridge, a trio of sea lions, a migrating humpback whale, and the city skyline. A parrot of Telegraph Hill perches on the starboard side, and there’s plenty of salt water taffy in the cargo hold.
* * *
Because this square postcard is a different size and doesn’t match our other Dead Feminists postcards, it is not included as part of our full set of postcards. However, we do offer the same pricing on this postcard (including bulk pricing, as this design is popular with bulk buyers!).
Postcard size: 5.5 x 5.5 inches
PLEASE NOTE: square postcards require extra postage for mailing. They mail at the regular letter rate within the U.S., NOT the postcard rate.
PAPER FINISH: these postcards are made from a coated paper with a smooth, eggshell finish. If you write on them, we recommend using either a ballpoint pen or permanent marker to avoid smeared ink.
————————————
This original artwork is copyright Chandler O’Leary and Jessica Spring 2011. Copyright is not transferable with the sale of this postcard. The buyer is not entitled to reproduction rights.
WA state residents are subject to sales tax.
Cards ship via the United States Postal Service.
