uncleblogsy

Bratty Sells

In the interest of fair play and equal time for opposing views, something I am very serious about if it will bring me another subject to write a blog about, I thought we might consider postcards which present another side of childhood than the cute, well-dressed, well-behaved tots we considered in our last column.Continue reading “Bratty Sells”

Cute Sells

Any sort of cheap entertainment reflects the interests and dreams of the buying public for whom it is made. As such, postcards show us what appealed (or what the publishers hoped would appeal) to the greatest number of potential buyers. And ONE thing that amused Mr. and Mrs. Consumer was children dressed up. Continue reading “Cute Sells”

Screen Scrooges: Belle Once

This was not addressed to Scrooge; nor to anyone whom he could see, but it produced an immediate effect. For again Scrooge was himself. He was older now, a man in the prime of life. His face had not the harsh and rigid lines of later years; but it had begun to wear theContinue reading “Screen Scrooges: Belle Once”

Optional Advertisement

If anyone within traveling distance did not already know, you should be visiting the Newberry Library Book Fair this weekend, at 60 W. Walton Pl., Chicago (about six blocks west of the John Hancock Building.) It is an improvement over last year’s Covid-afflicted venture and open from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. There may beContinue reading “Optional Advertisement”

Hitting the Beach

So we are in full vacation season now, in spite of heat and smoke and the decision whether to boycott states which are too blue or too red in their politics. People are flocking to places where they can kick back and forget about that alarm clock telling them to get dressed and goContinue reading “Hitting the Beach”

With Banners Flying

If you have been following along (and why should you?) you will recall our discussions of the role of postcards in the life of the general public. Originally regarded as the text message of the day, they could be used to issue or accept an invitation, let someone know you’d gotten home safely, etc. Continue reading “With Banners Flying”

Screen Scrooges: Fezziwig’s Christmas

Although they had but that moment left the school behind them, they were now in the busy thoroughfares of a city, where shadowy passengers passed and repassed; where shadowy carts and coaches battled for the way, and all the strife and tumult of a real city were. It was made plain enough, by theContinue reading “Screen Scrooges: Fezziwig’s Christmas”

Takeout Odor

The skunk, I am told here, is a member of the weasel family, which may come in brown, ginger, or cream colors as well as black, almost always have stripes or other warning marks, and almost never, ever bite. This is all very well for science on the Interwebs. In postcards (as well asContinue reading “Takeout Odor”

Converbs

Proverbs are chunks of solidified wisdom handed down through the ages, a sentence or two which embody a nugget of truth. These may be cheerful “Every cloud has a silver lining” or cynical “Everything in the world is off by a quarter of an inch.” They can contradict each other: “It’s never to lateContinue reading “Converbs”

Screen Scrooges: Fan

Scrooge’s former self grew larger at the words, and the room became a little darker and more dirty. The panels shrunk, the windows cracked; fragments of plaster fell out of the ceiling, and the naked laths were shown instead; but how this was all brought about, Scrooge knew no more than you do. HeContinue reading “Screen Scrooges: Fan”