A close-up halftone view of a large fish's head — apparently a black bass — suspended by a cord or string passed through the gills, with the spotted, scaled back and one eye filling the frame. The printed lines "It was weighed by the / Scales on its Back" make a pun on the fish's scales versus a weighing scale, a common style of early-twentieth-century angler humor. Such joke cards were popular souvenirs among fishermen and were often issued in numbered sets.
Postcard Details
Message · English, in pencil
I dont know when
I will be down
I want to take in the
old settelars picknick
at river For I want
to run my Stand
I am going to stay
up here this
winter
rite soon
Halftone screen visible; plain white background with no border; light soiling and slight corner wear; caption printed vertically along both sides.
No postmark. Divided-back "Post Card" with stamp box; pencil message written sideways; imprint for C. P. Benit's Souvenir Stand, Stevens Beach, Arnolds Park, Iowa. Light toning and edge wear.
Cite this card
Largemouth bass head hanging from a string, humorous fishing card, circa 1910, postcard, c. 1915. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/largemouth-bass-head-hanging-from-a-string-humorous-fishing. Accessed October 25, 2026.
