I sometimes come to you, my army of readers, when I am confused by a postcard. This is done on the theory that everyone across the Interwebs has information, or at least an opinion. When some point in a joke or a picture has me puzzled, I bring my troubles to you, and not once has this resulted in an answer. But it fills up a column.
This time, however, I have run across a postcard company which seems to be confusing me on purpose. The cards and I are at least a half century apart in age, so I don’t say they were thinking of me personally. But they did produce a series of postcards featuring women who are busy with their own occupations, like the one shown here in her urban sanctuary, who are going about their business without any care about what the audience thinks they’re up to.
There is no hint visible to my eyes of who printed these where or when, aside from a conviction from the ladies’ outfits that we are hovering somewhere around 1909. The backsides of these cards are plain, even boring, but consistent, showing they WERE produced by one company which thought there might be a market for “WHAT are they up to?” cards.
The ladies are seldom timid about whatever it is they’re doing. They are confident, self-sufficient, and generally enjoying themselves. The captions seldom do anything to clear up the mystery.
Maybe that was the point. Maybe the whole thing was an exercise in letting the viewer generate a story based on what the card showed. If you look closely enough here, for example, you will find that what is in that barrow is another woman, apparently unconscious. Is this just a good friend, helping a fellow traveler home from the bar, or is that mounted policeman ignoring Jill the Ripper taking home the latest trophy? Up to us, In guess.
Unless there’s some clue that is lost to me along generational lines. Would a viewer in 1909 understand why this woman fainted at this Edwardian Starbucks? Is there a hint to the source of the drama passing in the excitement?
Which of this foursome is “back again”? And why…. Somebody must know.
In this case, at least, there’s a hint here in how the women are dressed. The woman on the right is clearly an adult, but adult women did not wear short skirts unless…. Is she the voice of spring? A fairy godmother?
How did these ladies get up on the telephone pole? How are they going to get down? Who’s below? Men? Is that why we’re being a little cautious about how our dresses are arranged?
Men turn up only now and then in this series. The ladies don’t exhibit any major contempt or apathy for men. These are just, by and large, adventures without the trousered gender.
Where men do appear, things get no clearer. I get the general gist here, but what is that between their teeth? And how is that a kiss? In fact, how is it germ-proof? Am I totally clueless or just temporarily confused?
Is there an answer? Or are we just meant to be puzzled, as there is no definitive answer to this question, either.
Okay, I take it back about that last question. This card does answer it. But it does nothing for MY dilemma. If you know, send me a message. You don’t even need to use a postcard.
Blogsy Babbles 