Alan Mays' photos with the keyword: fads

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.

An early twentieth-century postcard with a shiny "Merry Christmas" greeting that's actually an attached metal piece. Why does the women in the illustration have a silly grin on her face and why is she holding a lemon, you ask? At the time this postcard was published, handing someone a lemon was a humorous way to say "skidoo" or "23 skidoo," meaning "scram" or "beat it." So those who knew about this 23 skidoo fad quickly realized that the lemon signified that this was a tongue-in-cheek greeting. For another lemon postcard with a backhanded Christmas greeting, see I'm Sending You a Lemon for a Merry Christmas . To learn how lemons came to be associated with the 23 skidoo fad in the early twentieth century, see Skidoo 23 Is Now 37 .

"What time is it down there?" "Just eleven." "It's twelve up here—you know eleven and twelve make 23." Handwritten: "Did this ever occur to you?" So what does the mother mean by yelling "eleven and twelve make 23" down at the couple hanging out on the hammock in the front yard at midnight? To understand the humor of this postcard from 1909, it helps to know that a fad about the meaning of the number "23" became wildly popular in the United States in the early twentieth century. Beginning around 1906 or 1907, "23"—along with "23 skidoo"—came to be used as a shorthand way of telling someone to "scram," "beat it," or "get lost," usually with a humorous or joking connotation. Referring to "23" in unexpected ways—as on this postcard or on a valentine —and even placing "23" in surprising places (like on the front of a painted automobile prop in a novelty photo) was a humorous way to let others in on the joke. So it's obvious that mom is keeping tabs on her daughter as she watches the couple from the second-floor window. And her reference to "23" makes it clear (to those in the know, at least) that she wants the guy to skedaddle. Postmark, address, and handwritten note on the other side of this postcard: Omaha & Ogden R.P.O. [ railway post office ], Apr 1, 1909. Miss Hazle Hainline, Grand Island, Neb., 222 W. 6th St. Hello Girlie, wish I could have had the pleasure to set and hear you sing and play tonight. How is mama and dad. Tonight is the first I have eaten since I left your place. Haven't been hungry. Mora. 113 Pub. by Keller Bros., Portland, Or.

A lemony postcard from 1906 that was connected to the "23 skidoo" fad that was popular at the time (notice the "23" on the hat or whatever it is that's on top of the lemon's head). To find out what lemons meant in the early twentieth century and how they were connected to 23 skidoo, see Skidoo 23 Is Now 37 . For more postcards, see my 23 Skidoo and Lemons Too album. The Lemon Oh, something that's yellow and egg-shape, not round! You buy by the dozen, in crates they are found; Oh, something that's handed out freely each day, "For yours" this portrait now comes to say.

"'100 and 23 for yours,' said the saucy little bird on Nellie's hat. Love's Young Dream ." The illustration on this postcard is based on a song, "The Bird on Nellie's Hat," that was popular when the card appeared in 1908, and the title of the book that Nellie is reading– Love's Young Dream –is a phrase that comes from the lyrics to the song. The bird's snide utterance–"100 and 23 for yours"–to the guy who's lurking behind Nellie is a reference to the "23 skidoo" fad that started around 1906 or 1907. Telling someone "23 skidoo" or "23 for you" was a shorthand way of saying "scram," "beat it," or "get lost" (I'm not sure whether the addition of "100 and" to the more typical "23 for yours" phrase had any extra meaning). For more "23 skidoo" postcards, see my Skidoos and Lemons album. Check out the sheet music for The Bird on Nellie's Hat (1906), which is part of the Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music at Johns Hopkins University, or go to YouTube to see the lyrics and hear an Edison wax cylinder recording of Ada Jones singing "The Bird On Nellie's Hat" (1913).

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.

For more information about this postcard, see Skidoo 23 Is Now 37 :

A postcard addressed on the other side to "Iva Appleyard, Guilford, Me," and postmarked, "Guilford, Me., Aug. 5, 1907." "Skidoo 23 is NOW 37. Turn around the card and I hand you a--." "I hand you a"—what? Based on a fad that became popular around 1906 or 1907, "skidoo 23"—or more commonly "23 skidoo"—was a shorthand way of telling someone to "scram," "beat it," or "get lost," usually with a humorous or joking connotation. If you "turn around the card" or rotate it so that the text is upside down (see below), you'll discover that the letters and numbers of "NOW 37" have turned into the word "LEMON" (this trick is known as an ambigram ). The sender of the card is telling its recipient that "skidoo 23" is "NOW 37." But "NOW 37" turns out to be a "LEMON" when the card is rotated. So the real message is, "I hand you a—LEMON" = "NOW 37" = "Skidoo 23." In an amusingly convoluted way, then, this postcard illustrated that being handed a lemon was the equivalent of telling someone "23 skidoo." Perhaps it was due to postcards like this one that "handing someone a lemon" became a way to say scram or get lost without an explicit reference to 23 skidoo. For an example of this, see With My Compliments . In any case, if a lemon is handed to you, you now know what to do! For an amazing compilation of information regarding the skidoo 23 fad, see the 23 Skidoo Postcards Web site, or go directly to the site's Lemons (NOW37) page.

This is a postcard addressed on the verso to "Mrs. D. P. Conklin, Highland Mills, N.J.," but otherwise there's no handwritten message, stamp, or postmark. A lemon with a Christmas greeting might seem like a work of Dadaist art to us today, but this postcard actually had a specific meaning in the early twentieth century when it was created. To "hand someone a lemon" meant—often with humorous or joking intentions—"scram," "beat it," or—in the terms of the fad it was associated with—"skidoo" or "23 skidoo." In another postcard example, this connection between lemons and skidoo forms the basis of a message on a Valentine's Day card (see below): "To My Valentine / 'Tis a lemon that I hand you / And bid you now 'skidoo,' / Because I love another— / There is no chance for you!" In a third instance, a postcard (below) depicts a hand reaching out to offer the viewer three lemons. You had to know, of course, that being handed a lemon signified "skidoo" in order to realize that the caption, "With my compliments," was meant sarcastically. So how did lemons become associated with skidoo? A fourth postcard (below) may provide the answer. The postcard is printed in bright yellow and green colors, and lemons appear in the middle of the card and in each of its four corners. The puzzling message on the card begins,"Skidoo 23 is NOW 37," and then continues, "Turn around the card and I hand you a—." Rotating the postcard so that the text is upside down reveals that the letters and numbers of "NOW 37" turn into the word "LEMON" (this trick is known as an ambigram , in case you were wondering). So, to put it all together, this postcard illustrated that being asked to skidoo—or more colloquially, telling someone "23 skidoo"—was the equivalent of being handed a lemon! And, of course, the reverse was true—if you received a lemon, you'd better skidoo!

"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 .

"Rosie Fink, Frank Loveccio, Ann Molash, Stanley Forte, Bobby Smith, Carolyn Ramos, Jimmie Barrett, Jo-Jo Delago, Muggsy Hurley." A real photo postcard of dance marathon contestants, date and location unknown. Frank Loveccio, second from left, later became famous as a singer and actor under the name Frankie Laine . For another group photo that includes Frank Loveccio/Frankie Laine, see Prize-Winning Couples, Ruty's Walkathon, White City Park, Pottsville, Pa., 1934 .

"Dancingly Yours, Mary O'Connor, Chas. Cucci, Team #9." This real photo postcard is one of a series of photos that was used to promote George L. Ruty's "walkathon" (a contest similar to a dance marathon), which was held at White City Park, an amusement park located near Pottsville, Pennsylvania, in 1934. For another photo taken in front of the same bandstand, see Prize-Winning Couples, Ruty's Walkathon, White City Park, Pottsville, Pa., 1934 .