A little treat today, readers.
In this antique postcard, we have a bunch of children playing on the beach while their dog looks on (and tries to help). “We are as happy as can be. I wish you were here with us.”
I would like to be there, too, as I’m looking outside at snow and temperatures well below freezing.
This card brings with it a little bit of postcard history. The artist, Douglas Tempest, was one of Bamforth & Co.’s long-time artists. He worked for the company for his entire career, right up until he passed away in 1954—and he had two other artists working in his style to keep up with demand for his designs.
Tempest worked on anti-Kaiser cartoons during the beginning of World War One for Bamforth. These weren’t animated: they were “lightning artist” films, or films showing him drawing war cartoons in much the same way as quick portrait artists would demonstrate their craft. Mr. Tempest was only part of four wartime cartoon films as onscreen cartoonist—after 1914, animated war cartoons became the norm and his focus returned to postcards.
Much of his wartime work was dedicated to experiences on the home front, such as food shortages and women doing “men’s work”.
That’s it for today!
