"Pure Apple Cider Vinegar. Flora Orchard Co., Wrightsville, Pa. 5-2."

Tags:   ephemera labels vinegar labels vinegar bottle labels bottle labels advertising advertisements ads paper printed vinegar vinegars cider vinegar cider apple cider vinegar ciders apple cider pure purity apples fruits Flora Orchard Flora Flora Orchard Co. orchards companies illustrations red yellow green blue Wrightsville Pa. York County Pennsylvania antique old vintage borders typefaces type typography

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"1891 - A Carload of Strawberries from ________."

If you like tall-tale postcards like this one, then you may want to take a look at my album of other Tall-Tale and Exaggeration Postcards.

Originally posted on Ipernity: A Carload of Strawberries.

Tags:   ephemera postcards tall-tale postcards paper printed tall tales exaggerations oversized giant fantasy mammoth huge strawberries berries fruits carloads railroad cars railroads trains 56462 SP SPRR Southern Pacific Southern Pacific Railroad humor humorous funny comic 1909 1900s antique old vintage Mitchell Edward H. Mitchell postcard publishers San Francisco CA Calif. California illustrations

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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!

Originally posted on Ipernity: I'm Sending You a Lemon for a Merry Christmas.

Tags:   ephemera postcards greeting cards greetings cards Christmas cards paper printed Christmas Xmas December 25 holidays lemons fruits hand you a lemon 23 skidoo 23 skiddoo 23 skiddo skidoo 23 skiddoo 23 skiddo 23 twenty-three skidoo skiddoo skiddo catchphrases fads scram beat it sarcasm humor humorous funny comic amusing illustrations handwriting yellow antique old vintage typefaces type typography fonts sarcastic

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"Spring Garden Farms. Cantaloupes, grown and packed by Frederick H. Schmick, Preston, Maryland."

Originally posted on Ipernity: Spring Garden Farms Cantaloupes Label.

Tags:   ephemera labels crate box labels crate labels fruit box labels box labels advertising advertisements ads paper printed cantaloupes melons fruits food seeds cut spoons Spring Garden Farms farms companies Schmick Frederick H. Schmick growers packers Preston MD Maryland banners borders orange red yellow green blue antique old vintage typefaces type typography fonts illustrations

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"You know I love you, but you had better ask papa, as I just cantaloupe [can't elope] with you."

See also I Just Can't Elope!

Originally posted on Ipernity: You Had Better Ask Papa.

Tags:   ephemera postcards paper printed cantaloupes canteloupes melons fruits food love elope elopement cantaloupe can't elope papa fathers permission ask men women puzzles rebuses puns word play humor humorous funny comic pink red orange green antique old vintage typefaces type typography fonts series postcard series

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