Tuesday 18 December 2012

Happy Christmas No. 3

 c.1910-1920

c.1901-1910

Pre-1914 card.

Posted in 1913.

Posted from the Transvaal, South Africa, from A.J. Harding who was 'out here making a fortune'.

Ski-ing in (Vintage) Style


Monday 10 December 2012

Happy Christmas No. 2

American card, I'm guessing pre-1920ish.

Sent Christmas 1912.

Pre-1914 card.

Pre-1914 card.

Sent Christmas 1911.

Friday 7 December 2012

Pauper in Court for Giving Rations to Her Sister

From the Preston Pilot, March 5th, 1842.

This article took my breath away, it reads like an episode from a Dickens novel.

Thursday 6 December 2012

Happy Christmas No. 1

Pre-1914 card, it is likely that it was not produced as a Christmas Card but that the greeting was added later.

Posted December 24th, 1906.


Posted from Bergen, Norway, December 1958.

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Facial Hair lost in Gas Explosion

From the Preston Chronicle, January 3rd, 1846.
 
Mr Gillibrand appears to have been relatively fortunate; other accounts of gas explosions which I have read so far often report a fatality.

Monday 3 December 2012

Saturday 1 December 2012

A "Séance" at the Skating Rink, Preston 1877

 
From the Preston Herald, Saturday, February 3rd, 1877.
 
This show presented the effects created by so-called 'mediums' but here clearly defined as illusions, rather than results of interaction with the dead.



Wednesday 21 November 2012

Fred Ryedale's Dainty Little Ladies

I haven't been able to find out any further information about this group.  I assume they were touring performers, possibly in the late 1910s or early 1920s.

Joubert Park, Johannesburg, 1909


Posted April 26th 1909 to Miss R.A. Dunn, Goodwood, Chichester, Sussex.
'Dear Cousin,
This is a very pretty park and some of the flowers and walks are magnificent.  We are just commencing our winter now.  Your affect. Cousin Will.'

Thursday 15 November 2012

Coded Message No. 3

A postcard posted in 1903 from Peckham.  Only part of the message is coded; I believe it's Morse Code, but suggestions and further clarification would be gratefully received.

Face of the card.

Reverse.

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Home Sweet Home: Edwardians


The little boy is wearing quite an outfit!  The sign in the window says 'Howay Pianoforte Tuning Expert and Musical Instrument Repairer'.  Posted from Pulham in December 1908 to: Miss E.E. Holt, Woodlands, High St, Lowestoft, Suffolk.
The message reads:
'Dear E,
There is just a photo of our house with Pop standing at the gate.  How are you all fond love to Aunt and Uncle. Yours Jessie.'

The girls' dresses vary in their fanciness according to age - assuming that they are from the same family.  Note the female servant standing in the doorway.

The lady pictured is possibly 'E. Anderson' who has signed the reverse and has written: 
'To dear Clarrie with love and best wishes.
Each cloud has a silver lining,
Though we may not see its light;
The sun has not ceased its shining,
Though hidden awhile from our sight.'

The Perfect Figure: Corsets, Girdles and Rupture Belts


All adverts from Lancashire Life Magazine, Vol IV, Number 5, June, 1956.



This last product, in particular, looks extremely uncomfortable. 

Tuesday 13 November 2012

Blackpool No. 2

Carnival, Tower Ballroom, Blackpool

Posted on 28th September 1926 with a large 'Say It By Telephone' postmark to: Miss Ivy Casson, 28 Hutchinson St, Stockton on Tees.
The message reads:
'Dear Ivy,
We are having a good time and it is nice weather.  We were in this place and saw some kiddies you would have liked it remember me to you [sic] Mother with Best Love Doris xxx from Anne'

Pre-1914 postcard.  A closer view of Maxim's Flying Machine is in this previous post.

Posted 19th July 1936 to: Master D. Wheway, Stanley House School, Bristol Rd, Birmingham.
The message reads:
'Arrived 11 o/c.  Leaving 12. tonight so shall have a good day.  Very blowy.  Much love M + D.'

I don't remember a lake like this in the 1980s, when we went to Blackpool for days out, but I do remember going on a ride called 'The Rafts' or something similar, which could have been constructed within the former lake.  

A photograph originally taken during daylight which has been doctored to present a night scene.  I'm not sure that all of the 'illuminations' added in were actually real, e.g. the spaces between the balustrade in the foreground.  Also, if you look at the 'illuminated trams' shaped like boats, it's obvious from the scale of the people standing right next to them that they are actually cars underneath the added paint!

Sunday 11 November 2012

In Remembrance

The people who are depicted in these photographs and who are the authors of these postcards are not connected to each other, that I know of.  This is some of my collection and unfortunately I don't know full identities or what happened to them.  I have put this group together so that the semi-official photographs can be viewed with the personal messages sent to loved ones.  

I would love to know which regiment this group belonged to; the presence of at least two tam-o-shanters suggests a Scottish connection.  I don't know if "G.B. 1146" refers to a division or simply the photographer's numbering system.  All that is printed on the reverse is "Voto...." and the rest of the word / brand is hard to make out.  It suggests that this was taken abroad.

Taken by A. Leslie, Pier Studio, Felixtowe.

Front of card...
Reverse

Passed by Censor No. 607.  Written September 30th, 1918 and posted at the Field Post Office, 1st October.
The message reads:
Dear Gordon,
Just a few lines hoping Mother and yourself have a good time.  Kind regards to Mister Holdsworth.
With love
From Dad
xxxx
Possibly taken in Wermelskirchen, Germany, to be sent to France.  Printed on the reverse is 'Control Post, Date...... Wermelskirchen' and someone has pencilled 'TOUT'.  Any suggestions for identifying the uniform, especially the badge on his cap, gratefully received.


Posted 17th July 1916 from Bedlington to Miss M. Hudson, "The Swallows", Lissett, Lowthorpe, Driffield, E. Yorks.
The message reads:
Dear Mad,
We leave here for France tonight at 10pm.  I am going out at last as I am just ready for a nice sail across the pond.  You would receive my letter, so if not written back wait till here [sic] from me again.  I shall go in for a V.C. 
So Good Bye Madeline
From Walter

Saturday 10 November 2012

Happy Birthday No. 2

The inventiveness and sheer exuberance of the design and sentiments on some vintage birthday cards always makes me smile.

The whole design is embossed.  Sent to Miss Haywood of Newbold on Avon (no house number / name or road given) in 1907 from her sister, Lottie.

Pre-1914 card, sent belatedly to Nellie from Gladys, in Berwick.

Pre-1914 card, unsent.

Thursday 8 November 2012

Victorian Mourning - Newspaper Advert

From the Preston Chronicle, February 20th, 1869.

This advert has educated me in the names of various material types which I had never heard of: Paramatta; Henrietta; Burathea; Coburg.  It perfectly illustrates Victorian mourning practices, when the entire family would go into mourning for extensive periods of time.

Wednesday 7 November 2012

"Gypsy Fortune Teller Tilly Woods with Crystal Ball"

Photographed in 1988 by Robert McDougall, as part of his Romany Gypsies Photographic Collection.

I love how the scene behind the photographer is captured in the crystal ball.

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Postcard from a Suffragette


Sent on September 1st 1908 from Great Yarmouth to Mr W. Munt, 15 Forest Road, Loughton, Essex.  The message reads:

'Dear Bill
Many thanks for P.C. we are having a glorious time down here.  I am holding meetings down here for "Women's Suffrage", dense crowds gather round all in favour of the Cause ("I don't think!")  I have not let Flo get her trilbys cut yet, so you need not worry.  The weather is rather rough this morning so we cannot follow the example of the three "Graces" hard luck isn't it.  Yours etc. Beat
VOTES FOR WOMEN'

The male trilby hat was part of the suffragette outfit in satirical artwork and postcards of the time.  I think there are two possible meanings for the reference here: either Flo had not gone so far as to wear a trilby, or trilbys; or she was not taking part in activities which would cause them to get 'cut' in a scuffle or arrest.

Monday 5 November 2012

Moustaches for Movember

I was unaware of the 'Movember' awareness drive until a couple of friends starting taking part a few years ago.  Here is a post featuring some vintage moustaches.  The elegant waxed and curled example sported by Monsieur Bruyneel in a previous post is also worth looking at here.
I estimate that these photographs date from c.1890-1920, any clarification welcome.

Here is a bristling, ebullient moustache warming the face of a clergyman:

An impressive, though somewhat drooping walrus-like effect here.

Trim, smart, controlled, contained.  Not a hair out of place.

Delicate and rather timorous, with a good effort to turn up the ends nicely and present a neat finish.  That collar looks heavily starched and not too comfortable.

A solid, job-done moustache; thick coverage for warmth and effect but kept trim so as not to get in the way of the mouth.  Intriguing flower in the lapel - something from the Morning Glory / Convolvulus family?