Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-06-11
Postal Photographs.
From the Detroit Free Press

prominent gallery while waiting for
a sitting, pointing to sheet OF what
appeared to be postage stamps.
"Tbose are portrait stamps, the new
est thing in elegant correspondence"
answered the young lady in specs, who
attended the sho wcase. She took out
sheet and tore off stamp. 1t was
exactly the size of a government 2
cent stamp, with an elaborate scroll
border, and on the oval center was the
three-quarter figure of q beautiful
child.
"Are these taken in Detroit?"
"No; but the child lives here. She
is O beautiful little girl on Elizabeth
Street East. 1t is taken from card
photograph"
Further inquiry developed the fact
that this pretty custom had been in
vogue for some time. Postal photog-
raphy is by no means new. The
stamps are prepared with mucilage on
them SO that you can take your
mother-in -law, wife or sweetheart, give
her q good licking, paste her on the
corner of an envelope, and send her off
with the mail at a very trifing ex-
pense. The government stamp can
not be dispensed with, however. and
there is danger of delaying the mails !;
when the curious postal clerk finds a
particularly attractive photo on the
letter, he cancels it, and defrauds the
recipient of the beloved features.
Photographic patchwork is another
craze in social circles. The newest
rr7f1% &c cot hoo oil ho
friends and acquaintance photo
graphed on squares of silk, and joined
together in framework of embroidery.
It may not be altogether a compliment
to Mr.. Blanke to have his fine features
tucked in at the foot of the bed, or Mrs.
Blanke, with stitch in her side, meek
1y protesting against smothering
pillow sham, but it will while away
long hours of idleness and indisposi-
ton, to be able to have a portrait gal
lery on the counterpart, and possibly
the combination may effect the ancient
nightmare, and send that marauding
steed galloping off in disgust.
The photographed hat-lining is still
much admired, especially by dudish
youths who are in the first agony of a
callow love. Her features somewhat
obscured by BARRIERS oil and the fric-
ton of developing brains, just fit into
the crown and no doubt exert strong
influence on the masculine goosey-
goose who wears them.
$ The newest wrinkle in ladies' pict-
ures is a shawl worn over the head,
not a la Spanish mantilla, nor la
Chantilly lace, nor la market woman,
but la Indian Princess. A black,
thick, heavy shawl, laid in folds and
dropping each side of the face, just as
the Canadian bead and basket sellers
wear theirs. It being rather the cor
rect thing just now to have dash of
heroine blood in the veins and high
cheek-bones, this head drapery only
needs the introduction of hoop ear
rings and feather to make it statues
quely barbaric. Several of our Jeffer-
son Avenue bellies have had pictures
in this style.
Its nuisance, that's what it is, y
said young operator, "having to get
some new gimcrack for sitters without
brains, and I'm dead tired OF it! Take
babies with one shoe In their mouth,
fer instance, all bundled up in clothes
SO. Jnat they are nothing but dry goods,
or no clothes at ALL There's the wash
basin style-baby supposed to be in
it's bath, it must have one bare foot.
Anything to make trouble, l say"
"But older people do not act in that
way, do they?"
Don't they? Just look at the old
negatives we have. One. fellow stand
ing on the shoulders of another. I'VE
took six brothers., here in town, that
way once all middle-aged men OF
nearly SO. Then some fellow comes in
who wants to show the silk facing to
his overcoat at that. And badges
-Lord! we have them from the size
of a.5-cent piece upto a dinner plate
And uniforms! Well, when you see a
picture of a soldier with three rows ,o1
brass buttons on his waist, a sword
dangling at his side, and a fur helmet
on as big as a bushel basket, you can
just be sure he never smelled powder
or marched anywhere except on pave
ment. Girls, too, who want to look
| like actresses, and roll their eyes. uI
and clasp their hands. We have one
lady customer who has been photo
graphed in twenty five different styles
they just wear me out with their non.
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