Saturday 10 September 2016

Postcards for the Weekend

Last week, John drew my attention to Postcards for the Weekend, a new linky hosted by Maria at Connections through the World. I thought I might join in too sometimes and show some of the cards I receive both through postcrossing and from friends.

This weekend the theme is bright colours.

160907 DE-5515423

This is an illustration by Swedish children’s books author and illustrator Sven Nordqvist. (The cat’s name is Findus!) I have sent cards by this artist across the world myself – so when this one dropped in through my door, I was surprised to turn it over and find that it had arrived to me from Germany! (DE-5515423)

160909 PH-103854

I also received a (photo) postcard this week with lots of colourful stamps from the Philippines. (PH-103854)

160908-160909 from John 192

And from John in England I got this intriguing vintage postcard of “Welsh women” in red cloaks enjoying a tea party. He suggests with regard to their uniform outfits that they may have been inhabitants of an almshouse.

The hats had (still have) me a bit confused as I associate those with the fashion of  an earlier period (when tea parties probably would not yet have been as common). But a bit of research also led me to this piece of info about red capes:

In the 18th century, it was custom for well-bred women to wear bright red capes, also known as scarlet capes. Scarlet capes became a hallmark of high fashion during the Victorian Era, and any woman with breeding and good societal standing was rarely seen in public without one. Scarlet capes signaled to the rest of society that the woman wearing it was neat, clean, and going about her usual business, like visiting neighbors or going to church. These capes were so important to women that many wore their capes as part of their wedding ensembles. Capes in those days also were made from a variety of materials. The most basic of capes were made from broadcloth. However, more elaborate and expensive styles were made from velvet or satin.
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Weekend Linky Party:

21 comments:

  1. Really liked that last card and thanks for the info about the red capes, quite interesting.

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    1. I found that interesting too Janet (which is the reason why I included it here, obviously!)

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  2. Wonderful postcards and interesting about the red capes. I read a lot of fiction about Victorian times and had not heard about the red capes. Now I will look for it when I read.

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    1. Same here, Terra. It is not something I can remember having heard about before. I think my impression has been that red dye was expensive and therefore not worn by "everyone". (But of course that makes it all the more easy to see how it would become fashionable...)

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  3. the red cape thing is very interesting, and I like that post card but the hats look like men's hats to me, top hats.

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    1. I associate that kind of hat with Puritan costumes... the 1600s rather than the 1700s and 1800s. See capotain

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  4. It is a splendid card to be sure! What a lot of really interesting info today! First, I only associate those tall hats with men. I do think they look rather silly with those hats on! Also, I always thought that women wearing red were notorious and scandalous, as in The Scarlet Letter. Even today, red is associated with being sexy and just a bit naughty. How much fun a postcard post can be!!

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    1. Ginny, I'm guessing the mysteries of fashion go back further than we imagine ;)

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  5. Great array of postcards, and the top being my favorite, and the bottom, most unusual. Thanks for the info on it.

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  6. Findus (who I love and who is also a cat) reading - a great card but how would I file it if I received it? Is it Norqvist, cats or reading???

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    1. The question is, John, where DID you file it? Because I know that you have it... :D

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  7. I love all the little creatures on the Nordqvist card. Hope there are welsh cakes going to appear with the tea on that curious Welsh card.

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    1. I think I see cake on the table too, Joy. (Or is that just wishful thinking on my part?!)

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  8. Hi Monica! Thanks for playing this weekend. Your postcards are really interesting. First up, I didn't know about Findus until reading it here in your blog. I'm from the Philippines and I never came across this stamps collage postcard. And yes, same as the rest -- the most curious one is the women with red capes. Thank you for the helpful info about this.

    My apologies for putting up the linky a bit late. I'll make sure I do better next weekend. Hope to see you again, the next theme is "flowers". :)

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    1. Thanks Maria. I think it's a great idea to have a theme-based linky for sharing postcards. Just as with one's own photos sometimes, the challenge of matching a theme makes it easier (or more inspiring) to choose something to blog.

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  9. Thank you for this interesting piece about the scarlet capes - I had not known about it until now.
    As for Findus, Petterson & Findus are very popular in Germany, as many Swedish children's books (authors and illustrators) seem to be. Think Astrid Lindgren; she still has a very firm following in this country.

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    1. I'm aware of that, Meike - and it has been further confirmed to me by postcrossing (i.e. responses I've had from recipients of illustration postcards of that kind that I have sent abroad myself)(Germany being one of the major postcrossing countries!)

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  10. Well, well, well. The things one learns.

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  11. Findus and Pettson (Viiru ja Pesonen in Finnish) are very popular also here in Finland, sweet stories about friendship, kindness and a little about nuisance. Sven Nordqvist is one of my favorite illustrator.

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