Can You Compose a Witty Caption ?

We have lots of vintage erotic postcards on our website at this link, and it occurred to us that some of the poses - like this one for example - are so ridiculous as to merit a comic caption. The magazine "Punch" - now, alas, defunct since 2002 - used to have a weekly competition for new captions to old cartoons. It gave prizes to the winners. We'd love to be able to do the same, but our finances do not permit such generosity, so instead, if you can come up with an hilarious (and not too rude !) caption for this card, or for any postcard on our web pages, we will construct a permanent memorial to you by adding your name to the caption (should you so wish of course) so that your fame will be spread far and wide - I was going to add "like this lady's legs" but perhaps not. So ignite the humorous side of your brain and show us what you can do !
The New Yorker has excellent cartoons, and you can see lots of old Punch cartoons on their super website - just follow the links !

Avebury, Wiltshire

If you have enjoyed a visit to Stonehenge, go to Avebury as I think you will enjoy it even more. The village is situated in amongst several large circles of prehistoric stones, many of which have been lost (the locals broke them up and built walls and houses from them !) but many of which are well preserved - and unlike Stonehenge, you can go right up to the stones and touch them. This postcard, which was issued by the old Ministry of Works, clearly shows the village and the stone circles. Nearby are Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow, and there are shops and a pub in Avebury.

Budapest, Hungary

This is a great old postcard of Klothild Palace in Budapest. It was mailed in 1909.

Krakow, The Cloth Hall

The Cloth Hall in Krakow may well be considered the world's oldest shopping mall. It's in the middle of Grand Square, and about 1300 a roof was erected over the market stalls where textiles were traded - hence the name. After a fire in 1555 it was rebuilt as a splendid Renaissance edifice to which various additions and alterations have been made so that today it is a big tourist attraction housing the Krakow National Museum plus stalls and shops selling mostly souvenirs. A Christmas market is held there each December. This postcard dates from around 1910.

Northampton - St Giles

This is a great old postcard from the 1950s and shows St Giles Street in Northampton and some contemporary motor vehicles. It's an excellent quality real photo postcard and will be valued by collectors.

Another Early 20th Century "Glamour" Postcard

Not a lot I can say about this one - looks as though it's from the 1920s or 30s, and a good quality photograph. More at this link.

The London Coliseum

The London Coliseum can be found just off Trafalgar Square, on St Martin's Lane. It is visible from a fair distance because of its famous globe on top of the theatre tower. The theatre opened on Christmas Eve 1904 but closed down two years later and lay dormant for another year. Since then, however, it has had a string of successes and now is home to the English National Opera. It is one of London's largest and most lavish theatres, larger even than Drury Lane, and with seats for an audience of around 2500. For lots more about this theatre, follow this link to an excellent website !

Niagara Falls

Probably the most visited tourist spot in the USA if not in the world. I've been a couple of times and it certainly is very spectacular, although very hot and steamy at the height of summer. It's also becoming more and more commercialized, but in the end nothing spoils the sheer grandeur of the falls when you are standing just a few feet away from this enormous cascade. This postcard was mailed in 1919.

Stratford-upon-Avon, The Fountain

This postcard from the early twentieth century shows a drinking fountain which was presented to Stratford-upon-Avon by a certain Mr George Childs from Philadelphia in the USA in 1887. It was intended not only to commemorate Shakespeare but also Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, and provided drinking water for horses and humans alike. The Fountain is in Rother Street where a weekly market has been held for many years.

Hong Kong - the Kowloon Ferry

This is a rather fine old postcard of the Kowloon Ferry, Hong Kong. Unfortunately we can't put a date on it, but it appears to be quite early 20th Century. We've just created a page of old postcards of Hong Kong on our website - to see it, please follow this link.

Victoria Station, London

Victoria was originally two stations. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway station opened in 1860, followed by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway in 1862. The two stations were merged in 1924, although even today there are two distinct internal areas. The Grosvenor Hotel was built above the station as can be seen in this postcard. It opened in 1861. The postcard is undated but appears to be from around 1910 or a little later.

Philadelphia - Aerial View

Postcards showing aerial views became very popular in the 1920s and 30s when aeroplanes became available to take the photographs. This one is of Philadelphia. The reverse of the postcard states "Air View showing the Benjamin Franklin Parkway leading straight from the center of the city toward the Art Museum and Fairmount Park". The postcard has not been through the mail, so we can't date it, but no doubt some of you Philly residents should be able to identify buildings and date it that way.

Sorry !!

For those few of you who have been following this blog, apologies for not posting anything for a month - not exactly daily !! Circumstances have made it difficult to keep up with this commitment. I can't promise that posts will be daily from now on, but I'll try !

Jean Harlow

There are a vast number of old postcards of film stars from the 1930s onwards. In the early days of the movies, these were excellent publicity material, and were collected avidly.
Jean Harlow was a beautiful actress, who died at the age of only 26 from kidney failure. Nevertheless she still managed to appear in about 40 films in her short life. She was an MGM "superstar" and in 1931 earned a salary of $1250 a week, a huge sum in those days - wish I made that now !! It was in the Spring of 1937, whilst filming with Clark Gable, that she fell ill and died.

London - The Thames Embankment

A nice view of the Embankment from the 1930s. The large building on the left is the Shell Building, formerly the Hotel Cecil. Shell took it over in 1930. The river front was remodelled and the building renamed Shell-Mex House, so this, as well as the vehicles on the Embankment, gives a clue to the date of the postcard. The building to the right of the Shell building is the Savoy Hotel.

Florence - Piazza del Duomo and Giotto's Bell Tower

This is a nice old postcard of Florence, probably dating from the 1920s or 30s. Note what appear to be tram lines in the foreground.

Not much more I can write about this one. Most people know Florence nowadays and even if you've never visited I'm sure you've seen loads of pictures and read books about this beautiful city and its amazing old buildings.

Echternach, Luxembourg

This old postcard of Echternach, in Luxembourg, was posted in 1928. The town lies on the River Sauer which at this point forms the border between Luxembourg and Germany. Echternach was badly damaged in World War II and has since has been - as they say - "sympathetically" restored. I've been a couple of times a few years ago, and it's an interesting spot with plenty of old - or perhaps not so old if they've been restored ! - buildings. Worth a couple of hours of your time.

Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire

Stow-on-the-Wold is a small town in the English Cotswold Hills, in Gloucestershire. It is situated on top of a hill, and can be quite cold in winter - hence the local rhyme "The wind blows cold in Stow-on-the-Wold". It's a pleasant little town with a large square in the town centre and some interesting shops and pubs. This postcard - from the 1930s - shows the old stocks which have been preserved, for the benefit of tourists no doubt !

Woodbine Racecourse, Toronto

This old postcard depicts horse racing at the famous Woodbine Course in Toronto. I don't have an exact date for the postcard but from the ladies' fashions...well you can guess for yourself, early 1900s certainly. This is the original Woodbine which opened in 1874. A new course was opened in 1956 and this site renamed Old Woodbine and then Greenwood. Racing continued there until 1993 when the site was redeveloped.

Brussels - A Panoramic View

This is a good quality old postcard of Brussels, dating from the early 1900s. Like most big cities in Europe, there are hundreds of postcards of the Belgian capital, mostly of the tourist spots, but also a good many of the less visited places as postcard photographers tried to come up with something different. For those of you who haven't visited this city, try to do so as it is a great place, very lively, and with plenty to see and do.