Lot #754: Vintage UK Ireland Romance Postcard - "Tivoli Cottage, Harold's Cross, Dublin" - "Winged "Cupid" - "Merry Widow" Hat - UK Half Penny "Edw. VII" Stamp

One 1910 Vintage Floral Postcard, used, showing a young women in a fancy hat (wide-brimmed "Merry Widow" style popular in 1909) kneeling to hug a child dressed as a winged "Cupid" holding red roses with the message "The Call of Love" and an eight-line poem. This richly coloured postcard, indicates the publisher as "Valentine's Series. Printed in Great Britain". Stamped with one 1902 Green United Kingdom Half Penny "King Edward VII" Stamp. Postmarked in March 1909 in Dublin (then in the United Kingdom). Addressed to "Miss Kitty Samuels, Tivoli Cottage, Harold's Cross, City". The message seems to refer to the postcard itself: "Do so care for these coloured ones. Or would you rather have the real photograph ones? At any rate, I want to get out of these. Sal." This Valentine’s Series postcard is a fascinating meta-commentary on the "Postcard Craze" of the Edwardian era. While the imagery is classically romantic, the message from "Sal" provides a rare look at the internal debates of a 1910s collector. Produced by Valentine & Sons, a powerhouse based in Dundee, Scotland, this card carries the "Printed in Great Britain" mark. This card captures the high-Edwardian fascination with Allegorical Romance. The Imagery: The young woman in the "fancy hat" (likely a wide-brimmed "Merry Widow" style popular in 1909) and the "Cupid" child are quintessential symbols of Victorian sentimentality transitioning into the modern age. Sal’s message to Miss Kitty Samuels is a treasure for a deltiologist (postcard collector). In 1909, RPPCs were becoming the "prestige" item for collectors because of their clarity and realism, while the "coloured" lithographs were seen as more traditional. Sal's reference to "get out of these" might refer to a desire to finish a specific series or perhaps a shift in her own collecting taste—moving away from romantic allegories toward the more "modern" photographic style. The address "Tivoli Cottage, Harold's Cross" is a specific location in a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. "City" in the address confirms it was mailed within the Dublin postal district. The 1902 Green Half-Penny King Edward VII stamp was the correct rate for a postcard mailed within the UK (which, in 1909, included all of Ireland). Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}