We have been discussing certain postcards dating from somewhere between 1939 and 1955, which took on the aesthetic of the grade school Valentine: clear, firm illustrations, generally positive attitude, and really, really obvious puns. Someday, after the Lottery win comes through, I will mount an exhibition just of postcards and little Valentines based onContinue reading “Another Valenblog”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Offseason Valentines
As I was saying on Friday, I was investigating a whole nother subject when I fell down that doggone rabbit hole. (I’m a little behind the ties here: is there a new term to describe what happens when the Interwebs take you downstream from where you wanted to go? Are you rabbitholing? Have youContinue reading “Offseason Valentines”
Golly Gee
As usual, I was thinking about something else entirely, but that will have to wait until next week. Whilst going through my inventory to find illustrations for THAT notion, I came upon another subject to worry about. Postcards with dogs on them are always decent sellers: people do appreciate ‘em. A postcard publisherContinue reading “Golly Gee”
Red Eggs and Ham
I don’t suppose there are a LOT of people in this country who recall reading the adventures of the Grey Ghost and Panther, a superhero team centered in a secret headquarters with a sign that said ‘SUPERSECRET HEADQUARTERS” on the lawn. The Panther’s equally secret identity was college professor Ursula I. Underwood, whom theContinue reading “Red Eggs and Ham”
Lean Years
If I ever get around to writing that series on “Is That Still Funny?”, we will look into what different generations regarded as taboo. As we have moved, in the last thirty years from “Nothing inoffensive is funny” to “Nothing offensive is funny”, this will be a mere side issue, but one which willContinue reading “Lean Years”
Seven-Five
I discovered that somehow, in the rush of the mad social whirl that is my existence, I had failed to observe the seventy-fifth anniversary of “The Lottery”. This was a subversive, controversial story which is probably still one of the top ten items which caused people to cancel their subscriptions to The New Yorker. Continue reading “Seven-Five”
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”
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”
Blogsy Babbles 