Un Baiser

What better day to have a dip into my dear collection of 1920s/30s French romance postcards? For the uninitiated, the genre is characterized by its embellished scenes of idealized romance--perfect for Valentine's Day! So, here is a selection of passionate (or at least passionately posed) kisses. Cynics can come back later. 

I've included the backs, because most of these postcards, especially the more romantic ones, were in fact sent between couples. So there's the real romance in addition to the staged, a meltingly lovely combination. 

personal collection

Written November 15, 1930, in Bourges, to a woman named Germaine. 

personal collection

personal collection

Written on September 20, 1923, in Berchon, from a man to a woman. 

personal collection

Written August 21, 1928, in Marennes, from Raoul to Eugenie. 

personal collection

personal collection

Mille Baisers II

As long-time followers may remember, I'm an avid collector of a certain genre of postcards most readily defined as "French romantic fantasy postcards of the 1920s and 30s" (though admittedly not most catchily). I've devoted a couple of posts to these, as well as, last year, starting them their own blog. Eventually I decided the blog format wasn't doing what I wanted to, and set out to create a more online collection-like site to share the postcards and the research I've done with them (there is currently no source that discusses them at any length, at least in English). I have many more ambitions for the site than are currently realized, but I feel it's reached the point of being meaningful to launch, with the caveat (or bonus) that much, much more is still to come. 

The new site, like the old blog, is named Mille Baisers, which is a French term of endearment often written at the ends of letters and postcards. It means "a thousand kisses." 

The site currently features about 150 of these postcards, front and back, with relevant tags and cataloging information; I have somewhere over 300 in my collection which shall be added on an ongoing basis. Here are a few favourites. 

personal collection

personal collection

personal collection

Love Songs of the 1890s

For Valentine's Day! A selection of illustrated covers to popular love songs of the late 19th century (and 1901). 

Back in the days before any form of recording, sheet music was the popular way to take music home for repeated enjoyment. The amazingly diverse collections of the New York Public Library include an immense collection of American sheet music spanning the 19th and 20th centuries-- thousands (from 1890 to 1922) have been digitized. Though this post only includes covers, all the sheet music itself can be accessed-- follow the source links if you are interested!

Since I"m a romantic, I've chosen the more romantic kinds of love songs for today. If you are feeling less than romantic, just have a browse through the 'love song' heading of the collection--there's plenty of heartbreak and cynicism as well, don't worry (I'm single too!). 

New York Public Library

1901. Source

New York Public Library

1894. Source

New York Public Library

1891. Source

Shore Leave in Central Park

A couple of young sailors making the most of their time on leave-- with girls, of course. New York City, 1943, shot by Peter Stackpole for LIFE (though apparently unpublished). 

Peter Stackpole, LIFE © Time Inc.

Source

Peter Stackpole, LIFE © Time Inc.

Source

Peter Stackpole, LIFE © Time Inc.

Source

The Romance of Robert and Raymonde

You may recall a series of French romance postcards from the 1920s I featured a few months ago. To say I love these cards is an understatement. I've since acquired many more and, in fact, done a whole research project on them, which I hope to pursue further in the future. One of my favourite things about them-- and postcards in general-- is that they are a social kind of photograph, one intended to be used as a part of a personal narrative. With these particular ones, that narrative can very well be a love story.

That's the case with this amazing set, sent between Robert (also known as Bob) and his girlfriend/fiancee Raymonde in late 1920s France. Both of them loved these cards--they'd send them successive days, or, in once case, many on the same day. Sometimes several views from the same photoshoot were published as separate cards--Robert and Raymonde would buy a few of these. This tinted variety of these cards comes in many colours, but the two of them seem to have especially liked the green and pink ones. While none are addressed or stamped, it was very common for these kinds of postcards to be put in envelopes (at the time, stamps and postmarks went on the front of the card in France, not good for the picture!), and indeed on a few you can see the impression of a postmark through some other paper. 

I don't know anything more about the two of them, although since the cards ended up together, I think it's pretty certain they did get married. I feel honoured to have and share this beautiful glimpse of their love story. 

(I apologize for my poor French translations-- if you have better ones (and/or can read some of the words I can't decipher!) please share!). 

personal collection 

personal collection 

November 14, 1927. To Raymonde. "More sweet kisses from your Bob who loves you."

personal collection 

personal collection 

Mainz, February 1, 1928 (1 o'clock). To Raymonde. "To my [?] fiancee, My sweetest kisses. Your Bob for forever."

Love and LIFE

Kisses from the LIFE archives for Valentine's Day. 

Ed Clark, LIFE © Time Inc.

Actress Ava Gardner kisses a man, North Carolina, 1949. Source

Alfred Eisenstaedt, LIFE  © Time Inc.

A couple kissing in side Sammy's Bowery Follies, NYC, 1942. Source

Eliot Elisofon, LIFE © Time Inc.

Sailor kissing a girl at a Navy luau, Hawaii, 1945. Source

Valentine's Day Postcards Part Two

Another set of Valentine's Day postcards from the New York Public Library collections. Mailed yours yet?

From the 1900s to 1920s.

New York Public Library

Unwritten and unmailed. Source

New York Public Library

Postmarked 1910. Source

New York Public Library

Written in a Scandinavian language, postmarked 1912 (from Minnesota). Source

Valentine's Day Postcards Part One

Another holiday, another set of holiday postcards from the New York Public Library collection! Two, actually-- I wanted to include so many I split them into half for managability. So stay tuned!

From the 1900s and 1910s. 

On the back: "I love the little birds that sing/ And every flower that blooms in spring. Clarence." Source

New York Public Library

Unwritten and undated. Source

New York Public Library

On the back: "Take this in place of the bouquets I need to gather for you. Elizabeth." Postmarked 1909. Source

Stereographs of Love

Another romance-themed post, this time through the eyes (or stereoviewer) of the Edwardians. Like the postcards, these stereographs are highly posed, though even more sentimental. Some are rather cute and a couple are even quite risque for the time (though still far from the outright sexuality of these 1920s stereographs). Unfortunately these reproductions from the Library of Congress only show half of the stereograph, losing the effect. Nor are they the best quality, being fairly old, black and white copy negatives. Still, pretty fun!

Mostly published 1906, unless otherwise noted. 

Library of Congress

"Sovereigns of love's domain." Source

Library of Congress

"He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not." Source

Library of Congress

"By the old tree." Source

Romance Postcards of the 1920s

Of course at this blog we love love, so despite my general indifference to Valentine's Day, we're going to have a series of romance-themed posts leading up to it. Today, a selection from my personal collection. Hand-coloured photo postcards like these were popular from the late 1900s to the early 1930s, though the romance ones were especially big in the 1920s and 1930s. They were made in France, but quite popular in England as well. 

The dyes are exceptionally bright, brighter in person than in reproduction. Some of them also have a metallic sheen. Many are written, but in French (of which I know very little) so full/better translations will have to wait. Interestingly, none of the written ones were mailed or intended to be (no address, writing over the spot for the stamp, etc), so they must have been given to the recipients. I am still working on researching the social context, but for now, aren't they grand? 

[Since the original post I have collected several hundred of these cards and done a heap of research with them-- visit my site Mille Baisers for an online collection and more information!)

Personal collection

The handwriting is this one is very hard to read but with words like "beloved" and "tender" in it (in French), I think we can say it's a love note. 

Personal collection

Dated the 29th of September, but no year. "In response to your sweet letter, take my dearest love, my best kisses, and my good thoughts.Soon, Marie." (translated)

Personal collection

Dated 17 June, 1924. The back is packed with writing in purple ink from Raymond to Irene.

Young Love in Japan

Photographs of young couples in Japan, 1958, shot by photographer John Dominis for LIFE (though unpublished, as far as I can tell).

John Dominis, LIFE © Time Inc.

A couple looking at tree blossoms. Source

John Dominis, LIFE © Time Inc.

A coffee house date. Source

John Dominis, LIFE © Time Inc.

Strolling in Tokyo. Source

A Scottish Bride

A sweet series documenting the courtship and wedding of an American soldier and Scottish woman who met while he was stationed in the UK, 1944. At some point between meeting and getting married they met the photographer, and re-staged some of the earlier parts for him, haha. 

Dedicated to Grace. :)

A recreation of the soldier's first meeting with his girl, in Edinburgh. Source

A recreation of their first date, Edinburgh. Source

A recreation of their first kiss. Source

The soldier writing to his commanding officer asking permission to marry his girlfriend. Source

The couple travels by train to Windsor for their marriage ceremony. Source

Wedding! Source

The bride wipes lipstick off her new husband's face. Source

A kiss for the bride from her husband's commanding officer. Source

Tea in bed for the newlyweds (let's hope she-- and the photographer-- knocked first!). Source

A spot of honeymoon... rowing in the Thames. Source

The couple tours Windsor Castle. Source

A bit of window shopping in Windsor. Source

The newlyweds walk in Windsor Great Park. Source