Truth or Consequences Postcards

In March 1950, Ralph Edwards, the creator and host of the popular radio-turned-television game show, announced a challenge to mark the program's 10th anniversary. He stated that he would broadcast the landmark episode live from any town in America that agreed to rename itself after the show.

The small health resort town of Hot Springs, New Mexico, officially voted to change its name to Truth or Consequences on March 31, 1950. True to his word, Edwards flew to the town to broadcast the anniversary show on April 1, 1950.

Following the name change, the town exploded in popularity as a roadside tourist destination. This gave birth to a massive, unique genre of vintage mid-century postcards featuring visual elements of the town.

The "Mr. Nemesis" Postcard Contest was a major viewer-participation stunt that ran for several weeks. The Concept: Bob Barker (who had taken over as host in 1956) would present clues and riddles to the audience and home viewers about the identity of a "mystery man" called Mr. Nemesis. The Action: Viewers mailed in postcards with their guesses or entry information to win prizes, which included a Studebaker car, a trip to Las Vegas, and cash. The Reveal: "Mr. Nemesis" was eventually revealed to be the horror movie legend Lon Chaney Jr. (famous for playing The Wolf Man).

The "10,000 Contest" concept on Truth or Consequences refers to the show’s legendary secret identity sweepstakes, which completely revolutionized audience participation and became a massive national obsession in the late 1940s.Rather than a single contest explicitly titled "$10,000," this phrase is how viewers and the media famously referred to a string of high-stakes, multi-week mystery riddles where the prize packages soared past $10,000 to $20,000—and the entrance requirement always involved mailing in postcards.

The Avalanche of Postcards
Because anyone in the country could enter by simply mailing a postcard, the show generated an unprecedented volume of mail. At its peak, Truth or Consequences was pulling in millions of pieces of mail a month. The sheer volume was so immense that Ralph Edwards had to temporarily rent separate office spaces and hire a staff of over 200 clerks just to sort, count, and track the postmarks coming in from around North America.



PHOENIX ARIZ JUL 18 530 PM 1958

Mr. nemesis
Truth or Consequences
New Mexico

Linda Smith
CR48539
75 E. Mariposa
Phoenix, Arizona
St. Joseph's Hospital, Phoenix, Arizona
RESEDA CALIF DEC 26 733PM 1957

10,000 Contest
Truth or Consequences Program
New Mexico

Mrs Mildred Locascio
6960 Tampa Ave
Reseda Calif
Phone no Di-4-4020
This huge painting by Paul v. Klieben gives you a vivid idea of the famous silvermining town as it appeared in the eighties and of its reckless and adventurous streetlife. CALICO Ghost Town, 11 miles east of Barstow on Highway 91 is now being restored to its former glory by Knott's Berry Farm.

GHOST TOWN
Knott's Berry Place, Buena Park, California
HUBBELL NEBR FEB 6 PM 1958

Baldwin 2 Pumpernickle
Truth or Consequences
New Mexico

Hubbell, Nebraska
Marcile Witte
Phone 4013
NEBRASKA STATE CAPITOL
Lincoln, Nebraska
Recognized as one of the most beautiful public buildings of modern times, enhanced by many outstanding features such as the Mural Rotunda, and Statue of the Sower on top of the 400-foot tower. Truly magnificent. Three guided tours daily for the convenience of thousands of visitors annually.
HOUSTON TEX.1 JUN 12 730PM 1958

Mr. Nemises
Truth or Consequences
New Mexico

Mrs. M. Saccar
1549 Sul Ross
Houston 6, Texas

Jackson 9-5689
Houston, Texas
AERIAL VIEW OF HOUSTON SKYLINE
HOUSTON, TEX.6 OCT 16 7-PM 1958

Price Is Right.
Travlin Show Case
Box 512.
N York 46
N Y.

Travlin Show Case.
$15,000 49cf
Thelma Bowen
2813 nagle apt. 2.
Houston, rear.
The Greyhound Bus Station, Houston, Texas
FORT MORGAN COLO NOV 26 5-PM 1958

Mr. Nemesis
Truth or Conseq-
uences/
New Mexico.

Mrs. Richard K. Sailsbery
818 Deuel St.
Fort Morgan
Colo.
Ph UN 7-2829
This etching taken from an original pen and ink sketch by Charles M. Russell. It was taken from actual incidents in his experiences as a cowboy. One of the great artists of the west he left a pictorial history of the west that is unsurpassed.
SPRINGFIELD MO AUG 1 1959

Bob Barker
Truth or Consequences
new Mexico

Rosalie Day
2220 N. Fort
Springfield, Mo
Phone = University 6-1459
Abou ben Adhem Shrine Mosque
Springfield, Missouri

Springfield, Missouri, in the heart of the Ozarks, is the location of Abou Ben Adhem Shrine Mosque, one of the outstanding Shrine Temples in the country. Its Auditorium, equipped with large stage, has a seating capacity of 3,600.
PHOENIX ARIZ AUG 12 7-PM 1959

Bob Barker
Truth or Consequences
New Mexico.

W. L. Vaughn
2801 E Osborn Rd
Phoenix, Ariz.
RUG WEAVING IN MONUMENT VALLEY, Northern Arizona
Navajo women card wool and weave a Navajo rug in the colorful Valley of the Monuments.
OKLAHOMA CITY OKLA AUG 19 330PM 1959

Bob Barker
Truth or Consequences
New Mexico

Laura Tubbs
9900 Ashley Place
Oklahoma City 20,
Oklahoma
VI2-1351
INDIAN CITY, U.S.A. Near Anadarko, Okla.
The "Eagle Dance" as presented by Vincent Palmer, 9 years old at Indian City, U.S.A.
LAFAYETTE LA AUG 21 630PM 1959

BOB BARKER
Truth Or Consequences
New Mexico

Mrs. Oswall H. Harmon
111 Plaquemine Rd.
Lafayette, Louisiana
Phone - CE-4-6182
TEXAS A PARADISE
By the Author of "Hell in Texas"
The Lord said he wished to show
To His erring children here below
That He had plenty in His Store
For those who knocked at Heaven's door,
And hence would give to some bright land
Samples of blessings from His right hand;
And if you think there's Cause to doubt it,
Just listen to how God reasoned about it.

These gifts I can't give to the States in the East
The weather's too damp for both man and beast,
And the Northern States I consider together,
I made a mistake when I put up their weather;
For in blizzards and cyclones, tornadoes and cold,
No one can enjoy good gifts, I am told.
'Tis too cold, hence westward I shall go
To the land where the fig and the orange trees grow
For here it is true is a beautiful land,
But then here's the fogs, the dust and sand;
And those who enjoy these gifts as they must
Can't do it in the sand and the fogs and the dust,
At last reaching Texas, a State of some size
He decided to give her His capital prize:
He opened wide His bountiful hand,
He dispersed His blessing all over the land,
And hence we enjoy as these blessings of ours
Ten months in the year the most beautiful flowers;
And nights most delightful, fanned by the breeze,
That comes sweeping across her from over the seas;
And Italy's skies with our own won't compare;
Nor is her land more fertile nor ladies more fair
And the grasses that grow on the range of ours
Are kept beautifully green by these sweet summer showers.

And as we know, to enjoy our wealth,
We must first secure the blessing of health.
Thence we declare to the sick in each clime
That health you can have, if you come here in time
And now to our friends in the East, North and West
We want you to come here and with us be blest.
For God never intended that we all alone
Should enjoy all these blessings that He has bestown.
SAN LUIS OBISPO CALIF AUG 21 330PM 1959

To Bob Barker
Truth or Consequences
New Mexico
Air Mail

From Miss
Dorothy Ann Crampton
246 Harris St
San Luis Obispo
LI3-2124
California
18 years old
CASA GRANDE (Big House)
Four stories high to command a wide view of the surrounding desert, this ancient structure was built by a civilization populating southern Arizona about 1300 A.D.
DALLAS TEX AUG 22 630PM 1959

Bob Barker
Truth or consequences
New Mexico

Mrs FANNIE HARRELL
5421 BRYAN
DALLAS TEX
TA3 7414
Magnolia Building, Dallas, Texas
SANDERS ARIZ AUG 25 AM 1959
Bob Barker
Truth & Consequences
New Mexico
Virginia Dr. Mueller
1605 W. Fairmount
Phoenix, Arizona
Amhurst Ph. 6-7482
A woman displays a handwoven rug to a prospective buyer along with Native American jewelry and crafts.
VERNON TEX AUG 29 1130AM 1959

Bob Barker
Truth or Consequences
New Mexico

Mrs Vera Parker
2328 Dawson St.
Vernon Texas
Phone Lincoln 22783
TEXAS STATE CAPITOL
Austin, Texas

The story of this fabulous building is as romantic as a novel. Built in 1888 of pink granite from Granite Mountain at Marble Falls, Texas, it is the largest State Capitol Building in the world and second in size to the Capitol of The United States.
ALBUQUERQUE N.MEX JUN 3PM 1960

Bob Barker
Truth or conseq
New Mexico

Mrs Arthur Sanchez
864 Adobe Rd. NW.
Albuquerque
New Mexico
DI-46220
THE CHURCH OF EL CHRISTO REY
(Christ The King)

This church, although built as late as 1939, is one of the finest examples of Santa Fe-Pueblo architecture. Its white stone reredos, or back altar, is its choicest treasure. The reredos were originally placed in Santa Fe by the Spanish Governor del Valle during the 18th century in the church which stood at that time on the South Side of the Plaza. This altar has some of the finest specimens of Ecclesiastical sculpture in the Western Hemisphere.


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