New Moon Over Your Shoulder?

     Some other time, we shall discuss the weighty question of why our ancestors had so many jokes about bathrooms and their functions and the functions of people using them in their world of postcards.  It could be because postcards were consider such a quick, informal form of communication that we could toss in aContinue reading “New Moon Over Your Shoulder?”

SCREEN SCROOGES: Scrooge Settles In

     The sound resounded through the house like thunder.  Every room above, and every cask in the wine=merchant’s cellars below, appeared to have a separate a peal of echoes of its own.  Scrooge Was not a man to be frightened by echoes.  He fastened the door, and walked across the hall, and up the stairs;Continue reading “SCREEN SCROOGES: Scrooge Settles In”

To Make a Long Story Short

     We have examined, from time to time, the pleasure our postcard artists took in the infinite mixings and matchings of romance, but we have been primarily concerned with girth.  The artists found other ways to express romance in inches.  (Mind.  Gutter.  Please.)      The tall, thin man and the short, round woman were veryContinue reading “To Make a Long Story Short”

SCREEN SCROOGES: Ebenezer’s Front Door

      Scrooge took his melancholy dinner in his usual melancholy tavern; and having read all the newspapers, and beguiled the rest of the evening with his banker’s book, went home to bed.  He lived in chambers which had once belonged to his deceased partner.  They were a gloomy suite of rooms, in a lowering pileContinue reading “SCREEN SCROOGES: Ebenezer’s Front Door”

The Seven Deadly Virtues

     Today, we are going address unfair animadversions against human qualities.  I realize that this material has been presented from other angles, but bloggery can be a haven for unpopular viewpoints.  Why don’t people speak more pleasantly about       WRATH: Despite its popularity on social media, recognition of this as a major virtue goes backContinue reading “The Seven Deadly Virtues”

SCREEN SCROOGES: All Day Tomorrow?

     At length the hour of shutting up the counting-house arrived; with an ill-will Scrooge dismounted from his stool, and tacitly admitted the fact to the expectant clerk in the Tank, who instantly snuffed his candle out and put on his hat.      “You’ll want all day tomorrow, I suppose?” said Scrooge.      “If quiteContinue reading “SCREEN SCROOGES: All Day Tomorrow?”

Boat Season Coming Up

     Spring is here now, more or less.  (One forecaster spoke of snow this weekend, but it IS only April.)  It is the time of year when folks start getting out on their boats again.  And seasonal though they might be, boats were regarded with just as much joy by postcard cartoonists as cars.       Continue reading “Boat Season Coming Up”