Sunday 14 December 2014

I said the Doctor has REDUCED me

A similar card to the one in my previous post. However the changes in this one are a bit more obvious with the bottles on the table being much bigger so it's easier to read the labels.

Both were published as "New  Donald McGill Comics" by D Constance Ltd. No. 682


The first card is perhaps the earlier version. My copy is unposted. On the reverse is the rhyme:

The war is won your £.s.d.
Has helped to bring victory,
But saving still will pave the way
To that new world, for which we pray

"KEEP SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY"

The second card has no rhyme on the reverse and was posted in 1965.


I said Girth Control

An initial look and these two cards appear to be the same but they would make a good choice for "spot the difference". The changes are quite subtle.

Both were published as "New  Donald McGill Comics" by D Constance Ltd. No. 761



The first card is perhaps the earlier version. My copy was posted in July 1946. on the reverse is the rhyme:

The war is won your £.s.d.
Has helped to bring victory,
But saving still will pave the way
To that new world, for which we pray

"KEEP SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY"

The second card (unposted, so no date) has the more usual (post war) version of the rhyme:

"KEEP SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY"

We saved to win the war,
Our efforts must not cease;
By saving more and more,
We'll surely win the peace!



Tuesday 9 December 2014

You've stuck it on the wrong way!

This card shows some interesting changes to the illustration on the front but the text on the reverse also has a story to tell.

Both were published as "New  Donald McGill Comics" by D Constance Ltd. No. 759




The maid's outfit has subtly changed with a different cap and shorter skirt. The statue now has his sword in a more prominent position which lessens the double entendre.

The first card must have been published during the early part of World War Two as it has the following rhyme on the reverse:

Save all you can, please, and invest,
To rid us of this Nazipest.
Remember Friend, you £.s.d.
Will pave the way to Victory!


It also only has "D C Ltd." on the reverse at the top centre, rather than the full name and address on the left side.

The second card was published after the end of the War. The rhyme on the reverse reads:

The war is won, your £.s.d.
Has helped to bring us victory. 
But saving still will pave the way
To that new world, for which we pray.

"KEEP SAVING FOR A RAINY DAY"

This one has D Constance Ltd., 22 Christchurch Rd, London S.W.2

Monday 8 December 2014

Am getting a thirst with these

Drinking was a big part of any holiday (for men anyway!) and features heavily in seaside postcards. In the early part of the 20th century there were hundreds of small breweries across the country and quality was variable. Many drinkers of the day preferred to stick with the beer they knew when away from home and that meant bottled beers. The main ones were Guinness Stout and Bass Pale Ale. Their labels are quite distinctive and make an appearance in many postcards. I don't think there was any such thing as sponsorship money from the breweries for the postcard illustrators though!

In this example they are an antidote to the salty herrings found at seaside holiday locations. McGill has produced two versions using the same design but different captions. These were published by Wilson Bros. in the XL Series.

XL Series No. 2104 and XL Series No. R 2104


I am guessing that the one numbered R.2104 is the later version. Does anyone know for certain or what 'R' stands for? My guess would be 'revised' or possibly 'reply'

The XL Series often added letters to the cards' number to indicate a difference. 'A' and 'V' as well as 'R' are used.

McGill had drawn a similar card for Joseph Asher & Co.

Joseph Asher & Co. No. A 248
(postmarked 1912)



I've just arrived

I thought this would be an appropriate card to start with. A classic seaside card. McGill used the "I've just arrived" caption many many times over the years.

This card is a "New  Donald McGill Comics" by D Constance Ltd. No. 31.

Originally published in the late 1930s, probably 1936, the copies I have are from the late 1940s. The first is postmarked 1948 (I think), the other is unposted but both have the "We saved to win the war" rhyme on the reverse.





At first glance these look to be exactly the same apart from the caption. Closer inspection shows that the second of the two cards is a much crisper drawing, some colours are different and there are various subtle changes to the detail:
  • although her garters show in both the glimpse of petticoat or knickers has disappeared from the second version
  • the comb's teeth are pointing upwards in one, downwards in another
  • the contents of the pink handbag are different
  • the lady in the background has a smaller hat but more billowing skirt
  • the man has a red tie with spots in one, without in another
  • shadows are different
  • a yacht has appeared on the horizon
And so it goes on...

McGill obviously liked this image because he used it again with a different caption - D Constance Ltd. R No. 31.



There was also a companion version of the "I've just arrived" which shows a man falling over and spilling the contents of his suitcase - so far I've only seen the one version of this card (D Constance Ltd No. 32)