When last we spoke, we were discussing the Dutch kids in love, those smiling, happy wooden-shoed children who, at least in American postcards of the 1910s, spoke a fluent Pennsylvania Dutch, to nag about why you haven’t written, to espouse certain positive philosophies, or to reflect on the course of love. (As noted byContinue reading “Double Dutch”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Wooden Shoe Know It
It has been a little while since we checked in with the Dutch kids, and their postcards do keep rolling in. For those of you who missed my earlier perorations on the subject, there was, in the 1910s, a mysterious (to me, anyhow) fascination with postcards featuring children who dressed in the folk costumeContinue reading “Wooden Shoe Know It”
Cabbage Collection
The city where I live does not want to let St. Patrick’s Day go by unobserved. It has been the custom, even in the depths of the pandemic, when the holiday falls in the middle of the week, to observe two St. Patrick’s Day weekends. In addition, there are plenty of people who addContinue reading “Cabbage Collection”
Oh See De CDV!
Last time, we were discussing the cdv, or carte-de-visite, a combination portrait and calling card popular for about fifty years, roughly between the Civil War and World War I. The vast majority of these were produced for use, rather than as collectibles, and do not benefit from having a name printed on them. And,Continue reading “Oh See De CDV!”
See de CDV?
The Interwebs informs me that the business card came first, and the calling card second. At some point in the seventeenth century (in Europe; China was two hundred years ahead, as usual. But they had printing first, so they had a head start) businessmen would drop these off at the offices or homes ofContinue reading “See de CDV?”
Zap: Snap!
Today is, of course, National Pie Day, but since, as mentioned hereintofore, this is NOT a food blog, I shall save the dissertation on my mother’s pie recipes for another day. Anyhow, Monday is Old Joke Quiz Day around here. So here is a collection of tart remarks (catch that one, did you? Continue reading “Zap: Snap!”
What’s the Story, Morning Glory?
In my pursuit of archaic humor, I rely, as any detective would, on a combination of information and deduction. I have learned, when a caption aooears on postcards by different artists, to check the world of advertising or the realm of pop song. This has led me to a greater familiarity of the recordingsContinue reading “What’s the Story, Morning Glory?”
Coming Up in 1949
I was researching a few side issues on the cow shown here, and came up rather disappointed. No, I was not really expecting to find multi-flavored cows. But I was expecting to find out a little more about the Postwar World, once one of the great mass visions. What turned up on theContinue reading “Coming Up in 1949”
Back to the Cornfield
Ah, here comes Monday once again, the day when people wake with foreboding to face the daily commute on a crowded thoroughfare or smelly train to get to the office. Don’t you wish you could drop it all and set up shop in rural America, where a person can WALK to the office (throughContinue reading “Back to the Cornfield”
My Room Marked With Y
Not long ago, I mentioned in this space the way some people will go on vacation and, far from being grateful, spend the whole time complaining. I will excuse the numerous postcards which complain either a) that the vacation never seems long enough or b) that you need another vacation to recover from theContinue reading “My Room Marked With Y”
Blogsy Babbles 