"The Art of Donald McGill ""The Art of Donald McGill"" is a critical essay first published in 1941 by the English author George Orwell. It discusses the genre of English saucy seaside postcards that were sold mostly in small shops in British coastal towns, and particularly the work of its prime exponent, Donald McGill. Orwell notes the role of this type of humour as a rebellion against convention in society and states that, despite the vulgarity, he would be sorry to see the postcards vanish. Seaside postcards represent the low humour and wordplay that was characteristic of the Victorian music"
"Donald McGill Donald Fraser Gould McGill (28 January 1875 – 13 October 1962) was an English graphic artist whose name has become synonymous with the genre of saucy seaside postcards that were sold mostly in small shops in British coastal towns. The cards mostly feature an array of attractive young women, fat old ladies, drunken middle aged men, honeymoon couples and vicars. He has been called 'the king of the saucy postcard', and his work is collected and appreciated for his artistic skill, its power of social observation and earthy sense of humour. Even at the height of his fame"
"Saucy Jacky postcard The ""Saucy Jacky"" postcard is the name of a message received in 1888, which claims to have been written by the serial killer now known as Jack the Ripper. Because so many hoax letters were received by Scotland Yard, the press and others, it is not known definitively if this was an authentic letter written by the Whitechapel killer. It did contain information that was compelling enough to lead investigators to publish a facsimile of the communication in hopes that someone might recognise the handwriting. The text of the postcard reads: Postmarked and received on 1 October"
"in the same vein as the ""Carry On"" films. In the early 1950s, the newly elected Conservative government were concerned at the apparent deterioration of morals in Britain and decided on a crackdown on these postcards. The main target of their campaign was the postcard artist Donald McGill. In the more liberal 1960s, the saucy postcard was revived and later came to be considered, by some, as an art form. However, during the 1970s and 1980s, the quality of the artwork and humour started to deteriorate and, with changing attitudes towards the cards' content, the demise of the saucy postcard"
"John Suckling (poet) Sir John Suckling (10 February 1609 – after May 1641) was an English poet and a prominent figure among those renowned for careless gaiety and wit, the accomplishments of a Cavalier poet. He was also the inventor of the card game cribbage. He is best known for his poem ""Ballad Upon a Wedding"". He was born at Whitton, in the parish of Twickenham, Middlesex, and baptized there on 10 February 1609. His father, Sir John Suckling, was Secretary of State under James I and Comptroller of the Household of Charles I, and his mother was Elizabeth Cranfield,"
"occurred. Original postcards are now highly sought after, and rare examples can command high prices at auction. The best-known saucy seaside postcards were created by a publishing company called Bamforths, based in the town of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England. Despite the decline in popularity of postcards that are overtly 'saucy', postcards continue to be a significant economic and cultural aspect of British seaside tourism. Sold by newsagents and street vendors, as well as by specialist souvenir shops, modern seaside postcards often feature multiple depictions of the resort in unusually favourable weather conditions. British photographer John Hinde used saturated colour and"
"but no cards of Stewart dated 1894 have been found. Early postcards were pictures of landmarks, scenic views, photographs or drawings of celebrities and so on. With steam locomotives providing fast and affordable travel, the seaside became a popular tourist destination, and generated its own souvenir-industry. In the early 1930s, cartoon-style saucy postcards became widespread, and at the peak of their popularity the sale of saucy postcards reached a massive 16 million a year. They were often bawdy in nature, making use of innuendo and double entendres and traditionally featured stereotypical characters such as vicars, large ladies, and put-upon husbands,"
"printed at the Ballantyne Press in 1896. In 1910 Suckling's works in prose and verse were edited by A. Hamilton Thompson. For anecdotes of Suckling's life see John Aubrey's ""Brief Lives"" (Clarendon Press ed., ii.242). John Suckling (poet) Sir John Suckling (10 February 1609 – after May 1641) was an English poet and a prominent figure among those renowned for careless gaiety and wit, the accomplishments of a Cavalier poet. He was also the inventor of the card game cribbage. He is best known for his poem ""Ballad Upon a Wedding"". He was born at Whitton, in the parish of"
"Vinegar valentines Vinegar valentines were a type of insulting cards. They are decorated with a caricature, and featured below an insulting poem. Ostensibly given on Valentine's Day, the caricature and poem is about the ""type"" that the recipient belongs to—spinster, floozy, dude, scholar, etc. They enjoyed popularity from the 1840s to the 1940s. These cynical, sarcastic, often mean-spirited greeting cards were first produced in America as early as the 1840s by a variety of printing companies, including Elton, Fisher, Strong and Turner. By the 1870s, other entrepreneurs such as New York printer, John McLoughlin, and his cartoonist, Charles Howard were"
"2008, conducting Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No 4 from his bed. Percy Savage Donald Percival ""Percy"" Savage (12 October 1926 – 12 August 2008) was an Australian fashion publicist, designer, artist, raconteur and bon viveur. He left Australia as a 20-year-old, and spent the rest of his life living and working in Europe. He was the first person to be employed in a public relations capacity in Haute Couture and is considered to be the original inspiration and instigator of celebrity fashion publicity. During the 1950s and 1960s, Savage was regarded as 'the undisputed prince of public relations for"
"Robson Lowe John Harry Robson Lowe (7 January 1905, London – 19 August 1997, Bournemouth), ""Robbie"" to his friends, was an English professional philatelist, stamp dealer and stamp auctioneer. Lowe is regarded by philatelists as the father of postal history, having published many definitive works on the subject and having introduced the term in his first major book ""Handstruck Postage Stamps of the Empire 1680–1900"" in 1948. In 1970 he was awarded the Lichtenstein Medal by the Collectors Club of New York. He started his philatelic career at Fox & Co. in 1926 and then established his own firm, Robson"
"Percy Savage Donald Percival ""Percy"" Savage (12 October 1926 – 12 August 2008) was an Australian fashion publicist, designer, artist, raconteur and bon viveur. He left Australia as a 20-year-old, and spent the rest of his life living and working in Europe. He was the first person to be employed in a public relations capacity in Haute Couture and is considered to be the original inspiration and instigator of celebrity fashion publicity. During the 1950s and 1960s, Savage was regarded as 'the undisputed prince of public relations for the Paris fashion world.' Percy Savage was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia"
"of the carnivalesque"", Early Popular Visual Culture http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17460654.2014.924212 Also available at: http://eprints.brighton.ac.uk/13357/ BBC coverage of the phenomenon, with examples of nineteenth century cards and a radio interview with vinegar valentines historian, Annebella Pollen: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/34JCKJtrl07f5kY3G9kFNpd/eight-incredibly-offensive-victorian-valentines Vinegar valentines Vinegar valentines were a type of insulting cards. They are decorated with a caricature, and featured below an insulting poem. Ostensibly given on Valentine's Day, the caricature and poem is about the ""type"" that the recipient belongs to—spinster, floozy, dude, scholar, etc. They enjoyed popularity from the 1840s to the 1940s. These cynical, sarcastic, often mean-spirited greeting cards were first produced in America as"
"dating from 1843. The collection is catalogued in Laura Seddon's book ""A Gallery of Greetings"". Another section of the collection includes 450 Valentine's Day cards dating from the early nineteenth century, which Seddon also catalogued. The cards vary from loving to crude and show a different side to the Victorian values that might be expected. The cards include fake wedding certificates, cards that make references to haliotis and others that suggest that the recipient may face being ""left on the shelf"". Laura Seddon got the idea for this collection after attending a presentation by Sir Harry Page, a Manchester City"
"upkeep. During his life he also made donations to help with the education of deaf children. Phillips also instituted the Phillips Gold Medal for postage stamp design which has been awarded since 1969. Reginald M. Phillips Reginald Moses Phillips, CBE, Hon LL.D. (1888–1977) was an English businessman, philanthropist and philatelist, who donated his comprehensive 46 volume collection of British Victorian stamps to the nation where it forms the centrepiece of what is now The British Postal Museum & Archive. Having achieved success as a businessman Philips returned to his childhood hobby of stamp collecting in his fifties. He then set"
"The world's first postcard was received by Theodore Hook from Fulham, London in 1840. The first pillar boxes had the distinctive Imperial cypher of Victoria Regina. Most pillar boxes produced after 1905 are made of cast iron and are cylindrical, and have served well throughout the reigns of George V, Edward VIII, George VI and Elizabeth II. The sending and receiving of greeting cards is an established tradition in the UK, with card sending or card display in the home being an important part of British culture. Sir Henry Cole devised the concept of sending greetings cards at Christmas time."
"""Regent"" series. In 1974 he received the Crawford Medal for Volume 5 of ""The Encyclopaedia of British Empire Postage Stamps"" and in 1991 he became the first stamp dealer to be made an Honorary member of the Royal Philatelic Society London. Robson Lowe John Harry Robson Lowe (7 January 1905, London – 19 August 1997, Bournemouth), ""Robbie"" to his friends, was an English professional philatelist, stamp dealer and stamp auctioneer. Lowe is regarded by philatelists as the father of postal history, having published many definitive works on the subject and having introduced the term in his first major book ""Handstruck"
"Rule bill, and joined the Liberal Unionists. In 1909, he spoke in favour of Tariff reform. In 1907, Wilson became head of the shipping business following the death of his brother Charles. He died of cancer, two years later. Wilson was a generous benefactor to Hull, and is especially remembered for the Victoria Children's Hospital, for which he served as Chairman. Arthur Wilson is best remembered for playing host, at Tranby Croft in 1890, to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. During the Prince's stay, one of the party, William Gordon-Cumming, was accused of cheating at the game of baccarat. Baccarat"
"royal designs, this time for King George V and Queen Mary. Through efforts in commissions and promotion Barnett made a position for himself as an intermediary between prospective owners and artists. Percy Neville Barnett Percy Neville Barnett (13 September 1881 – 1953) was an Australian collector of and authority on bookplates. Barnett is best known for his promotional role during the 1920s and 1930s when bookplates enjoyed a resurgence of interest in Australasia, Europe, and the United States. He wrote, designed and privately published more than twenty limited-edition books. Barnett was born on 13 September 1881 to Neville Barnett and"
"Casino Post Office Casino Post Office is a heritage-listed post office at 102 Barker Street, Casino, Richmond Valley Council, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by the NSW Colonial Architect's Office and built from 1879. The property is owned by Australia Post. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 23 June 2000. The first official postal service in Australia was established in April 1809, when the Sydney merchant Isaac Nichols was appointed as the first Postmaster in the colony of NSW. Prior to this mail had been distributed directly by the captain of the"
"business. He is believed to have been poor at his death. William Dockwra William Dockwra (c. 1635–1716) was an English merchant who along with his partner Robert Murray created the first Penny Post in London in 1680. He was also the founder of British independent Slave Trade. In latter 17th century London there was no official postal system for mail delivery within the city of London and its suburbs. Dockwra's London Penny Post was a mail delivery system that fulfilled this need. His system worked so well that it compromised the interests of private couriers and porters and royal officials"
"it on their wedding night; the experience was often traumatic. Contrary to popular conception, however, Victorian society recognised that both men and women enjoyed copulation. Verbal or written communication of sexual feelings was also often proscribed so people instead used the language of flowers. However, they also wrote explicit erotica, perhaps the most famous being the racy tell-all ""My Secret Life"" by the pseudonym Walter (allegedly Henry Spencer Ashbee), and the magazine ""The Pearl"", which was published for several years and reprinted as a paperback book in the 1960s. Victorian erotica also survives in private letters archived in museums and"
"his services to obtain peerages. Goddard writes that Horton ""felt an immediate loathing for everything about him—the egg-shell charm, the wafts of cologne, the dandyish dress, the monocle, the rings, the voice; and especially the hungry fish-like eyes."" Maundy Gregory John Arthur Maundy Gregory (1 July 1877 – 28 September 1941) was a British theatre producer and political fixer who is best remembered for selling honours for Prime Minister David Lloyd George. He may also have been involved with the Zinoviev Letter, the disappearance of Victor Grayson, and the suspicious death of his platonic companion, Edith Rosse. Gregory said he"
"his nephew, Arthur Balfour. King Edward VII conferred upon him the Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO), with the order star set in brilliants, during his resignation audience. Salisbury, due to breathing difficulties caused by his great weight, took to sleeping in a chair at Hatfield House. His death in August 1903 followed a fall from that chair, when by then he had a weak heart condition and blood poisoning caused by an ulcerated leg. Salisbury was buried at St Etheldreda's Church, Hatfield, where his predecessor as prime minister, Lord Melbourne, is also interred. When Salisbury died his"
"Larry Lujack Larry Lujack (June 6, 1940 – December 18, 2013), also called Superjock, Lawrence of Chicago, Uncle Lar, and King of the Corn Belt, was a Top 40 music radio disc jockey who was well known for his world-weary sarcastic style. Some of his more popular routines included ""Klunk Letter of the Day"", the darkly humorous ""Animal Stories"" with sidekick Tommy Edwards as ""Little Tommy"", and the ""Cheap Trashy Show Biz Report"". Lujack initially came to Chicago to work for WCFL-AM. He spent a few months there before being hired at WLS. While at WCFL, Lujack closed the air"
"Theodore Hook Theodore Edward Hook (22 September 1788 – 24 August 1841) was an English man of letters and composer and briefly a civil servant in Mauritius. He is best known for his practical jokes, particularly the Berners Street hoax in 1810. The world's first postcard was received by Hook in 1840, which he probably posted to himself. Hook was born in Charlotte Street, Bedford Square, London. His father, James Hook (1746–1827), was a composer; his elder brother, also called James Hook, became Dean of Worcester. He spent a year at Harrow School and subsequently matriculated at the University of"
"William Mulready William Mulready (1 April 1786 – 7 July 1863) was an Irish genre painter living in London. He is best known for his romanticizing depictions of rural scenes, and for creating Mulready stationery letter sheets, issued at the same time as the Penny Black postage stamp. William Mulready was born in Ennis, County Clare. Early in his life, in 1792, the family moved to London, where he was able to get an education and was taught painting well enough so that he was accepted at the Royal Academy School at the age of fourteen. In 1802, he married"
"Frederick Lamb, 3rd Viscount Melbourne Frederick James Lamb, 3rd Viscount Melbourne, (17 April 1782 – 29 January 1853), known as The Lord Beauvale from 1839 to 1848, was a British diplomat. Lamb was a younger son of Peniston Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne, and his wife Elizabeth Milbanke, and the younger brother of Prime Minister William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. Since his mother had numerous lovers, his real paternity is a matter of conjecture. He married Alexandrina Julia Theresa Wilhelmina Sophia Gräfin von Maltzan, daughter of Joachim Charles Leslie Mortimer, Graf von Maltzan. It was generally considered to be a love"
"Henry Lucy Sir Henry William Lucy JP, (5 December 1842– 20 February 1924) was one of the most famous English political journalists of the Victorian era. He was widely known on both sides of the Atlantic. Known as serious commentator of parliamentary affairs, he was also an accomplished humorist, and a parliamentary sketch-writer; acknowledged as the first great lobby correspondent. To the British and men like Ernest Shackleton, who named a mountain after him in Antarctica, he was a hero. But New York journalists saw the Englishmen as a mild joke. The mixed perceptions of his real personality have been"
"Harry Lauder Sir Henry Lauder (; 4 August 1870 – 26 February 1950) was a Scottish singer and comedian popular in both music hall and vaudevillian theatre traditions; he achieved international success. He was described by Sir Winston Churchill as ""Scotland's greatest ever ambassador"", who also wrote that Lauder, ""... by his inspiring songs and valiant life, rendered measureless service to the Scottish race and to the British Empire.""He became a familiar worldwide figure promoting images like the kilt and the cromach (walking stick) to huge acclaim, especially in America. Among his most popular songs were ""Roamin' in the Gloamin"","
"the privilege of being insulted by an often anonymous ""admirer."" Millions of vinegar valentines, with verses that insulted a person's looks, intelligence, or occupation, were sold between the 19th and 20th centuries. Art and design historian Annebella Pollen has extensively researched their production and reception in Britain, where they were more commonly called 'mock' or 'mocking' valentines. The cards are usually simply a sheet of thin, colored paper, about the size of a modern greeting card. They were later also produced in the form of postcards. They were usually sent anonymously. Postmasters sometimes confiscated these cards as unfit to be"
"Alan Lascelles Sir Alan Frederick Lascelles (; 11 April 1887 – 10 August 1981) was a British courtier and civil servant who held several positions in the first half of the twentieth century, culminating in his position as Private Secretary to both King George VI and to Queen Elizabeth II. He wrote the Lascelles Principles in a 1950 letter to the editor of ""The Times"", using the pen-name ""Senex"". Sir Alan was known to his intimates as ""Tommy"". He was born on 11 April 1887 in the village of Sutton Waldron in Dorset, England, the son of Commander Frederick Canning"
"Henry Hayman Toulmin Henry Hayman (sometimes spelled Heyman) Toulmin (1807 – 1871) was a wealthy British ship owner who became Justice of the Peace and High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, and then mayor of St Albans. Henry and Calvert Toulmin - A great deal is known about these two brothers as they were wealthy ship owners and brokers and many records are available from several sources which throw light on their joint activities. In 1843 they were awarded the contract to deliver Her Majesty's Mail to and from Australia, and a full report of this activity, called ""The Toulmin Packets"", was"