Postcard Image

Postcard Image
As the Victorian era passed into the Edwardian and Roaring Twenties, a market developed for bisque and china bawdy novelties and figurines of women in revealing outfits. Although now most of these figurines seem more coy and cute than ribald and risque, in their time they symbolized the casting off of the perceived restraints of the Victorian era.

These little lovelies included bathing beauties, who came clad in swimsuits of real lace or in stylish painted beach wear, as well as mermaids, harem ladies, and nudies, who were meant to wear nothing more than an engaging smile. Also produced were flippers, innocent appearing figurines who reveal a bawdy secret when flipped over, and squirters, figurines that were meant to squirt water out of an appropriate orifice.

Most were manufactured in Germany from the late 1800s through the 1930s, often showing remarkable artistry and imagination, with Japan entering the market during World War I.

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Sea of Love

Come with me, my love
To the sea, the sea of love
I want to tell you how much I love you

Philip Baptiste (Phil Phillips) and George Khoury, 1959

The marvelous mechanical valentine features a big-eyed bathing belle trying to keep her valentine wishes high and dry as she paddles through a pond.


Captioned "Water sports for Love," the card was printed in Germany.  By rotating the paper wheel on the card's back, you can move the lass's limbs so that she appears to be swimming the breaststroke.  



Her pose recalls that of Miss Ondine, the mechanical "poupee nageuse" (swimming doll) patented by Elie Martin in 1878.







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