Posted 2 years ago
lisa
(41 items)
Back a couple years ago, I was in looooove. I'm talking head-over-heels, hit over the head, lovehearts spinning around me. That must've been addling my brain when I went to Hal Lutsky's Vintage Paper Fair in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park that year and stumbled upon a bunch of vintage romantic postcards. (In my defense, they were cheap!) Of course, I gave him the best ones. For Valentine's Day. Because I was feeling cheesy like that.
But I still have half a dozen, and even though that romance is no more, I still love these cards. The best ones are the postcards that were written on and sent. They have old stamps (1 cent!) and postmarks (1911!). Some don't even have street addresses, just the name, town, and state. Apparently, at the time, everyone knew how to write in formal, cursive script. And even still, some of their messages are inscrutable, and in pencil.
Given the passionate nature of the images, the messages are often hilariously formal. (And of course, they would be. These are postcards. The mailman can read them!) "Received your card this a.m. Went to the Chautauqua again last night. I am certainly getting good use of my ticket. Grace" She sent this to Ralph in Indiana at 7 p.m. July 8, 1911. On the front of her postcard, a gentleman clings to a lady in a slightly exaggerated comic image, like a still from a silent film, and the wording says, "Don't Go Yet. --"
I'm just young enough to miss getting letters. Apparently, so is Arcade Fire's Win Butler:
It seems strange
How we used to wait for letters to arrive
But what's stranger still
Is how something so small can keep you alive
Happy Valentine's Day, ya'll!
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Yes around 1910 when this first postcard looks like it was the age of the postcard. In the early 1980's there was a magnificent revival and even I was making some of my photos into postcards. I collected postcards for quite a while around then, new and old. I miss those years, beautiful photos, now people are using cell phones to photograph up women's skirts. This is the fall of a great society that was intruded in with new technology. I will forever miss the old days, before all this modern technology.
Very nice cards, I love them!!
I am with you on that PhilDavidAlexanderMorris.
Like these old cards. If you want to see more come to From The Past on facebook at; http://www.facebook.com/groups/343866752299887/361516750534887/?ref=notif¬if_t=group_activity#!/pages/From-the-Past/172982232803292
That link was wrong Sorry
Just go to facebook and go to From the Past!
happy valentines day lisa you romantic
I know, I'm a total sap! Happy V-Day to you all!
cute story -- loved it