What A Tease!

We purchased this Edwardian gem from Lichfield Antiques Centre. Titled What a tease! this J. Welch & Sons photo card shows a rather ardent young fellow making advances towards a woman at least ten years his senior (his geography teacher perhaps?)

This lady – probably used to her pupils making a nuisance of themselves – is straining out of his grasp in much the same way that young boys avoid the kisses of their grandmothers. Given the modesty of the chin-to-floor riding habit she’s wearing, she doesn’t look much of a tease – unless strolling in the park without a chaperone were enough to suggest that she’d “put out” if the fellow weren’t too objectional.

Quite a cheeky little card, then, but it’s what’s written on the back that really creeped us out.

Sent from Burton-on-Trent on July 24th 1906 to a Miss C. King in Manchester, it says “I wonder if she will allways [sic] be so shy and not comply with his request – what do you think? Yours etc.”

Did Miss C. King have hopes of matrimony with the author of this postcard, or was he merely an Edwardian sex pest? We shall never know.

This post first appeared on the Beacon Street Blog in October 2011.