Vintage Image of the Day: An Invitation to the Savoy Coronation Ball, 1953

Savoy Hotel Invitation to 1953 Coronation Ball
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In June of 1953, all of Britain was awash in celebrations in honor of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. From modest gatherings to lavish balls, nowhere was more bustling with merriment than London.


The swankiest hotels hosted opulent affairs. Here’s an invitation to one of them. Here, we see an invitation to The Savoy Coronation Ball, of June, 1953, to be held on the night of The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

This handsome card was designed by A. Games, and printed by Lund Humphries.

Image of the Day: The Piglet's Offering, 1930-1950

Polyester Slide
Samoa, 1930-1950
The British Museum

This polyester slide was photographed in Samoa and is inscribed with the date of 20 March.  While the year is unknown, it was likely taken between 1930 and 1950.  The image is both pleasing and peculiar, depicting a rural scene of a wooden bench laden with an offering of a bunch of bananas and banana leaves.  Beneath the bench is another bunch of bananas, and, if you look closely, a wee piglet.

Sadly, little else is known about the piece except that it is one of fifty-four transparencies which were bequeathed to the British Museum in 1980 from the collection of Angela Murphy.

Image of the Day: A Professor and his Puppets, 1950

A Professor and his Puppets
1950-60
The Victoria & Albert Museum

From the George Speaight Archive at the V&A, we have a photograph of a Punch & Judy Professor and his puppets which dates to between 1950 and 1960.  As I mentioned earlier today, the V&A’s Museum of Childhood will be hosting an exhibition of images of Professors and their puppets in the same spirit as this photo.

Vintage Image of the Day: An Invitation to the Savoy Coronation Ball, 1953

Savoy Hotel Invitation to 1953 Coronation Ball
The Victoria & Albert Museum

In June of 1953, all of Britain was awash in celebrations in honor of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. From modest gatherings to lavish balls, nowhere was more bustling with merriment than London.


The swankiest hotels hosted opulent affairs. Here’s an invitation to one of them. Here, we see an invitation to The Savoy Coronation Ball, of June, 1953, to be held on the night of The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

This handsome card was designed by A. Games, and printed by Lund Humphries.

Belle Époque Image of the Day: A Guignol Puppet Theatre

Now that we’ve become acquainted with Guignol, Punch’s French cousin, I thought I’d share this image from 1919 of a Parisian Guignol Puppet Theater. Puppet theatres such as this one are still in operation in parts of Paris, offering several shows per day. This image is especially charming. The audience members are all so smartly dressed. I also find the poster tacked to the tree to be endearing.

Just to make things a little kookier, here’s a picture of the same theatre from 1964. This is actually a screen shot from a very groovy (in the way only a Technicolor film from 1964 can be groovy) picture starring William Holden and Audrey Hepburn with Noel Coward at his most-Noel-Coward-est.

Similar theatres in England were and are the home of Punch and Judy. Perhaps our Lord Julian from Punch’s Cousin should consider lending his puppet to such a theatre.