The Weekend and The Lovers' Walk

It's the weekend, a fact that is indeed worthy of shouting from the rooftops. Praise be!!

There is footie tonight (Rugby League), and tomorrow some writing to do. I might even get the vaccum going. Bring it on!

On to something quite unrelated, here is a rather bizarre postcard. It is called, The Lovers' Walk, Newton Park, and depicts all these couples together.  Imagine if that was real life. How utterly bizarre. Who would want to saunter through a park surrounded by loved-up couples? 

It is from a Scots cartoonist and satirist, Martin Anderson, who in 1902 started "Cynicus" publishing company to take advantage of the popularity of postcards. The postcard itself is dated 1910 but sadly around that time, there was a decline in the postcard business and business suffered. It does seem Mr Anderson was a very nice man, from a biography I read in an attempt to get to the bottom of this picture!

Ye gads. 

There are even couples up trees. 

It seems like the most unromantic thing ever. But perhaps it was a commentary on public displays of affection. Or on couples taking up space in parks.  I do not know. 

However, I did find out that he printed the postcard with differing locations, not just Newtown Park. There is one, for example, that has Upcott Wood, Bideford, on it, but with exactly the same picture. Clever!

Attributin: Anderson, Martin, 1854-1932. "Cynicus" :The lovers' walk, Newtown Park. Copyright Cynicus Publishing Co., Ltd, Tayport, Fife [Postcard. ca 1910].. [Postcard album of cards collected by Edith Beck and family. 1906-1915]. Ref: Eph-B-POSTCARD-vol-14-040. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.