12 German Trade Cards: Adventures in the American Wild West, issued 1927

Description

Offered here are twelve German trade cards of adventures in the American Wild West, issued in 1928 and 1929 by the Wagner Margarine Co. of Elmshorn, Germany for the
Wagner Bilder, Bd. 1 und 2
(Wagner Picture Albums, Vols. 1 and 2). Six of the cards represent a complete series No. 5 (“Winnetou”) from Vol. 1 and the other six cards represent a complete set of Series 3 (“Lederstrumpf”) from Vol. 2. Both of these series are based on characters from the works of Karl May, the 19
th
century German writer who wrote adventure stories about the American frontier (without having ever visited the U.S.!) The Winnetou story is still re-enacted today in outdoor theater presentations in Germany. The text on the back of the cards reads:
Series 5, No. 1 (Winnetou):
The First Encounter Between Old Shatterhand and Winnetou. In the years when the first intercontinental railways were being built to the Pacific Ocean, many areas of the area of New Mexico were home to the Apaches. This tribe tried to stem the progress westward of the white people, so that they would not be pushed out of their territories. Our picture shows the Apache Chief Inchu-Ashuna and his son Winnetou examining the wound on the bear that Old Shatterhand killed. The Chief warns the white land surveyors who are led by a German man, Old Shatterhand, against continuing their work on Apache lands. As the Indians withdraw after the meeting, one of Winnetou’s party, his teacher Keli-Petra, was suddenly shot and killed. This marked the beginning of the war between the Indians and the white men.
Series 5, No. 2 (Winnetou):
Old Shatterhand Fights Winnetou. As an honest man, Old Shatterhand is disgusted by the shooting of Keli-Petra. However, he shares the same fate as his comrades who have been attacked by the Apaches and taken prisoner. Old Shatterhand, thus named because of his powerful fist, floors Intshu-Ashjuna, Winnetou and a third Indian with his fists, since he doesn’t want to kill them, only knock them out. Then, he is suddenly struck on the head himself and loses consciousness.
Series 5, No. 3 (Winnetou):
Old Shatterhand is cared for by Winnetou’s sister. Old Shatterhand awakens in the Apache village after being taken there as a captive. Under the care of Winnetou’s sister he slowly recovers. But the Indians do not want to set him free, but rather, they want to burn him alive at the stake. His request to speak with the Chief is refused. Intshu-Ashuna has Old Shatterhand and the other prisoners taken to the banks of the Peco River where the executions are to be carried out.
Series 5, No. 4 (Winnetou):
Old Shatterhand runs for his life. Intshu-Ashuna decides to submit Old Shatterhand and his comrades to a trial by ordeal. Old Shatterhand must swim across the river and reach a large cedar tree on the other side, before the Chief and his warriors kill him with their tomahawks. If he successfully reaches the tree, both he and his comrades may go free. Old Shatterhand deceives the Indians by swimming upstream underwater. He exits on the far bank of the river before the Indians notice where he is. The Chief then follows him with his tomahawk and throws it at Old Shatterhand. However, he misses and Old Shatterhand attacks him. In order to prove his friendship to Winnetou, Old Shatterhand does not kill the Chief but just knocks him out with his fists.
Series 5, No. 5 (Winnetou):
A Fight in the Bar. Visiting a border town, Winnetou enters a bar where Old Shatterhand and his friend Old Death are already sitting at a table. Also in the bar are some slave trackers and their bloodhounds. The latter insult the Indian. Winnetou, a man of great strength, defends his race and throws his insulters out of the window. He did not need the help of his friend, Old Shatterhand, who laid his revolver on the table in case it was needed.
Series 5, No. 6 (Winnetou):
Winnetou’s death. The white settlers in the town of Helldorf were attacked by an outlaw tribe of Indians, the Ogellala, and kidnapped. Old Shatterhand, working in the area, heard of this event and decided, together with his friend Winnetou, to try to free them. Old Shatterhand and Winnetou climbed down a steep hill to the place where the Ogellala were camping around a fire and sleeping. A sound awakened them and they shot Winnetou to death. The noble Indian, who was no enemy of the white man, but who wanted to protect his homeland from being lost, was now dead.
Series 3, No. 1 (Lederstrumpf):
Wildtöter (= a name) is Tied to the Stake. When Wildtöter fell into the hands of the Huron Indians, his fate appeared to be sealed. But before they wanted to kill him, they first wanted to torture him. So they tied him to a stake and threw their tomahawks at the pole next to the head of the hated paleskin. They might have tortured him to death, if help had not arrived in time.
Series 3, No. 2 (Lederstrumpf):
The Attack by the Hurons. General Munro was forced to surrender Fort William Henry in exchange for being allowed to withdraw peacefully. The French troops who laid siege to the fort included many Hurons under their evil Chief Magua. As the English women were leaving the fort a terrifying war cry rang out from the Hurons and from all sides the Indians, swinging their tomahawks, began a terrible slaughter.
Series 3, No. 3 (Lederstrumpf):
The Fight with the Iroquois. While Jasper and Pathfinder were trying to save the sergeant’s daughter, Marie, from the Indians, the Iroquois concealed themselves in the reeds along the bank of the river. When the canoe became visible in the middle of the river, shots rang out from the reeds and Pathfinder had a bullet graze his head. By steering the canoe on a clever zigzag course and changing speed Pathfinder made it difficult for the Indians to aim their guns and thus were able to escape.
Series 3, No. 4 (Lederstrumpf):
Two Panthers Attack Elizabeth and Luise. Elizabeth and Luise distanced themselves from the cabin, accompanied only by their large dog Bravo. Suddenly, the dog started growling angrily. To their horror the women saw a female panther and her young son sitting in a tree. When they came down from the tree a terrible fight ensued between the dog and the panthers. The dog was able to keep the panthers at bay until they were shot by Lederstrumpf who just arrived on the scene.
Series 3, No. 5 (Lederstrumpf):
Lederstrumpf at the Grave of Chingachgook. At the same spot where Nathanael Bunppo’s cabin once stood were now two gravestones. One day, a lone hunter appeared at the gravestones and laid down in front of one of them and with difficulty tried to decipher the writing on the stone. It was Lederstrumpf visiting the grave of his old friend: “Here lies Chingachgook”, he read, “Chief of the Delaware Tribe and the last of his people.”
Series 3, No. 6 (Lederstrumpf):
The Fight Between Hartherz (= “Hard Heart”) and Mathoree. The Pawnees and the Tetons occupied opposite banks of the Great River. Suddenly, Hartherz, Chief of the Pawnees, swam out onto a sandbank in the river. From the sandbank, the young warrior shouted out a challenge to the Chief of the Tetons, Mathoree, to come fight him. But the deceitful Chief of the Tetons pretended to want negotiations with Hartherz and came over to the sandbar and then suddenly attacked Hartherz. However, Hartherz, after a bitter fight, was able to plunge a knife into the chest of Mathoree.
The cards from Series 5 measure 4 and ¼ inches by 2 and 5/8 inches; the cards from Series 3 measure 3 and ¾ inches by 2 and 5/8 inches.
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