Vintage 1907 Cracker Jack Bears #1 Postcard – R.F. Outcault, Lincoln Zoo, Airship Scene

Rare Early Advertising Collectible from Rueckheim Bros. & Eckstein

Description:
Offered here is a rare and whimsical 1907 Cracker Jack advertising postcard, illustrated by the famous R.F. Outcault. Titled “The Cracker Jack Bears No. 1,” this colorful lithographed postcard shows two bears escaping from the Lincoln Zoo in a Cracker Jack–branded airship, vowing not to return “until the world ate Cracker Jack.” A piece of early 20th-century Americana and an advertising gem, it represents the era's creative promotional strategies. The verso explains that it was part of a 16-card premium series offered by Rueckheim Bros. & Eckstein, the original makers of Cracker Jack.

Features:

• Original, unused postcard (divided back)

• Color litho artwork by R.F. Outcault, creator of The Yellow Kid

• Advertising tie-in with Cracker Jack and Lincoln Park Zoo

• Text reads:
  “The Cracker Jack Bears from Lincoln zoo / Together away in an airship flew, / And vowed that they would not come back / Until the world ate Cracker Jack.”

• Issued by Rueckheim Bros. & Eckstein, Chicago

• Back offers details of the 16-card collectible set

• Printed in the USA

Condition:
Very good antique condition with vivid colors and light corner wear. No writing or postmark.