Spring has sprung, I guess. Around these parts we recently had our first 80 degree day, just a few days after what MIGHT be our last Frost Warning. But I do not, thank goodness, write a weather blog. Not for us, Petunia Cutlet, debates over global warming or fresh water theft. Here, we treat of important matters. Today for example, we are going to discuss the coming of Summer, and the onset of Prime Peeping Tom Season.
Now Tom peeps in every season, but summer offers new opportunities, with people herding themselves to beaches and parks and campsites, AND wearing clothes suited to the weather. (We will also not consider here the origin of Tom in Tom of Coventry, the cad who, despite Lady Godiva’s husband’s orders, peeped through his window to get a glimpse of the nubile ax protestor and was struck blind by the power of the Almighty. SOME nitpickers complain that cottages didn’t HAVE windows in the days of Lady Godiva, but I worry about other things, myself. Why, for example, did the protestor’s hubby use his aristocratic power to order people not to peep if the Almighty was going to take care of things? Government is known for duplication of effort, but it DOES seem to me…where were we?)
Anyway, the postcard artist was an expert at depicting the possibilities of peeping caused by vacation crowds. The theme provided an opportunity to draw attractive women in states of undress
While at the same time showing a proper disapproval for the attempts of bad lads to peep. A person could buy these cards without offense, since the peeper was shown to be a naughty boy.
By the way, with the exception of a few kilt postcards, I have found no tradition of ladies trying to sneak a peek, as in the Fine Old Joke of the Sleeping Scotsman. Women’s minds were on higher things. (By the way, if you’re looking at this lady’s lantern, you are seeing something that is not there at all. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Go sit in that corner until the lecture is over.)
One of the most popular themes in this line is one that never made a LOT of sense to me. I have a limited experience of camping out, and the tents I recall were thick, dark canvas which didn’t allow for a lot of external display. That was one of the points of tent construction.
Mind you, there are all manner of tents, and my experience with them has been limited since nineteen-aught-ahem when about twenty of us slept in one tent at Bible Camp on a night when the temperature hit 22 degrees. Not only did we get into our sleeping bags fully clothed but, to keep chattering to a minimum so we would all get to sleep and get this over with, we were ordered to sleep boy-girl-boy-girl…boy, that was a long time ago.)
Logically, I guess, no matter where you put the lantern inside your tent, there is bound to be some wall with shadows. In postcards, you will observe, your average camper always has a tent large enough for her to stand at full height. Are these ladies who venture out to the campground by themselves completely unaware of the possibilities?
I am encouraged to find that the theme has continued to the present day, exemplified by this fairly recent postcard from Italy, where nature has provided seating. (Unless that was the lady’s intent. You know it was coming, so don’t make that face.)
And, after all, humans are not the only creatures who perfectly understand the need of proper lighting. If these mysterious creatures had not chosen to graze just at sunrise (or is it sunset?) they would not have provided this good a show. The ladies seem ungrateful, really. After all, their grass-fed companions ARE blocking the view for any handy peeping Toms once the lantern is lit.
Blogsy Babbles 