Real photo postcard is an example of the interest in documenting oddities during this era. The image depicting a large redwood burl formation found at the Santa Cruz Big Trees location in California. It shows the massive gnarled growth against a backdrop of redwood timber and fencing. The burl is of exceptional size and the photographic composition emphasizes its scale relative to the surrounding timber. A printed caption along the vertical edge of the image identifies the subject and location.


Redwood burl postcards were a popular souvenir format at California's redwood tourist destinations during the early and mid-twentieth century, documenting the extraordinary natural formations found among the coastal redwood groves. This card is a well-composed example of the natural oddity postcard genre, which shares the novelty and wonder-seeking appeal of the freak animal and unusual object cards that characterize this broader collection.


The front bears the printed text: Printed caption reading Giant Redwood Burl, Santa Cruz Big Trees along image edge. The reverse reads: Standard divided reverse. Handwritten inscriptions read: Pencil catalog notation visible.