Strange and Unusual

Big hands, small woman, and general peculiarity for the Weird Vintage Postcards group.

Or check out the Weird Vintage Postcards group instead.

Oh You Lemon! Ripe and juicy, you're all right, In the main squeeze you're out of sight. Lemony, very pretty, yet not too sweet for the Weird Vintage Postcards group. See also: Oh You Chestnut!

Oh You Chestnut! When is a door not a door? When it's a-jar!! Your ancient ones are welcome. May they never seem new to us. "Chestnut," of course, can refer to an old, stale story or joke. See chestnut (joke) in Wikipedia and old chestnut in Wiktionary. Some nuttiness for the Weird Vintage Postcards group. See also: Oh You Lemon!

I think this was intended to be humorous at the time it was published a century ago, but I'm not sure that it seems as funny today.

This makes me cringe every time I look at it, so it must be appropriate for the Weird Vintage Postcards group. 8-) "Here's a maid past sweet sixteen, / Who'd hardly pass for beauty's queen, / To set her free 'twould not be wise, / She'd bite and scratch out your eyes." Handwritten message on back: "With my compliments, E.B." Addressed to: "Miss Bertha Fulton, Sinnemahoning, Pa." No stamp or postmark. Printed on back: "Series 539."

A cringeworthy contribution for the Weird Vintage Postcards group.

The Ghost of Thanksgiving Past floats out of the kettle to haunt the table, only to find that everyone has fled in terror. A frightful holiday scene for the Weird Vintage Postcards group.

Thanksgiving greetings from a wacky turkey with an Uncle Sam head! Posted for the Weird Vintage Postcards group.

I take it that these kids don't care much for turkey since they're thumbing their noses at this one. An odd Thanksgiving greeting posted for the Weird Vintage Postcards group.

...except for the poor turkeys forced to carry their cooked kin upon their backs. A bizarre Thanksgiving greeting posted for the Weird Vintage Postcards group.

But still holding up the old holiday traditions.

Now even Santa knows what it feels like to be held hostage by all the holiday advertising!

Stamped on back: "Hill Studio, 1415 Derry Street, Harrisburg, Pa." Handwritten on back: "Dec. 23, 1947." A puzzling photo of a masked Santa Claus (evidently a woman wearing a skirt) sitting next to a pile of wrapped presents and a Christmas tree. Newspapers are strewn about on the floor, and the walls in the background seem to be either water-stained or wet (could it be the inside of an unheated shed or trailer with condensation running down the walls?). The tips of what appear to be ironing boards surround Santa on both sides. Could this show early preparations for a gift distribution of some sort? Or has a downtrodden Santa taken up residence in a storage unit?

A Happy New Year photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park . Handwritten message on the back of the photo: "Best Wishes for the New Year, Frank Schluth." I believe that this photo shows Mr. Schluth dressed in a costume for the Philadelphia Mummers Parade. As Wikipedia explains, "The Mummers Parade is held each New Year's Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. . . . Local clubs (usually called 'New Years Associations') compete in one of four categories (comics, fancies, string bands, and fancy brigades). They prepare elaborate costumes and moveable scenery, which take months to complete." For addional information and recent photos, see the Philadelphia Mummers Parade Web site. Best wishes to all my Ipernity friends for a happy and healthy New Year!

A snapshot of "Johnny Gaso" (or "Gasso"), who was the "host of Wonderland," which was located in the Gas Exhibits Building at the New York World's Fair. The Johnny Gaso character was played by actors of short stature. For another photo, see the NYPL Digital Gallery's Gas Industries - Johnny Gasso, "Uncle Don" and man image. As Andrew F. Wood explains in his book New York's 1939-1940 World's Fair (Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia, 2004), p. 104, visitors to the Gas Exhibits Building in 1940 saw a "Gas Wonderland" that included "mystery gardens, disappearing dwarfs, flaming cactus plants, and Tiny Town with talking houses."

A rather macabre message on a National Refining Company "boy with slate" label that advertised En-Ar-Co Motor Oils and White Rose Gasoline.