Friday Postcard - Oh What a Circus

I thought this card might be in keeping with the mood of festivities this weekend. It's certainly an odd little funfair/circus scene. Two china boys, with their china dogs, seem to be unaware that someone has left an elephant unattended nearby. A strange huddle of (cardboard?) spectators have arranged themselves in an orderly manner to watch - what?

An unusual card, I think, and I love its jolly scene, the odd mismatch of scales, the plastic lion and the soft colours.

Killer Heels

This looks like an accident waiting to happen, doesn't it? This photo is from a 1937 National Geographic magazine, reporting on the preparations for the coronation of George VI.

Royal events have always brought out the bonkers in people...

Asbestolux

This advert from a 1950s 'Practical Householder' magazine shows its age in so many ways. Not only do we see the wife in her frilly apron and her hubby doing DIY wearing a shirt and tie (one must be properly dressed at all times!), but the poor fool is sawing up asbestos board (without a mask) in order to HIDE a roll-top bath!

Fashion is a fickle mistress...

(I also love the way he goes to the DIY shop dressed like a secret agent.)

Mischief Goes To Mars

 'Mischief Goes to Mars' is the title of a set of cards that were given away with Wright's Biscuits. Somewhat implausibly, South Shields, 'The Home of Wright's Biscuits' is also the location of a rocket launch site. I like the way the huge sign looms over the area - the South Shields equivalent of the Hollywood sign.

I must admit that I have not read the whole story, but as far I can tell, it seems to be mainly about the importance of biscuits in space travel.

And then something about giant Martian fruit. You get the idea.

The illustrations are wonderful, and you have to love the way Mischief and Marie go on their space voyage dressed in shorts and pinafore respectively.  They don't even take a woolly jumper in case it gets cold later.

Parents of All Nations

Quite why anyone thought 'Parents of All Nations' was a good idea for a line of cheap plastic toys, I really cannot imagine. Sadly, I only have the one set of parents, still in their original packet, so I don't know which Nations were represented. Judging from their traditional costumes, I think this couple must hail from the People's Republic of Polka Dots.

The whole thing has a rather alarming look now, as Mummy's arms and Daddy's leg have come loose, and the whole thing is a tangle of smashed limbs. Poor Mummy Polka-Dot looks terrified.

 But I'm really more interested in the packet header, which strangely, carries a picture of a tent. Maybe this is where they became parents in the first place?

Or maybe, it's meant to convey the idea of some sort of international peace camp, where the aforesaid Parents of All Nations can join together to promote World Harmony. The picture on the back shows the somewhat stunted parents (or are they the children?) linking arms and striding out in a jolly manner.

No European countries appear to have attended the camp...

Friday Postcard - Totally Spacehoppers

Just look at this smug girl with her two spacehoppers, and her pristine pink crimplene frock. She looks like the antithesis of me as a girl. My socks would be stained with grass, and wrinkling themselves down my legs. I don't suppose she's even bounced on one of those spacehoppers. And how many spacehoppers can one girl use? Maybe she doesn't even know what you're supposed to do with them? That would explain why she's just standing there, otherwise it seems a missed photo opportunity, doesn't it?

And a bizarre subject for a postcard, whatever she's doing with them.

(p.s. You have my permission to supply rude captions for this photo.)

Origami Paper

A pack of origami papers with a strangely random cartoon cover. Here we have Japanese culture in a nutshell - the artful simplicity of origami, the crazy pop culture of karaoke, cute kawaii cartoon characters and an unhealthy obsession with children with extra-large heads.

Oh, hang on.

I left out sushi. And kimonos. And electronics, oh and gothloli girls. And loads of things, come to think of it. So that first paragraph isn't really true.

But I think the winking, pointing boy is a bit smarmy, and I like the cat.