VALENTINES

Here are a few calorie free guilt free valentines from my collection.

A mechanical card in which the girls arm holding the large valentine moves up and down.

Another mechanical card in which the wheel at the bottom is turned and the kids ride up and down.

To see more valentines from years past click on "valentines" in the labels below

_____

Tattered and Lost volumes 1 to 7 available at Amazon.

Marley's GHOST

This vintage handmade post card is from my Scottish maternal grandmother's collection. It is possible it was done by a relative because many of them were artists. Unfortunately it doesn't have any signature.

I've always loved this. A simple pen drawing with a watercolor wash, but it captures the feeling of Marely and the ghost from A Christmas Carol.


___________

New book NOW available on Amazon.
Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!
Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls. 

Perfect stocking stuffer for the doll collector on your list!

A mailbox full of VALENTINE'S DAY FUN

I thought this Sepia Saturday I'd just fill your Valentine's mailbox with lots of cards, all from my collection. Many of them have been posted in the past on this blog, but most of you probably have never seen them or are aware of this site. Some I purposely purchased, others came inside scrapbooks I'd purchased. Enjoy!

Published by Rust Craft.

Published by The Wishing Well (not affiliated with the company now using the name in the UK)

Published by Hallmark.

Here we have Clarabell the Cow, a Disney character; she too is a mechanical valentine. She moves her head from side-to-side. Let's just say her head is hanging on my a thread and is now in a permanent brace. That's what happens when you get old. Arthritis in the neck.

This is obviously the Scarecrow and Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz though there are no markings indicating it was an official item affiliated with the movie.

Animated card. Sorry, just don't have time to do an animated version, but the fellow moves his arm up and down. Fickle fellow with twins? Published by Carrington Co., Chicaco, Ill.

Seriously, what is this guys problem? What is he looking for? A true love or a housekeeper? Such a romantic. Kick him in the keister and send him on his way.

From Gibson, probably in the late 1930s to 40s. Yes, yes...separate beds. Well at least they aren't sitting in separate bathtubs ala that stupid Cialis commercial.

When you hold the card below up to a light certain areas allow the light to shine through. In this case the street lamp, stars, and windows shine. 

Click on image to see it larger.

Click here to read a letter from a fella stuck in the Philippines in 1945 longing for the girl back home. You'll need to click on the pages to make them large enough to read.

Happy Valentine's Day and ephemera collecting!
_________________

Available at Amazon 
Tattered and Lost: The Quiet Art of Reading

BIEN THERE, DONE THAT...Happy New Year!

I may or may not have posted this card in the past. I'll chalk it up to senior moments. And frankly, I can think of other things to do than go back through old posts to find it because seriously, it's worth posting again.

It's a lovely card printed by Julius Bien & Company in 1908 in New York. Mr. Bien died a year later in 1909. How nice that this card has survived so many New Year's.




Click on images to see them larger.

The following is from the MetroPostcard site in New York, always a great source of postcard information.

Bien, whose father had been a lithographer, studied graphic arts at the Academy in Kassel, Germany. He left for the United States after the failed revolution of 1848, and opened his own lithography shop in New York. Between 1854 and 1856 he went into a brief partnership with Julius Sterner. He first achieved acclaim for his lithographic transfers of James Audubon’s engravings from Birds in America. Afterwards he concentrated on printing maps, setting new standards for their production. By the 1880’s the firm expanded into printing a wide range of chromolithographic material including advertising, posters, and trade cards. This would latter further expand into sets of comic, holiday, patriotic, religious, and sentimental postcards, typified by a highly graphic style. Bien died in 1909 but the firm continued its printing operations until purchased by the Heywood, Strasser & Voigt Litho Company in 1915. Julius Bien also served as the first president of the National Lithographer’s Association. (SOURCE: MetroPostcard Publishers)

The SCARLET HATTED LADY and TWO NEW TATTERED AND LOST BOOKS

Dear Boy

When I am gone

no more to see

Look at this card

and think of me

Mother

......................................................................................................

TWO NEW TATTERED AND LOST BOOKS

I'm happy to finally be able to announce the publication of two more books in the Tattered and Lost series. I would have loved to have announced them before Christmas, but then those that were receiving them as gifts would have lost their surprise.

Volume 1, Tattered and Lost: Vernacular Photographs, which was originally published via Blurb, is now at a larger trim size with more content. You can peruse the volume at Amazon.

Volume 4, Tattered and Lost: Cakes, Picnics, and Watermelon, is a fine example of my "obsession" with silly categories. Wander on over to Amazon and take a look.

Also still available are volume 2, Tattered and Lost: Childhood and volume 3, Tattered and Lost: Telling Stories. Each are available at CreateSpace and Amazon. You'll find links to all four in the column to the left.

The SCARLET LETTER

"A" leads the way and "x" marks the spot. Another card that would have the "war on Christmas" nuts foaming at the mouth. Such a simple and lovely greeting, but there's that word "xmas" taunting them. 100 years ago? Not so much.




Click on images to see them larger.

JOYFUL Greetings

If over 100 years ago someone sent you a holiday card which did not say Merry Christmas was there a "war" on Christmas? Of course not. There's just a rabid insane group of people these days who are unwilling to accept anything but a narrow point of view, especially when they see dollar signs as their goal. Sometimes the stupidity so prevalent today makes my head expand to twice its size with an explosion imminent.

So "Joyful Greetings." 

Click on images to see it larger.

________________________

New book available on Amazon.
Tattered and Lost: Forgotten Dolls

This one is for those who love dolls!

Snapshots from the last 100+ years of children and adults with dolls. Okay, there are a couple of dogs too.

Perfect stocking stuffer!