introduction

	In August 1890, Isaac Ottenheimer, age 19 and his 14-year old brother Moses rented one-half of a store located at Baltimore and Pine Streets to sell books. By 1940 the firm had more than 100 joke books, many of them written by the brothers using pen names of Moe and Joe Ott. .
	In 1880, Louis Ottenheimer, father of Isaac and Moses, is found in the federal census at 197 German (later Redwood) Street. He was a 51-year old native of Bavaria living with his wife Rachel and children Henry, Joseph, Isaac, Julius, Moses and Celia. Henry, Joseph and Isaac were all born in Virginia, while the remaining children were born in Maryland.
	By 1919, the company of I & M Ottenheimer had moved its headquarters from Baltimore and Pine to 800-802 East Fayette Street. Isaac Ottenheimer and wife lived at 2601 Madison Avenue, apartment 1206 in 1929. He died in
	1953. His widow, Fannye G. a native of Memphis died in Baltimore in 1961. She was survived by two daughters, Mrs. Ellinor G. Hirsch and Mrs. Sadie O. Stern. Moses Ottenheimer, wife Helen and family resided at 2511 Eutaw Place, apartment B2 in 1929. He also served as Assistant Secretary to Governor Theodore McKeldin. Moses often traveled to Europe and South America. He died in Baltimore in 1952 and was survived by his widow, Helen Goldsmith, brother Isaac and his sister Celia Pollack of New Jersey.
	By 1963, the business was being carried on by two grandsons, A. T. Hirsh, Jr and A. D. Sheffler. The firm's headquarters were located in Pimlico. None of the newspaper accounts describing the Ottenheimer brothers publishing endeavors make mention of their postcard publications. The following index, is a partial and preliminary checklist attempting to catalog various I & M Ottenheimer postcard series. The numbers cited after the postcard description are the original Ottenheimer publication numbers.

Baltimore City Postcards