When Adolph Link's name is mentioned in Schaumburg Township, most people think of the elementary school in Schaumburg Community Consolidated School District 54 that is named for him. Little do they know that he had a career as a commercial artist that involved jobs at companies such as R.R. Donnelly & Sons.

In 1932, in the heart of the Depression, he moved his family from Maywood, IL to rural Schaumburg Township. Despite the fact that a good part of his working life now revolved around maintaining the Redeker farm at Spring Valley, he also continued to work as a self-employed artist. In addition, one of his self-imposed tasks every year near the Christmas holidays, was to draw and devise holiday cards that he sent out to the Link family and friends.

Not only did he possess marvelous illustration skills, but his cards quite frequently imbued his sly sense of humor and, sometimes, a reference to a major event that was happening at the time. You will get a chance to see for yourself as, over the next 27 days, a different card will be posted here each day.

Today's "card" was simply a folded sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 paper that shares a wonderfully clever greeting. It seems to be a reference to the Federal Communications Commission that was formed as an independent commission in 1934. Instead, for his purposes, Mr. Link referred to it as the Federal "Yuletide" Commission.

The incredibly detailed drawing is reminiscent of the Art Deco style that was still popular in the 1930s. The greetings being transmitted might very likely be a reference to the WGN transmitting site that was in Elgin at the time. As I've written about before, it employed a "T" type antenna system which used two 250 foot towers with wires stretching between them that served as antennas.

You can get a glimpse of the building on the Chicago Tribune's Vintage WGN Radio photo gallery. Mr. Link has obviously taken some liberties with his drawing but it's possible that the building was the inspiration.

Because there is no date on the card, it might be safe to assume that this card was done sometime between 1932 when the Links moved and 1938 when WGN moved its transmission site to Rohlwing Road in Schaumburg Township.

He also incorporated a theme of green holly and red holly berries running in a stripe down the card. This is also duplicated as a signature way to list the names of the family. The family consisted of Adolph, his wife, Estelle, and their children, Bob and Mary Lou. Robert or "Bob" was born on May 28, 1916 in Minneapolis where Adolph and Estelle were married, and Mary Lou was born on November 28, 1922 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. When Adolph listed the family members in his cards, Estelle always got top billing--which was quite a progressive thought at that time.

If you notice anything else that is unique on the card, please note it in the Comments. Otherwise, see you tomorrow with another card!

Jane Rozek
Local History Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
jrozek@stdl.org