Lot #769: Vintage 1909 Romance Postcard - Piano - Couple - "The First Lesson!" - "Bamforth & Co." - Montreal Stn "B" - One Green 1¢ "King Edward VIII" stamp

One Vintage 1909 Quebec Canada Romance Postcard, used, showing a young man playing a piano with a young woman closely leaning over him pointing to the music score with the caption "Here Beginneth The First Lesson!". This full colour postcard indicates as publisher "Bamforth & Co., Publishers, Holmfirth, England, and New York. Series No. 1202. Printed in England.". Postally used. Stamped with one 1902 Green One-Cent "King Edward VII Coronation Robe" Stamp. Postmarked in September 1909 in "Montreal, Quebec, Station B". Addressed to "Miss A.C. Connor, 26 University St., Montreal, Que". Message in strong hand in bold ink. ("...Dear Little One...I thought this Card would suit you as I think it looks much like Dear John. Don't you think so yourself?.. B.H.". This Bamforth & Co. card is a classic of the "Life’s Little Lessons" series, showcasing the high-production studio photography that made the Holmfirth firm a global powerhouse. This Bamforth & Co. Series No. 1202 Card is a "Full Colour" photographic staged scene. Bamforth used professional models and elaborate sets. In 1909, the piano was the center of middle-class social life. The "First Lesson" caption was a popular double entendre—ostensibly about music, but clearly about the "lesson" of courtship. Despite having a New York office, the high-quality color tinting was often handled at their English plant. Each card was hand-colored or lithographed to give that distinctively soft, "painterly" feel to the skin tones and the polished wood of the piano. This card documents a very local delivery within the heart of Montreal, Quebec. Montreal’s "Station B" was located in the downtown core (historically near the intersection of St. Catherine and University), Station B served the city's academic and commercial elite. The Destination, 26 University St., was situated just steps away from the McGill University campus. In 1909, this area was filled with grand townhouses and high-end boarding houses for students and professionals. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}