Many Hatty Returns » Postcards

Coming Soon St Patrick’s Day March 17

hatrevivalist — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:50:05 +0000

A Selection of Vintage St Patrick’s Cards -- many are hatty

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy_5yYkiuMA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy_5yYkiuMA

Postcards from the 1910s

hatrevivalist — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:36:13 +0000

This postcard was sent in the mail in Canada. It’s postmarked June 13 1916 and mailed from Eva to Gordon Patterson in Markham Ontario. Eva is an Old Pal of Gordon. Eva asks “Did you ever come to this corner?” This is all very enigmatic.

I love the flirty hat on the Betty Boop like cartoon girl – ribbons and feathers – men killers to be sure!

I have been busy planning future content on this blog. For some time I have been working on Podcasting. I recently bought a video camera and I am planning on exploring my own You Tube Videos. Blogging has taken me on a very exciting adventure and I am learning new skills. I am going through a period of information overload right now. You have not seen anything yet so please stay tuned and be sure to tell your hatty friends about this blog.

Postcards from the 1910s

hatrevivalist — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:56:30 +0000

Too Happy? Then give him the Sack

I got this postcard today at the Toronto Antique Market. Sorry it’s a little messed up. I cleaned it up a bit. It has not been postally used but has been around for about 100 years so you can forgive a little griminess.. The caption reads

You really are too cheerful

I must give you the sack (translation:Fire You)

Your smile extends right round your face,

And halfway round your back

The man does not look like a servant. The woman at the back who is administering the “sack”must be the lover or mistress. What a great Edwardian Hat with too very large hat pins. Boy were they ever lethal weapons! The postcard is from Britain hence the British English.

Queen Alexandra and her wonderful hat

hatrevivalist — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:10:32 +0000

Queen Alexandra gives Maundy Money to the poor people in the Westminster area

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_jRHqY33yo

Scroll down on the post to view the embedded video.

This is a very charming video showing Queen Alexandra giving out Maundy money to the poor in Westminster. Queen Alexandra was the wife of King Edward VII until his death in 1910. Edward VII actually only outlived his mother Queen Victoria by nine years. Wasn’t Queen Alexandra wonderful? This lovely moment in time was likely taken shortly after King Edward’s death. It shows images of the Edwardian time, a period of extreme hat wearing. Please enjoy it!

It actually brought shivers to me. The people have such an enigmatic look. The elderly lady who reminded us of the Victorian years in the center of the shot at the 1.00 minute point particularly touched me. The older gentleman in the bowler hat who appears at the left shortly thereafter was also interesting. I wonder when these two were born? Likely they were about 70 (people looked older then) and it would put their birth dates in the 1840s -- truly truly wonderful -- eye candy for history buffs like me and to see them actually moving and their expressions. I am really in awe! Please tell me who you think was the most interesting character in this short clip.

The Beafeaters at the beginning of the clip were great. They wear similar uniforms even now and they are the Guardians of the Tower of London (Yeoman Warders). These specially honored former Servicemen -- they are former NCOs (Non Commissioned Officers) and now act as tour guides -- they are great characters. The first woman Beafeater, Moira Cameron, was appointed in September 2007 -- see this Wikipedia entry. The guys in the Edwardian clip probably would be surprised (to put it mildly). It is a sign of the times as more women participate in active military service as I noted in yesterday’s Memorial Day post.

The people are all wearing hats except when they have them off in respect for the Queen or the Church. It was a very different time. Did you notice the Boer War veterans in their “cowboy” type hats? They spent a lot of time riding horses in that war. Many Canadians and Australians also fought in that war. Thanks to the Royal Channel on You Tube for sharing this wonderful vignette with the world. I love to see the Royal family with their great hats especially the current Queen of England.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_jRHqY33yo

What is Maundy Money?

Maundy Money is given to the deserving poor in a religious ceremony on Maundy Thursday, This is the Thursday before Easter.

The custom is based loosely on Christ’s humility in washing the feet of the poor. It has been in existence in various forms since about 600 AD. It continues to be observed.

The coins distributed are specially minted coinage. The coins minted after 1908 carry a premium. In 1908 Edward VII decreed the special coins were only to be distributed to the actual recipients. In Victorian times one could simply order a set from the Royal Mint and therefore the older Victorian coins are actually far more common. In the year 2005 the total mintage of each denomination of coin was only 1685. So the coins of particular years sell for a premium over their face legal tender amount. the worth of the coins may not be proportional to their value so be careful on E-Bay. Source: Wikipedia

Horse wearing a fancy hat

hatrevivalist — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 03:13:25 +0000

Here is a picture from Edwardian times showing a horse wearing a fancy hat – it has been hand tinted.

Mother and Baby

hatrevivalist — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:28:36 +0000

This is another of my finds in the Toronto Antique Market. I went there after the Saint Paddy’s Day Parade yesterday. This is a wonderful picture. I think the woman is the Mother based on her fine clothes. The period is toward the end of the Edwardian Period – actually the George V period I believe around the time of the Titanic tragedy or a few years after (around 1912). There was no date on the picture which was put in a postcard format popular at that time (you sent copies to friends and relatives). Well it was before the Internet. It’s a shame that much of the stuff we are doing today will be lost as it is so ephemeral. Ah well. Enjoy this I love the turned up brim style on the straw hat. I would love to get one like it – it is very elegant.

Happy Valentines Day

hatrevivalist — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:09:13 +0000

This is an image from an E Bay seller – with permission see my Snow Boy and Snow Girl Post for the vendor.

The Good the bad and the ugly of Valentines Day

hatrevivalist — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:15:14 +0000

I thought that you would be interested in some images related to love and Valentines over the years. One common thread is that hats on was required in yesteryear. Valentines Day is coming and I thought that you might find some different perspectives interesting. (I make no representation about copyright here although I believe that the images are public domain or I claim fair use. Please contact me if you claim copyright and I will take the images down).

If you are a woman I hope you are the ” good” . If you are a ” guy” I hope you don’t think your gal is as bad as the ” bad” and the “ugly” .

The Good

I do not know the date on this one. I love the casual turban style – it could be late Edwardian or early 1920s – any views? The man is improperly dressed. Where is his hat?

UPDATE – see comment on this post. The card is probably some time after 1911 after the designer Poiret.

This designer and the “turban”as a style are worth writing on. Style.com (love the URL) is reporting that the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute is opening a Poiret exhibit. Click on the link in this post. Apparently Poiret was very fond of Arabian nights and gold turbans.

The words of this Valentines card are very sentimental. You can right click on the picture and view in a new window to get a better look.

The Bad

I previously posted about this on Hat Nostalgia. I hope that you are not the type of girl that uses men. Again right click and view in a new window for a better look.

Lizzie don’t use that little man of yours when in Toronto – priceless! This was written by the sender of the card. The man is wearing a hat, the woman has a wonderful Edwardian hat and the man is carrying a very large hat box – talk about hen pecked!

I wondered if this should be the ” Ugly” what do you think?

The Ugly

This picture from the First World War or early 1920s show a very callous flirty woman. She steps on everyone’s hearts but she does it in style. Again right click and view in a new window for a better look.

She sports a wonderful hat reminiscent of the 18th century tricorn. I have seen pictures of the Queen Mother in a similar hat. Don’t you like the Boater on the smirky guy? He’s up to no good either. Is he carrying his girl friends parasol/umbrella, is he a metro-sexual or bi? Who knows?

Not sure if this is the bad or the ugly?

Uncle Sam and his Top Hat

hatrevivalist — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:24:38 +0000

There is a wonderful item currently on sale at eBay. It’s blotter advertising Dubble Bubble Gum. Dubble Bubble Gum was invented by an accountant in 1928 so the blotter is probably from the 1930s. Check out the Uncle Sam drawing.

The bubble gum rights are now with the Tootsie Roll Brand.

The blotter gives the history of Uncle Sam – it was a joke – what do the US initials on a stamp stand for? Well Uncle Sam of Course. All we know is he has a great top hat. I have a wonderful felt hat with American decorations on it that I wear to parades. I’ll share a picture of it with you sometime.

The eBay listing Appears below. If you are reading this by email or in an RSS reader the listing may not show up. You will have to come to the site.

Postcards from the Past: Miss Sybil Arundale

hatrevivalist — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:29:37 +0000

Sybil Arundale (real name Sybil Kelly) born London, England 20 June 1879 & died London 5 Sep 1965. ( See link for source). Sybil was a sister of actress Grace Arundale & in 1893 the 2 girls appeared in music halls and were billed as The Sisters Arundale I found this photograph of her on a postally used postcard, mailed March 5, 1906. It is in the Milton Gossette series No 44. It was sent to Miss Ruth Mellor in Newsome, near Huddersfield England. The sender said the picture looked like her.

I was struck by the hat in the picture which seems to have been attached by two hair pins. It might be held in place with elastic to the back of the hair. Any opinions on this from professionals? It is a design that someone could use as a basis for a design today. It is not as wild as some of the Edwardian Hats.

There have been some other postcards of Miss Sybil Arundale posted elsewhere on the Internet.

Here are a few other references: Here and here (as Dick Whittington)

No copyright of this picture is claimed. I believe it to be in the public domain,however, I am not a lawyer and can get it wrong. If you are the copyright owner please email me and I will take the image down.

I present the picture for educational purposes and in the greater interest of promoting hat wearing.

Postcards from the past: Rouses Point NY love story

hatrevivalist — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 05:10:50 +0000

This is a wonderful postcard from 1907 between two lovers. Please right click the text and view it in a new window to read the love note.

This postcard was sent in 1907 from Joseph Thompson to Lizzie Eddie. Joseph seems disappointed that Lizzie is going away but hopes that she will come back soon. Clearly there is a love interest on his part as he has written “love” on the bottom right corner of the card.

I love the hat the lady is wearing in the card. It looks like there are birds on her hat. That’s another story I will tell later in this blog. When women wore birds on their hats!

It is interesting that the card was sent from Rouses Point to Rouses Point with no address yet it is put in the mail. It is a small place and no doubt everybody knew each other.

Rouses Point is a town (village) in Northern New York State close to the Quebec border with the USA. It has around 2000 people – then and now. A train ran through there in 1907 from New York city to Montreal and Rouses Point is the last stop before Canada. The train still runs today once each way. I could not find the timetables for 1907.

It is possible that Joseph stopped briefly to buy, write and send this card on the way to Montreal. The train may have been taking on coal and water and changing driver and fireman prior to going into Canada. A northbound trip is indicated since the postmark is in the evening.

Perhaps Joseph was a conductor on the train and he used his pencil to write the card in a hurry so as not to miss the train? When and how did they meet? It’s the subject of a romantic novel.

By the way there was a Lizzie Eddy (different spelling) living with her parents in 1910 (born in 1887 approx). It was on the 1910 census I was only able to see the list from Ancestry.com (I did not invest in the subscription). Perhaps Lizzie did come back. But did she eventually marry Joseph?

Any story suggestions or is there anybody out there that knows information about either person?

From Hat Nostalgia blog as per the transition plan.

Merry Xmas Card 1910: Hold on to your hats!

hatrevivalist — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:17:08 +0000

A Merry Christmas to you and yours

This card was printed in Germany and refers to the abbreviated “Xmas” rather than Christmas in full. It is interesting I had thought that XMAS was a relatively new invention designed for lazy people who did not want to get writer’s cramp by writing Christmas in full.

According to the Christian website called The Voice

By the fifteenth century “Xmas” emerged as a widely used symbol for Christmas. In 1436 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press with moveable type. In the early days of printing typesetting was done by hand and was very tedious and expensive. As a result, abbreviations were common. In religious publications, the church began to use the abbreviation C for the word “Christ” to cut down on the cost of the books and pamphlets. From there, the abbreviation moved into general use in newspapers and other publications, and “Xmas” became an accepted way of printing “Christmas” (along with the abbreviations Xian and Xianity). Even Webster’s dictionary acknowledges that the abbreviation Xmas was in common use by the middle of the sixteenth century

Another site called Stagewrite (and now defunct) noted that:

This abbreviation for Christmas is of Greek origin. The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ’s name, “X” in place of the word Christ in Christmas as a shorthand form of the word. Although the early Christians understood that X stood for Christ’s name, later Christians who didn’t understand the Greek language mistook “Xmas” as a sign of disrespect. It’s not. Get over it.

Well, in any case, the women in 1910 really knew how to dress up to go skating in fancy hats and furs. They knew how to make an event out of “Xmas”.

A very heavy duty hat pin is required to keep your hat on and skate at the same time.

(From Hat Nostalgia as per the transition plan)

Postcards from the past: A. R. Williams Machinery Toronto

hatrevivalist — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:19:17 +0000

I found this postcard at our Antique Market here in Toronto. It was sent by someone called Geddes to a Master Bertie Kruger in November 1905. “Master” because the recipient is a child who is a pre-teen generally (although this title may have been used at that time into later ages). It is a birthday card. I was interested since it has a picture of two elderly men from Dickensian times. One with a round bowler hat and the other with a James type top hat. It’s almost like a Christmas Card.

What makes the card especially interesting is that the sender had forgotten the child’s address and sent the card “care of” the A.R. Williams Machinery Company in Toronto, Canada. The company dutifully stamped the card with their mail room stamp on November 4, 1905 – for further disposition.

I wondered what had happened to A.R. Williams since I live in Toronto and had not heard the name before. Turns out that this is a very interesting story. The company stood on a piece of industrial land in the Western part of Toronto. This area is undergoing development. The building formerly occupied by the A.R. Williams factory has being designated as a heritage site and is being incorporated into the development known as Liberty Village.

This a picture of the the A.R. Williams building as it stands today. It was provided to me by kind permission of Dale Reid of Dale M. Reid Photography. Dale included this image as part of a series dealing with “gentrification” of Toronto buildings presented at a Contact Photography exhibition earlier this year in Toronto. You can see that the building is very much alive and well. Dale has exhibited in both Canada and the USA and uses the old traditional black and white photographic process on fine quality paper to produce high quality artistic, sharp resolution, artistic images. Please visit her site to view other images from her portfolio including floral, still life (especially pears), Urban, Industrial and Maritime (from the eastern coast of Canada). The images have an Ansel Adams like feel to them.

The building has a very interesting history and has been designated as a historical site in the residential plan. It will be preserved for future generations as part of the complex.

There is no telling what stories lie in these old postcards.

To conclude here is another image courtesy of a user named “Frigante” on Flicker, thanks for his kind permission (his girlfriend is very fond of hats).