Play Collection (#90)

Comic Postcard - Slops removed and served
Comic Postcard - A Housemaid removes and empties the slops from a bedroom chamber pot (potty), whilst at the same time a (hopefully different type of)

Delightful Edwardian Birthday Postcard - Mr Punch
An absolutely delightful Edwardian Birthday Postcard - featuring a young girl on stage with Mr Punch and Mrs Punch (holding the baby)

Valentines Day postcard - Football Match - To My Love
To My Love. A spectacularly unusual subject for this Valentines Day Card sent from a man to his lady love... a scene of a football match! Sent on 14th February 1914 Date: 1907

Piccadilly Circus - WW2
Piccadilly Circus, London - WW2 - Pedestrians military and civil, including an American GI and his gal. Date: circa 1942

Sarah Bernhardt as Zoraya in La Sorciere
French Actress Sarah Bernhardt as Zoraya in the stage play La Sorciere ( The Witch ) - Act 3. Written by Victorian Sardou and produced by Bernhadt herself. Date: 1903

Playbill postcard for Alfs Button
The most popular manifestation of Orientalism after WWI seems to have been Alfs Button. W.A Darlingtons novel appeared in1920, was filmed (silent movie) the same year

East African Jewish Bedouin Musician in Jerusalem, Israel. Playing a masenqo, a single-stringed bowed lute commonly found in the musical traditions of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Date: circa 1920s

Suicide - the last thng he did
" So Poor Old Mike committed suicide." " Yes." " That was the LAST thing I thought he d do." " Which it were, Sorr." Date: 1894

Young children on the street with the youngest in a pram
Carriage Folk? Certainly not a fancy carriage in sight for these three! Date: 1900

Late Victorian actor in Cavalier costume of a feathered hat and Cavalier Boots with spurs. Date: circa 1890s

Two Actors outside a theatre comment on a Flea Circus
Two Actors outside a theatre (on observing the playbills displayed) pass comment on a Performing Flea Show. First Actor (resting) - " H m - a scratch company." Date: 1892

Hayfus Snecky Hobart in Barries The Little Minister
Snecky in The Little Minister. The role of Hayfus Snecky Hobart in the dramatisation of the work by J. M. Barrie, first performed in 1897. Date: 1898

Mistaken identity - Gentleman and Jewish woman
Mistaken identity - " Good Morning Mis Voss!" " My name is not Voss. It never Voss and it never vill be!". Date: 1900

Early 20th century actor in the role of a Cavalier
" Heres a Health unto his Majesty." Early 20th century actor in the role of a Cavalier. " Heres a Health unto His Majesty" is an English patriotic song (or glee)

A rather feeble suitor with a rather loud suit
He: " Oh! Smile upon my suit." She: " I do, I do. I can t help it." Date: 1895

Comic caricature in a lunatic asylum by Phil May
Dottieville Lunatic Asylum Visitor to the Asylum - " Is that Clock Right?" The Dotty One - " O course it ain, or it wouldn t be here." Date: 1900

Oberammergau Passion Play - Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany
Oberammergau Passion Play is a passion play performed since 1634 as a tradition by the inhabitants of the village of Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany

Great Expectations - Waiting to see An Ideal Husband
Satirical card entitled Great Expectations. A group of women waiting to see a performance of An Ideal Husband (an 1895 comedic stage play by Oscar Wilde) at the Haymarket Theatre, London. Date: 1895

Young boy standing amid the divergent trunks of a oak tree Date: early 1950s

Comic Postcard - Romance at Piccadilly Circus " I meant t ge on the tube at Piccadilly last night, but I Got Off there instead!

University Student playing Portuguese Guitar on the street - Lisbon, Portugal. Date: 1930s

London Street Boys and their soapbox racer
Five London Street Boys (can you spot them all?!) and their homemade soapbox racer go-cart, fitted with perambulator wheels. Date: circa 1908

Amorous Gent makes his move
A suave gent takes advantage of his position and makes his move on his lady love, although his boldness doesn t seem guaranteed to bring success with the coy target of his affections

Humorous postcard - Worthing, West Sussex
Humorous postcard for the seaside resort of Worthing, West Sussex, featuring a bear who has caught a fish and bearing the caption

Baby with German Measles - WWI connection
Screaming baby with German Measles - both a reference to this childhood ailment and a reaction to the state of European relations during World War One! Date: circa 1915

Humorous Pharmacy postcard
Young Boy: " Gimme three-pennorth of pills. Chemist: " Anti-bilious?" Young Boy: " No Sir - Fathers bilious!" Date: 1905

Russian Boys playing war games
Two young Russian Boys take sides in this propaganda postcard from the First World War era, one pretending to be the valiant Russian Forces, fighting from behind their defences (foreground)

Cricket Illustrated - Bounder-y
Cricket Illustrated - " Bounder-y!" A superb postcard (as ever) by Bradshaw showing three caddish English Bounders of the Top Drawer, ready to cause some larks and pranks at the seaside

Two girls playing with a push cart
Two young girls playing with an elegant push cart, with seating for passengers facing forwards and backwards with foot rests for the short in stature (as depicted here!). Date: circa 1900

Infants at play on beach. Engraving by J. vander Schley, from Pierre de Hondt, Histoire Naturelle generale et particuliere avec la description du Cabinet du Roy.Header to second discourse

Flora at play with Cupid. Engraving by S. Alkin, from Erasmus Darwin, The Botanic Garden: a poem in two parts. Frontispiece for Vol.2. Date: 1791-94

A view over the former Hyde Park Corner from the top floor of the Royal Aeronautical Societys building. In the garden in the foreground the children of King George VI used to play when

Scientists at play, 1899
An attendant in the Botany Library, Robert Hugh Bunting captured his colleagues at play in this humorous private photograph of Museum life taken in 1899

Little boy and his dog frolic in a meadow
Silhouette depicting a boy and his dog frolic in a meadow c. 1920

Children dressing-up
Two little children dress-up, the girl in a lace bonnet and long dress, the boy in top hat and suit, as they look after their baby doll. Date: c. 1910

Historical Pageant in England c. 1910

Elves jumping over toadstools
A party scene with elves jumping over toadstools as a mouse provides the musical entertainment. Date: 1912

Picture journey through the year
Twelve scenes showing children playing throughout the year. Date: 1912

Girl playing with her new toy
A young girl plays with her new dolly, a Christmas present now doubt, as she wanders in the snow. Date: 1910

Three naughty kittens
Three mischievous kittens cause havoc as they try to take the milk from a high shelf. c. 1920

Boy throwing a snowball
Young boy puts down his holly laden sledge to start a snowball fight. Date: 1910

Minstrel playing his lute as he wanders along 15th Century

A miracle play
Crowds gather to watch a miracle play in medieval Britain. 15th Century

Children at the seaside
Four young children frolic in the water, enjoying their British seaside holiday. c. 1910

Silhouette of fairies and birds on a tree branch
Three little fairies perch on a tree branch, one playing the violin, another a small trumpet, accompanied by a chorus of birds. c. 1910

Children playing with their Christmas presents
Three children sit together, playing with their Christmas gifts which include dolls, a Mother Goose book and a toy sailing boat. c. 1925

WAGNER, Richard (1813-1883). Engraving (1883). Etching

BUERO VALLEJO, Antonio (1916-2000). Spanish playwright

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