Courtesy of Summertime's wonderful blog. I always knew that lady-to-maid fantasies were very popular in the Victorian and Edwardian period. Now I have proof. This has to be the world's first known lady-to-maid caption!
I'm not as convinced just yet. There's a copyright symbol in the corner, which would seem to indicate that this is staged publicity photo of some kind. If we can ascertain who these people are and in what context the photo was taken, that should help to verify the authenticity of the caption, which may very well have been added in later on.
According to Google, this what is called a real photo postcard from 1910-1919. You can actually buy a copy on ebay at present, which shows what is on the reserve.
The addition of copyright symbol is interesting, I have several thousand postcards from that era and I can't remember seeing the symbol on any of them. Given the age of the card the copyright will have expired now
Given that this was supposed to be mailed to someone, the message would vary depending on whom the recipient was. Your interpretation is but one possibility and the creator may have intended something different when they wrote it. This is very interesting regardless.
For example, "How you would like to be the maid?" sent to an overbearing woman could be seen as "Stop mistreating those that work for you" kind of joke.
The card is "mint" so was never posted and probably not an isolated card intended for a specific individual. I had planed to bid on the card and although it is expensive the postage from America is outrageous.
The next question is, what did the card MEAN in the nineteen-oughties? Did it represent lady-to-maid fantasies, or something else? We don't really know.
I am suspecting an Edwardian pop culture reference that no longer registers. Could be a line from a popular song or a poem. Or, more likely, this is an inside joke meant for the recepient.
An inside joke would have been hand written. This is a mass produced item, so it's meaning can't be too obscure or else the company that made it wouldn't have sold many.
- to be the umpire? - to be a farmer? - to be an Elk? - to be my messenger boy? - to spoon with me? (An attractive woman in one photo and actual spoons in others) - my job? (a man in a business suit with his wife) - to have a nice little girl? - to hold this? (a woman holding a good hand in cards) - to hold my hand? (A royal flush) - to board here? (a mother pig and her piglets) - to be me?
Upon closer inspection, the "Elk" is actually of a man and woman kissing!
https://imgur.com/a/X6TJK
I think most are meant to be humorous and/or sexy. In the case of "How would you like to be a farmer?", I can't imagine many would harbor fantasies of being one (many still were at the time) but they would if the farmer in question was surrounded by cute "Pre-Linen Farm Girls"
I can see "How would you like to be the maid" being sent to a man, who would like to attend to the needs of a beautiful woman. It's park joke, part seductive.
Great research. I actually did suspect it was part of series of "how would you like to.." postcards, but didn't have time to check, thanks for looking that up. Her goes my hope that it was commissioned by a secret society of lady-to-maid fans from 1909, but you never know!
I would like the maid as a lady’s maid. The most exciting descriptions are those from the duty’s of personal maids. Those servants which are sometimes called body servants. Can be anything show more arrogance and Noblesse as the wealthy lady who even doesn’t dress herself?
I couldn't find any music hall reference to the song, however my thoughts are that it's almost like and advertisement rather than a rebuke, "How would you like to be the maid?" attending to a beautiful mistress, but like so many cards from that era there were probably several meanings depending upon the sender and recipient
This is, in my opinion, an absolutely remarkable photo. The young Lady feels that the beholder secretly harbors the desire to become her maid. Her knowing smile and her provocative sidelong lance dare you to submit and demurely ask her to accept you as her aspiring maid, probably first under the thumb of her chambermaid who is, in the photo, totally absorbed by her task. One can imagine a whole story just by looking at this exceptional picture!
Yes, a great photo. I can't stop looking at it! I am particularly intrigued by their wording of the question. How would you like to be THE maid? Not any maid. THE maid. The maid on the photo with me. My maid. Does she happen to have a magic medallion to make it happen, I wonder?
A truly intriguing postcard i like such pictures, as it gives the viewer opportunity to take ones interpretation where they wish it to, a few delicious tasty ingredients provided, observer adds their own imagination, mixed together to create a tasty 'offering' in ones minds eye.
The facial expression of the Mistress to me has an enigmatic quality to it, a Mistress Mona Lisa.
I'm not as convinced just yet. There's a copyright symbol in the corner, which would seem to indicate that this is staged publicity photo of some kind. If we can ascertain who these people are and in what context the photo was taken, that should help to verify the authenticity of the caption, which may very well have been added in later on.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Google, this what is called a real photo postcard from 1910-1919. You can actually buy a copy on ebay at present, which shows what is on the reserve.
Deletehttps://www.ebay.com/itm/122898983564
* the reverse
DeleteThe addition of copyright symbol is interesting, I have several thousand postcards from that era and I can't remember seeing the symbol on any of them. Given the age of the card the copyright will have expired now
DeleteIt's the work of the Rotograph Company, which was in operation from 1904-1911 and this description would fit the photo in question.
ReplyDelete(Style B) - A sub-series consisting of real photos cards on bromide paper. Issued as novelties on a variety of topics.
Given that this was supposed to be mailed to someone, the message would vary depending on whom the recipient was. Your interpretation is but one possibility and the creator may have intended something different when they wrote it. This is very interesting regardless.
DeleteFor example, "How you would like to be the maid?" sent to an overbearing woman could be seen as "Stop mistreating those that work for you" kind of joke.
DeleteThe card is "mint" so was never posted and probably not an isolated card intended for a specific individual. I had planed to bid on the card and although it is expensive the postage from America is outrageous.
DeleteI didn't mean it in that way. This was produced by postcard company, after all. Their business is in producing many copies for consumption.
DeleteThe next question is, what did the card MEAN in the nineteen-oughties? Did it represent lady-to-maid fantasies, or something else? We don't really know.
ReplyDeleteI am suspecting an Edwardian pop culture reference that no longer registers. Could be a line from a popular song or a poem. Or, more likely, this is an inside joke meant for the recepient.
DeleteAn inside joke would have been hand written. This is a mass produced item, so it's meaning can't be too obscure or else the company that made it wouldn't have sold many.
DeleteUnfortunately, the exact phrase IS so obscure that the only hits for it are literally this page and one other.
DeleteIf I shorten it to "How Would You Like to Be the" then I get a hit for an 1899 American comedy film, "How Would You Like to Be the Ice Man?"
Delete"This film was taken after the popular song by the same title, and is a funny picture indeed."
There was even a post card version it seems,
https://i.imgur.com/Y3BZB1l.jpg
HipPostcard has a bunch of vintage postcards starting with "How would you like"
Deletehttps://www.hippostcard.com/search?keywords=How+would+you+like&parent_id=0
- to be the umpire?
- to be a farmer?
- to be an Elk?
- to be my messenger boy?
- to spoon with me? (An attractive woman in one photo and actual spoons in others)
- my job? (a man in a business suit with his wife)
- to have a nice little girl?
- to hold this? (a woman holding a good hand in cards)
- to hold my hand? (A royal flush)
- to board here? (a mother pig and her piglets)
- to be me?
Upon closer inspection, the "Elk" is actually of a man and woman kissing!
Deletehttps://imgur.com/a/X6TJK
I think most are meant to be humorous and/or sexy. In the case of "How would you like to be a farmer?", I can't imagine many would harbor fantasies of being one (many still were at the time) but they would if the farmer in question was surrounded by cute "Pre-Linen Farm Girls"
I can see "How would you like to be the maid" being sent to a man, who would like to attend to the needs of a beautiful woman. It's park joke, part seductive.
Great research. I actually did suspect it was part of series of "how would you like to.." postcards, but didn't have time to check, thanks for looking that up. Her goes my hope that it was commissioned by a secret society of lady-to-maid fans from 1909, but you never know!
DeleteWell, I'm going with the fantasy side of things and gosh ! Yes would love to be that maid !
ReplyDeleteI would like the maid as a lady’s maid.
ReplyDeleteThe most exciting descriptions are those from the duty’s of personal maids. Those servants which are sometimes called body servants.
Can be anything show more arrogance and Noblesse as the wealthy lady who even doesn’t dress herself?
I couldn't find any music hall reference to the song, however my thoughts are that it's almost like and advertisement rather than a rebuke, "How would you like to be the maid?" attending to a beautiful mistress, but like so many cards from that era there were probably several meanings depending upon the sender and recipient
ReplyDeleteThis is, in my opinion, an absolutely remarkable photo. The young Lady feels that the beholder secretly harbors the desire to become her maid. Her knowing smile and her provocative sidelong lance dare you to submit and demurely ask her to accept you as her aspiring maid, probably first under the thumb of her chambermaid who is, in the photo, totally absorbed by her task. One can imagine a whole story just by looking at this exceptional picture!
ReplyDeleteYes, a great photo. I can't stop looking at it! I am particularly intrigued by their wording of the question. How would you like to be THE maid? Not any maid. THE maid. The maid on the photo with me. My maid. Does she happen to have a magic medallion to make it happen, I wonder?
Delete"glance", not "lance", of course ;-)
ReplyDeleteA truly intriguing postcard i like such pictures, as it gives the viewer opportunity to take ones interpretation where they wish it to, a few delicious tasty ingredients provided, observer adds their own imagination, mixed together to create a tasty 'offering' in ones minds eye.
ReplyDeleteThe facial expression of the Mistress to me has an enigmatic quality to it, a Mistress Mona Lisa.
Thank you for posting the image.
What appen? A week whitout updates! ��
ReplyDeleteHeavens to Betsy! Where be our apron and curtsy?
Delete