We gave you a Monday off for Memorial Day, which we hope you enjoyed traditionally, at the graveyard and the grill. But now we must get back to excerpts from this Old Joke Quiz Book, in which you supply the punchlines to these vintage japes. We are starting to run out of the originalContinue reading “Children’s Corner”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Who Brings Baby Storks?
This sort of thing used to depress me no end. Selling unused baby books was sometimes entertaining, as one glanced at the sorts of things the publisher thought you would want to record forever, plus the odd illustrations they added to the pages. Those that were filled in, however, were depressing. Was no oneContinue reading “Who Brings Baby Storks?”
State Your Preference
I suppose it’s another sign that I am not a serious student of world affairs, but I kind of like it that the state in which I live has a state pie. I have not consulted the public record to see if there was a major debate concerning carbs or calories or fat content;Continue reading “State Your Preference”
Well Plaid
Artist Frederick J. Cavally did a magnificent set of ethnic stereotype postcards in 1910 or thereabouts. He seemed to like doing faces—a number of his non-ethnic postcards feature a large funny portrait with a message—but this really exercised his talents. Each ethnic group was portrayed in two cards, one a male portrait and oneContinue reading “Well Plaid”
Write On, Brothers!
Once upon a time, tuna fritters, when “social media” was that fence you leaned over to gossip with the neighbors, people had to think of reasons to get together and discuss mutual concerns. Some of these grew out of the guilds, or professional associations of their time, some of these sprang up in theContinue reading “Write On, Brothers!”
Eyes On Your Own Paper
Hello and welcome to Monday Morning again. I assume, even in this bizarre decade of this wild new century that there are still a few million people for whom Monday is about to make a major shift. For it is May, and people are reaching the end of a school year. In recognition ofContinue reading “Eyes On Your Own Paper”
Wordy of Consideration
I have mentioned, hereintofore, that the postcard was the text message of the day, something quick and brief, which one could expect to get answered almost at once. Yet, in another way, the postcard was that era’s Instagram post or Tik-Took video, because it included a picture, and that picture, as we are oftenContinue reading “Wordy of Consideration”
Marbled Rye
This postcard, from 1906 or thereabouts, was a bit of a puzzle to me. We were taught this basic song in grade school, and though I knew they seldom bothered to teach us all the verses of folk songs (except The Fox Went Out On a Chilly Night, since there’s a story to follow.)Continue reading “Marbled Rye”
Matrimonday
Ah, a Monday in the middle of May: what could be more…alliterative. (Okay, a Saturday in the center of September. WILL you stop footnoting my introductions?) What subject would be more suitable for the latest Old Joke Quiz than Marriage? (You’d prefer Sex on a Saturday in the Center of September? Well, so wouldContinue reading “Matrimonday”
About That Gimmick
In our last thrilling installment, we considered some of the series postcards which await us out in the world of these non-electronic texts. We looked at just a few of those which connected their assorted cards through the use of a catch phrase. There were other artists, however, who used a standard format asContinue reading “About That Gimmick”
Blogsy Babbles 