Dateline: August 16, 1926 - Magnificent postcard art!

Verging upon the indelicate or improper, this risque postcard was created and offered for sale at one of the many boardwalk postcard shops that "sprang up" to serve the beach population of the early 1920s. Although it might seem impossible to believe (by today's standards) many small stores managed to stay in business (and even did quite well-financially) by vending nonsensical and frivolous merchandise such as this.

With an elaborate boarder and professionally scribed text, this card includes an actual "snapshot" of the Rockaway beach and boardwalk (circa 1919) and displays part of the beachfront in the Holland section of Queens. In its own way, the card is rather unique and is considered by some to be rather attractive - it definitely is most collectible. It certainly is a document once received, definitely always remembered.

Women purchased the majority of the postcards which were mailed out during the first quarter of the last century. Novelty cards such as our example would probably have had greater male appeal - which is also true regarding the hundreds of cards depicting females in a variety of suggestive poses. This brings to mind one card I came across recently which shows a girl lying on her side on the sand staring out into space with an ever-so- slight smirk on her face - and the writer of the card inscribed the message: "she looks like she is ready for it" - and considering that the card was written and mailed back in 1911, it gives solid testimony to the fact that people have always had the same ideas and the same directions - it is just that one hundred years ago, they were able to disguise those naughty feelings a heck of a lot better!

Our card was mailed to Frank who lived in Huntington, Long Island (back in 1926) and the message read: "Dear Frank, Isabel and I are down here having a wild time by ourselves but need you for more fun! I remain, Laura. "