I have seven well-made postcards containing colorful scenes of young lovers in natural settings; boating, canoeing, walking in the woods, lounging in hammocks.
Each scene is accompanied by a rhyming ditty about the joys of love.
None of the postcards were addressed or mailed. I assume that they were collected for prospective relationships that never occurred, as prized souvenirs of past love, or as charming examples of the printers' art.
While I appreciate the quality of the craftsmanship, I do not care for the subjects, the sentiments, or the sappy verses. This may be a minority opinion, a small sample size comprising one hard-edged urbanite who resents the appeals of cheap emotion or sentimentality.
The first pair of postcards can be examined and discussed here. I plan to post additional sets in the near future.
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We are happy as we float,
Down the river in the boat.
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Rowing idly down the stream,
You and I know love's young dream.
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The cards are very well-made; these scans do not do justice to the rich colors. the background is a sparkling gold.
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Comments: 38
Good Morning, Kate.
The little light just indicated that the brewing is done.
That was my feeling, Gretchen.
I believe that this is a "faux innocence", Kate.
There is too much "winking and nudging" about the "sparking" and "sporting" to be innocent.
Odd that you should mention this, Kae.
I saw several unframed old oval photos in a small antique shop at whch I paused on my way to the airport on Friday.
They were very clear and well-done, but I couldn't see my way to buying them and never being able to discover who they were.
I'm with you on the canoe-apprprpiate behavior, Stephanie. I have done a lot of canoeing on rivers and lakes.
Throughout college, I used a beautiful old Underwood upright typewriter. It was a gift from a retired professor I knew in my youth.
Alas, it dsappeared in one of the many geographical moves I made while attempting to advance professionally.
Well-noted, Sam.
As for the weight in the canoe, I assume there are others sitting behind each of them, cropped out of the illustration.
That adds many levels of complication to "Love's young dream", Beaker.
Too true, Kate.
I still miss some large, clunky pieces of funrniture that could not be transported with me.
I once had an enormous desk, weighing a couple hundred pounds, that I had purchased at an auction of goods from a closed elementary school. The desk had belonged to the Principal. One could hide bodies in it.
followed by "Oh, The Wind and the Rain" where the dark-haired sister pushed the fair sister into the river to drown so that the miller's son couldn't choose her for his wife.
And then there's the Adirondack murder... and on and on. I was not having any holiday reaction to that card whatsoever.
Musical accompaniment - that's what these romantic postcards need!
Thanks for the playlist, Dannielle.
Your selections suggest that a tragedy is imminent.
When you go a'sailing on Galahad's Mistress, you don't dress like a boat?
Vicky, perhaps the young man is more interested in the boating, and these boats belong to the young ladies.
What, Vickey, you don't like broad-shouldered, strong-armed, plump women?
That was, of course, her maiden name.
She married the head groomsman at the stables of a wealthy German brewer and retired as Frau Doppelt-Breiter.
It appears to be ammunition, Dame Ruth.
Perhaps Ron B. will give us an opinion.
I love Danielle's sound track as I am familiar with many a folk or bluegrass tune where love led to death or at the very least mayhem! The Stanley brother come to mind, or pehaps a Townes Van Zandt ditty, although I don't think boating was featured in any of his offerings...
I suspect the Dame may have the correct impression of that not so fair lady's head gear.
I can help with the sappy cards, Mariana.
Kate is the source for typewriter key bracelets.
I dislike the poetry and the couple, but I have to admit having a weakness for the idyllic setting. It brings about a sort of faux-nostalgia in me. Faux because I'm not really the type to participate in a canoe trip, so it's *somebody else's* nostalgia, not mine. Yet I find a certain appeal in it. Sounds like I'm about the only one around here who does...
You're not alone, Dave.
I am very amused by the snarky comments about the couples clothes, and the various awkward circumstances presented by the images, but I love the idyllic scenes.
If you followed the saga of my collecting, Mary T., you would have heard "progress reports" over the past year.
From an original collection of several dozen (about 18 months ago), I now have a thousand.
It is an addiction -especially since I started making short stops in small antique stores across the country while traveling for business.
Really, Kenn, what do you have against full-figured women with rivets in their hair?
:-)