Leap Year only occurs once every four years, so we thought we’d show you an amusing old postcard from this unusual holiday, when role reversal was the norm for the day, Victorian behavioral constraints were set aside, and women were allowed to propose to the man of their choice. This particular postcard was printed for Leap Year 1908, 100 years ago today.
Entitled “The Piano Proposal, or The Message of the Music” and captioned: “Try This on Your Piano/It Will Catch Him in 1908” the postcard shows a nervous woman peaking out from behind a curtain, as her suspicious beau, Oscar, whose photo is atop the piano, eyes the sheet music titles scattered about. The beau is thinking: “Maybe It’s a Coincidence, But It Certainly Looks Suspicious.”
Oscar probably has every right to suspect a set-up, as the songs carry such titles as: “I’m Wearing My Heart Away for You!”; “Dreaming”; “Every Little Bit Helps”; “I’m So Lonesome”; “I Just Can’t Make My Eyes Behave!”; “Everybody’s in Slumberland But You and I!”; and “Don’t You Think It’s Time to Marry?”
The postcard bears a scarce 1909 Laytonsville, KY DPO (dead post office) cancel, and was part of a collection we purchased containing postcards addressed to Miss Georgia Fruit, who lived in the Hopkinsville, Kentucky area. The Laytonsville post office was only open from 1890 to 1913, and was purchased by a collector for the DPO cancel. The message on the reverse reads: “Can you play these pieces? If not, learn by the time I come, for I am coming soon. Your friend.” A mysterious and romantic Christian County or holiday collectible.
Learn more about holiday postcards, or see a selection of holiday postcards at our website.
Copyright ©2008 VintagePostcards.org
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
Leave a Comment