Dogs and Their Pets

     As mentioned in our last thrilling episode, I have been checking through the new arrivals to the inventory, looking over the adventures of dogs.  Here it was that I discovered the existence of the Bystander Beast, animals whose conduct in a postcard is minor.  But there are plenty of postcards where the dog isContinue reading “Dogs and Their Pets”

Bystander Beasts

      I was checking through the new inventory, searching for bloggable data and found, as usual, that there are plenty of outhouse cards, fishing cards, and dog cards.  What this says about the priorities of our ancestors I am hesitant to declare.  In any case, the dogs are busy with all the usual dog activities:Continue reading “Bystander Beasts”

Do Not Adjust Your Set

     Our ancestors, to judge by postcard cartoon art, certainly were a gaudier lot than they seem in those black and white photos in the family album.  We have discussed hereintofore the frequent appearance of checkered coats and trousers for men (the larger, the more likely).  And as far as stripes and polka dots areContinue reading “Do Not Adjust Your Set”

Postcard Jukebox

     We have discussed this hereintofore, but more cards come into the inventory and I need to venture anew into the fact that the cartoonists who produced pictures had the whole of pop culture to draw upon.  One of the easiest ways to get a grin or a nod from a prospective buyer was toContinue reading “Postcard Jukebox”

In So Many Words

     We have been here before, I know.  But new postcards come into the inventory and I have to decide whether certain readings of the scene were intended by the twentieth century artist, or whether it is a creation of twenty-first century sensibilities.  It’s a game, really: the prize being NOT getting kicked off aContinue reading “In So Many Words”

Fine Old Jokes: The Mother-in-Law

     It occurred to me, looking over the postcards dealing with the, um, difficult bits of married life for our series on couples of contrasting size that I had ONE more size issue to examine.  It was a popular genre once, the tales of what happened in some of those cases where a married coupleContinue reading “Fine Old Jokes: The Mother-in-Law”

The Little Woman

     As we have been pointing out for the last two weeks, the postcard cartoonists enjoyed a gentle laugh at a romantic couple of contrasting sizes, while at the same time showing that love is not hampered by such concerns.  What DOES hamper love?  Well, in the view of the cartoonists, the chief obstacle toContinue reading “The Little Woman”

Size Does NOT Matter

     In our last thrilling installment, we considered postcards which made jokes about couples who were mismatched in waist size: a round man and a spindly woman or vice versa.  But apparently the postcard cartoonists found disparity in height to be nearly as hilarious.  The tall man and the short(er) woman gave rise to jokesContinue reading “Size Does NOT Matter”