Verbal Collection (#9)

Acrobat balancing pudding on nose on a Christmas card
Acrobat balancing a pudding on his nose on a Christmas and New Year card -- Balance of Currant Accounts. Date: circa 1890s

Man in nightgown with comic verse on a Christmas card
Man in nightgown with comic verse on a Christmas and New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Comic verse on a Christmas and New Year card, with a pun on Ear / Year. Date: circa 1890s

Greeting on a New Year card (possibly with a pun on Ear / Year). Date: circa 1890s

Ear with comic verse on a Christmas and New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Comic pictogram verse on a greetings card. Date: circa 1890s

Tools with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Metal pin with comic verse on a greetings card
Metal pin with comic verse (including references to pipe smoking) on a greetings card. Date: circa 1890s

Baby and boots puzzle on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Last and boots on a Christmas and New Year card
Cobbler's last and boots on a comic Christmas and New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Comic pictogram on a Christmas and New Year card
Comic pictogram with a puzzle about family relationships on a Christmas and New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Pictogram with comic verse on a Christmas card
Pictogram (The Times newspaper, a button, a joint of mutton) with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Sealing wax and seal with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Wax, glue, gum and dye with comic verse on a greetings card. Date: circa 1890s

Last Will and Testament with verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Scarf and hand muff with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Joint of meat with comic verse on a Christmas card
Joint of meat with comic verse on a Christmas and New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Piece of string with comic letter on a Christmas card
Piece of string with comic letter on a Christmas and New Year card. Date: 1895

Piece of string with comic verse on a Christmas card
Piece of string with comic verse instructions on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Flags and string with comic verse on a Christmas card
British and Welsh flags and string (representing a noose) with comic verse on a Christmas card at the time of the Boer War, with references to Steyn, Kruger, Buller and the Transvaal. Date: circa 1900

Grate with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Drunkard and bottle with comic verse on a Christmas card
Drunkard giving a red pillar box a cigar and a drink from a bottle, with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Clothes prop with comic verse on a Christmas card
Clothes prop with washing line and socks, with comic verse on a Christmas card -- including a Leap Year proposal in advance of the following year. Date: circa 1890s

Teapot with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Cup of tea with comic verse on a Christmas card
Cup of tea with comic verse on a Christmas and New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Sick man with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Heart with comic verse on a Christmas and New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Hand with comic verse on a Christmas and New Year card -- Auld Lang Syne. Date: circa 1890s

Pair of feet with comic verse on a Christmas card
Pair of feet with comic verse on a Christmas and New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Box of pills with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Newspaper with comic verse on a Christmas card
Newspaper (The Sun) with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Crescent moon with comic verse on a Christmas card
Crescent moon and lady with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Fishes with comic verse on a Christmas card
Fishes (herrings and sprats) with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Metal stamp with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Devil with comic verse on a Christmas card
Devil, newspaper and stamp with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Glove with comic verse on a Christmas and New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Pair of scissors with comic verse on a New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Pair of scissors with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Owl with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Chest warmer with comic verse on a Christmas card
Chest warmer with comic verse on a Christmas and New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Blazer with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Toast with comic verse on a Christmas card
Toast and toasting fork with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Sword with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Pudding and tooth with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Pie with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Key with comic verse on a Christmas card. Date: circa 1890s

Magnet with comic verse on a Christmas and New Year card. Date: circa 1890s

Strands of red hair with comic verse on a Christmas card -- From the Hair Apparent. Date: circa 1890

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"Unspoken Laughter: Exploring the Verbal Hints of 20th Century Comic Postcards and Greeting Cards" Step back in time to the 20th century, where comic postcards and greeting cards were filled with hidden verbal hints that tickled our funny bones. From flowers blooming in the park to Christmas cards shaped like lobsters, these whimsical hints transported us to a world of laughter. Imagine receiving a Christmas card adorned with two adorable babies, their innocent faces accompanied by a comic greeting that instantly brought smiles to your face. Or perhaps an auctioneer on a festive card caught your attention, hinting at lively bidding wars during the holiday season. But it wasn't just Christmas that inspired these clever hints. A rolled umbrella-shaped greetings card whispered tales of unexpected surprises waiting inside. And who could resist chuckling at an accident involving a bacon slicer depicted on another vintage postcard? The amusement continued as we explored more scenes from yesteryears - plump women riding donkeys on sunny beaches, young couples sharing laughs in cozy pubs, and even vegetable love letters exchanged between avid gardeners. One particularly comical postcard featured a deaf old man misunderstanding a pretty young woman's words - reminding us how miscommunication can lead to hilarious situations. Another showcased the classic doctor-nurse-patient dynamic with rising temperatures taking on an entirely different meaning altogether. These verbal hints served as gateways into worlds where laughter reigned supreme. They reminded us that humor transcends time and generations – connecting us through shared joy across decades gone by. So let's cherish these treasures from the past – those witty whispers captured within comic postcards and greeting cards – for they continue to bring smiles today as they did all those years ago.