Old postcards and photographs comprise some of the Other Stuff I collect besides toys. This is a real photo postcard from 1912, sent by a woman named Fannie to her younger sister on September 5. It's one of a type known as "Paper Moon Photo Postcards." These were real photos taken of people using a paper moon backdrop, usually done at fairs or carnivals and sold as souvenirs.
Some fabulous examples of paper moon postcards as well as the lyrics and music to the contemporary song, "It's Only a Paper Moon," can be found at the Daily Postcard site,
here.
For some reason, the sender felt it was important to write this woman's weight across the top of the card: 158 1/2 pounds. At least, I'm assuming that's her weight, and not that of her little dog.
I dunno, that dog looks pretty hefty...
ReplyDeleteSince this was most likely made at a carnival, the sender probably also either had her weight guessed or used a novelty weighing machine that day. Home bathroom scales weren't very popular in 1912, so unless she'd been weighed at the doctor's recently, a weigh-in at the carnival would be the only way she'd know her weight within half a pound.
ReplyDeleteAh: that explains the mystery of the weight notation. Thank you very much!
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