I can't resist sharing these postcards for this week's Sepia Saturday.
They just seem to suit the theme of couples, clinches, crossings and hitching a
ride. I originally shared them on my
book and postcard blog but that was back in 2012, so I'm hoping most of you won't have seen them before.
The cards were produced by Raphael Tuck as part of their “Oilette” series. As I understand it “Oilette” is a trade name used to describe cards reproduced from original paintings.
The cards were posted in December 1904 and January 1905.
These and another set also sent to 'Maudie' have been in my collection for a
number of years. I purchased them from an auction so sadly there is no history
attached to them. All I know is that
Miss Maudie Anscombe was living at an address in Hove, Sussex at the time and
that Charlie was obviously very fond of her.
Once on board the lugger, and the girl is mine.
Dear Maudie,
I know this set of cards will suit you. I went to see your Darling **Lewis Waller in His Majesty's servant yesterday.
Love Charlie
**Lewis Waller played the
part of Geoffrey Mohun in His Majesty's servant written By Sarah Barnwell.
Photograph of Lewis Waller as Geoffrey Mohun here
Photograph of Lewis Waller as Geoffrey Mohun here
The Lass that loves a sailor.
Dear Maudie,
Did it feel grand, then at being able to crow over ones learned relation? Don't say you did not! I hope your pink dress is finished and that your green dress suits you and that your friends like your blue dress and that your yellow dress is not too thin for the cold weather and that your purple dress will be ready in time for the ball. (I hope you appreciate my delicate cynicism!)
Much love, Charlie
The course of true love never did run smooth.
Dear Maudie,
Your irregularity is simply disgraceful!!!
I'm in the eighth heaven of delight. Bert has a cold; Aunt May has a cold; Vera has a cold; Metcalf has a cold; the driver of the G.M.C has a cold, and I have not! Metcalf and I are busy thinking out grand Xmas decorations so you'd better dodge along again and help us.
Much love, Charlie.
Two is Company.
Below is own interesting programme on Wednesday last;
2.15pm arrived
Remainder of day is oblivion owing to exhaustion. Only just recovered.
Much love, Charlie.
The old, old story.
Dear Maudie,
Are you deceased or diseased?
Please relive my anxiety at once, as it is preying on my mind. Shan't tell you any news, as I don't wish to waste my time on a corpse.
Much love, Charlie.
The harvest moon.
Dear Maudie,
Thanks for relieving my anxiety.
I have had a ferocious cold this week - hence the lateness. You had better come and say farewell to the Clarke's as they are departing Tues or Wed. Lamentations going on all around.
Much love, Charlie.
This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday number 254
They are just delightful, Barbara.
ReplyDeleteThank you Dara, I’m so pleased you like them.
DeleteThese are delightful and perfectly matched to the theme. Entertaining as much for the content as for the illustration.
ReplyDeleteBTW your link on Sepia Saturday is the wrong one. If you put the correct one on, I’ll remove the wrong one for you.
I'm so sorry! I've tried again, hope it's ok now.
DeleteThat Charlie certainly had a sense of humor. Love that fifth card (he doesn't want to waste time on a corpse) Whoa! :)) Reminds me of my husband back when we were corresponding with each other over a few hundred miles' distance. I didn't write to him for 3 weeks so he wrote saying something along the lines of "never mind" & I didn't hear from him again for a year and a half.
ReplyDeleteI wish Charlie was around now, I would love to meet him – he sounds like a card!
DeleteOh my goodness a year and a half? It obviously worked out OK as he is now your husband but a year and a half was pretty extreme. Thanks for coming over.
A year & a half was nothing. Eventually we parted company for 6 years! But as you say, it obviously worked out OK. :))
DeleteIt must be true love! :-)
DeleteGave me a laugh this evening, thank you x
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue, glad they made you laugh Charlie had a wonderful sense of humour (at least I think he was being humorous!)
DeleteI absolutely love these, Barbara! Thank you so much for sharing them. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for saying so Linda, and thanks for calling into this my ‘other’ blog.
DeleteCharlie was a bit of a character! Maudie must have had a good laugh receiving these, but she must have been terrible at writing back!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Bel, the other set of postcards Charlie sent were just as bad – or just as good depending on how you look at it. I think perhaps Maudie deserved a little chiding as she was obviously slow at responding.
DeleteI was just thinking how sad it is we don’t send many postcards now, but on the other hand, we get to communicate via our blogs, so I suppose it’s sort of the same thing.
How intriguing! I wonder if Maudie and Charlie ever really got together?
ReplyDeleteHello Jo, I’m starting to wonder if Maudie and Charlie were brother and sister or perhaps cousins. I had a look online and found a Miss Maudie Anscombe living in Hove at about the right time, and I also found a Charlie Anscombe living just up the road. Sadly, I don’t know if Charlie was an Anscombe because his surname is not on any of the cards. I will do some more research (nosing around) when I get the time.
DeleteLove them - they are such fun! They remind me of the saucy seaside postcards you get in Blackpool.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue, glad you like them, and you are right about the saucy postcards - only this time most of the sauce is on the reverse! :-)
DeleteThe illustrations are cute, but I really enjoyed Charlie's messages. I wish we had Maudie's side of the conversation.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy, I agree, that would be the icing on the cake. I’ve searched every auction I’ve ever been to in the hope of finding Maudie’s postcards to Charlie but no luck yet.
DeleteOh my gosh, (that Charlie note about not wanting to write to a corpse) was just too silly) what a perfect time to post such adorable little couples and their fun postcard notes too.
ReplyDeleteHello Karen, I’m so pleased you enjoyed them.
Deleteboth the pictures and the messages are amusing.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Thanks for calling in.
DeleteThanks for many chuckles...and thanks to Charlie especially. Little did he know how his words would be immortalized, nor in what venue they would be shared! He sure had a great sense of humor. Barb Rogers
ReplyDeleteHello Barb, glad you enjoyed a chuckle. Charlie is just wonderful I’m so lucky to be able to share his words. (Hope he doesn’t mind!)
DeleteThose are very charming postcards....are they all from a similar time because the children are so very similar
ReplyDeleteHello Patrica, the cards were sent to Maudie during December 1904 and January 1905, so I would think Charlie probably purchased them all at the same time with the intention of sending one a week. I’ve got another set sent at a later date again from Charlie to Maudie, so I might find an occasion to share those at some point.
DeleteI've fallen in love with Charlie.
ReplyDeleteSorry Lorraine you can’t have him, I got there first!
DeleteCharlie's comments have made these cards sublime.
ReplyDeleteHello Bob, indeed and they made this a really easy post for me!
DeleteThose messages are certainly better than the ones I get teses days. Dear Charlie We all want a piece of him. Who is he ????? And a perfect heading for the post too. Now I'm thinking again. Charlie sounds more like a Charlotte !! Could it be so ?
ReplyDeleteIt’s funny you should ask that! I’ve been doing a bit of mooching around and have tracked down a Charlie with the same surname as Maudie, living in the same town but at a different address. So now I’m wondering if they could be brother and sister or cousins?? Charlie is such a cad I can’t believe he is anything but a man! Anyway, I’m half way in love with him, so I want him to be a man.
DeletePerfect for the theme, especially that first one.
ReplyDeleteHello Kristin, I often find it difficult to think of something to fit the theme, but this one was a gift! Thanks for your comment, Barbara.
DeleteAbsolutely wonderful! If she didn't stay friends with him her whole life I would feel quite sad. He had a wonderful sense of humor. Really fun!
ReplyDeleteI like to think they stayed in touch either as friends, relatives or lovers. I’m not fussy, so long as they did! Thanks for calling in. Barbara.
DeletePerfect postcards for the theme...my favourite is the old, old story about not wanting to write to a corpse. A definite funny bone at work there.
ReplyDeleteCharlie had a sense of humour; that's for sure! :-)
DeleteWhat a beautiful set of cards it is ! I am sure about two things - one Charlie is humorous, two, he cares fpr Maudie very mych . I wonder if the rest was history ?
ReplyDelete