Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: crazes

An amusing postcard that draws upon the "Oh You Kid!" craze of 1909 for its humor. This card was a bit risqué for its time, suggesting that a husband might fool around with other women while his wife is away. The caption on the card comes from the song, " My Wife’s Gone to the Country! Hurrah! Hurrah! ,” which was one of the "Oh You Kid!" songs published as sheet music in 1909: My wife’s gone to the country, hurray! hurray! She thought it best "I need the rest" That’s why she went away She took the children with her, hurray! hurray! I love my wife, but oh, you kid! My wife’s gone away In this age of social media, it's difficult to appreciate just how popular this--nudge, nudge, wink, wink--idea of "I love my wife, but oh, you kid!" became as it circulated in print through sheet music, postcards, and newspapers. Jody Rosen, however, documents its wide-ranging influence in a fascinating article that appeared in Slate magazine. See " How a Sexed-up Viral Hit from the Summer of '09–1909–Changed American Pop Music Forever ." For some additional postcard and sheet music examples, see my Oh You Kid! and Its Variants album.

I believe it was U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt who said, " Speak softly, carry a big stick , and go roller skating." Or words to that effect.

"The New York Evening. Obituary. The sudden end of the whole Dam family came as a shock to the public last Saturday. They were the most popular and widely known family in the United States on account of their unfortunate name. 'Too much notoriety,' is rumored to have killed the Dam family. The only thing that survives them is the dog, who eventually will see his finish as a Coney Island frankfurter." For more information, see the full postcard: The Last of the Whole Dam Family . Or take a look at The Whole Dam Family Postcard Craze, 1905 .

"The Last of the Whole Damm Family. Miss U. B. Dam, born 1889, died 1905. Mrs. I. B. Dam, born 1860, died 1905. Mr. I. B. Dam, born 1855, died 1905. Lizzie Dam, born 1900, died 1905. Baby Dam, born 1903, died 1905. Jimmy Dam, born 1884, died 1905. Annie Dam, born 1884, died 1905. Deserted." The obituary on this postcard (mouse over the image to see an enlargement of the text ) jokingly announced the end of the Dam (or Damm) family, with the exception of "The Dam Dog." At the same time, of course, the publication of the postcard actually perpetuated the "Whole Dam Family" humor fad. In any case, the obituary was probably correct in suggesting that "too much notoriety" was what eventually caused the entire family of Dams--and the humor they generated--to fade from the scene. For other "Whole Dam Family" cards, see The Whole Dam Family and The Whole Dam Family on Their Vacation . Or take a look at The Whole Dam Family Postcard Craze, 1905 .

"The Whole Dam Family on Their Vacation. Mrs. Dam, Mr. Dam, Miss Dam, Master Dam, Cissy Dam, Kity Dam, Baby Dam, The Dam Dog. Copyright, 1905, W. G. Kress." The "Whole Dam Family" postcard craze was in full swing when the Insurance Press asked about the Dams in its May 31, 1905, issue, p. 6 : "Whence the sudden prominence of this family of strong and sturdy patronym? At present writing, the streets of every city and town ring with the name of these celebrities. Venders, fakirs, and newsboys vie with one another in sounding their glories, and stationers' windows are graced with their smiling portraits. On poster and mailing card they are displayed--a handsome, happy group labeled 'The Whole Dam Family,' from Mr. I. B. Dam and Mrs. U. B. Dam through the grades of little Dams, down even to the Dam dog. An ideal family!" For other "Whole Dam Family" postcards, see The Whole Dam Family and The Last of the Whole Dam Family . Or take a look at The Whole Dam Family Postcard Craze, 1905 .

"The Whole Dam Family. Billy B. Dam, Sarah Dam, The Dam Kid, Mamie Dam, Miss U. B. Dam, The Dam Dog, Mrs. I. B. Dam, Mr. I. B. Dam, The Dam Nuisance. Copyright 1905 by Souvenir Post Card Co., N.Y." Comic depictions of "The Whole Dam Family" with their humorous--yet somewhat scandalous--names were wildly popular subjects for postcards in 1905. The "Whole Dam Family" postcard craze influenced other media, and the Dams also showed up in silent films , vaudeville sketches, printed advertisements, wax cylinder recordings , 78-rpm records , and sheet music . For other "Whole Dam Family" postcards, see The Whole Dam Family on Their Vacation and The Last of the Whole Dam Family . Or take a look at The Whole Dam Family Postcard Craze, 1905 .