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We’ve seen many a card from my collection which falls into the category of single-color ink over a metallic background. This phenomenon of the late Nineteenth Century found its way into many a home. Selected from a catalog, these trade cards were ready for anything—except safety.
As you already know, for some reason this style of card usually showed children at dangerous play, typically resulting in some sort of hideous injury.
Here—just to add to the fun—the children are dressed as roller skating pierrots. Why? Who can say? Depictions of characters from the Commedia dell’Arte were quite popular in the Nineteenth Century when their depictions graced many an object. But, why roller skating children dressed as pierrots?
You tell me. Let’s have a caption contest. What’s happening here? Why are they dressed this way? What could this be advertising? As usual, leave your captions in the comments section.
17 comments:
I'm sure glad we found this giant spool of thread in the giant carnation field. Now that we have that sweet deal with the orthopedist we can make $1.50 for every ankle we break and he sets. And I think we should hit him up for at least double that for a broken hip.
You're so clever, Darcy! You win the narrative award! However, I see that I put the wrong picture with this card, so I'm going to fix it and would like to entreaties you to make another comment once I do.
I've done that a lot too. When you have a thousand pics on your harddrive and you're writing dozens of things, it's easy to do.
I'm just freaked out by these clown children. I know they'd skate into my room and eat my face while I sleep.
That is the prime directive of the pierrot.
How dare you make a mistake when giving us free entertainment? I'm shocked!
This looks like some Doug Henning routine. It makes me shudder.
Rainbows and teeth and derby hats, oh my!
These children skated into the Servant's Ball at Molliner Hall and got into the wine with Ethel and Jennie. Here, they are trying to get upright on their skates so they can chase Finlay. (that rat) and kick him in the shins.
Ha! He is a rat! Well done!
Looks like an off-broadway production of The Tempest.
How sad.
A gang of mimes.
More or less.
I think they're pajama models.
Or carhops.
Oh my! When I looked at the trade card you put up this morning and what you wrote about it, I was confused.(But,then again I'm almost always confused,) So, that didn't stop me from answering. I just assumed (and you know what it means to assume) the other kid was hiding on the other side of the brick wall.
But don't blame yourself for the mix up. I blame sheep.
Now as for the real trade card:
These two are most likely part of the notorious Victorian slip and fall insurance scammers known as Plummitng Pierrots.
I'm always confused, too. And, I also blame sheep. Thanks for your answer. I have heard stories about the Plumetting Pierrots. They're still in operation in Chicago.
That would be me on roller skates.
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