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<p>Wife beating was apparently so commonplace at the turn of the century that it could be the subject of a comic photo-montage featuring two 'pantomime dame'-type characters in drag</p>

Romantic fantasy and comic postcards

The James Gardiner Collection.

James Gardiner Collection: romantic fantasy and comic postcards, and photographs on gender and masculinity.

James Gardiner Collection: Romantic fantasy and comic postcards, and photographs on gender and masculinity.

1 print : lithograph, printed in colours ; 13.9 x 8.8 cm

A man admiring a bowl of flowers. Coloured photographic postcard, 192-.

A man offering Easter eggs and flowers. Photographic postcard, ca. 1920.

A woman gazing at a man who holds her arm; representing a romantic new year. Coloured photographic postcard, 193-.

A man holding three fish and some flowers; the fish representing "poissons d'avril" (April fool's jokes). Coloured photographic postcard, 192-.

A man holding the shape of a heart decorated with roses and holly. Coloured photographic postcard, 193-.

A man holding a bunch of flowers; representing good wishes. Coloured photographic postcard, 192-.

A man holding an Easter egg and flowers. Coloured photographic postcard, 192- (?).

A man holding pink and white flowers. Coloured photographic postcard, 192- (?).

A man saying through the smoke of his cigarette "Think of me". Photographic postcard, 192- (?).

A man saying through the smoke of his cigarette "I love you". Photographic postcard, 192- (?).

A man holding flowers and a horseshoe; representing a romantic new year. Coloured photographic postcard, 192-.

A young woman holding roses sits lovingly next to a young man playing the violin. Coloured photographic postcard, 192-.

A young man holding roses, engaging the viewer. Colour photographic postcard, 1928.

A young man holding roses, engaging the viewer. Colour photographic postcard, 192-.

A man holding flowers and a cane. Coloured photographic postcard, 1925.

A young man holding roses. Colour photographic postcard, 192-.

A young man holding a flower, letter and a cigarette, marking the feast of Saint Eligius. Colour photographic postcard, 1928.

A young man seated holding flowers and a note. Colour photographic postcard, 192-.

A young man holding flowers and smiling; with Happy Easter wishes in gold. Coloured photographic postcard, 192-.

A young man, in profile, reading a note. Photographic postcard, 1927.

A person holding large flowers, glancing to the side.

A young man holding a decorated model of a fish representing "poissons d'avril" (April fool's jokes). Colour photographic postcard, 192-.

A young man holding flowers. Coloured photographic postcard, 1924.

A man holding Easter eggs and flowers. Coloured photographic postcard, 192-.

A man holding a fish and some flowers in a basket.

A young man holding flowers. Photographic postcard, 1937.

A young man holding flowers, his head resting in his hand; with "Bonne Fête" in gold. Coloured photographic postcard, 192-.

A man holding a clarinet to celebrate Saint Cecilia's Day. Photographic postcard, 192-.

A man holding an envelope above flowers; representing a romantic new year. Coloured photographic postcard, ca. 1910.

A man holding a clarinet, celebrating Saint Cecilia's Day. Coloured photographic postcard, 1934.

A man holding a trumpet, with flowers, celebrating Saint Cecilia's day. Coloured photographic postcard, 1931.

A young man holding a note. Coloured photographic postcard, 192-.

A man holding an accordion with flowers, celebrating Saint Cecilia's Day. Colour photographic postcard, 192-.

Three men in drag pulling silly expressions. Photographic postcard, 1906.

Little boys sitting on a bench. Photographic postcard, 19--.

"Bill's Gay Nineties" cafe, New York City; including various scenes. Colour process print, 195-.

"The Gay Sparks" in conversation. Photographic postcard, 1929.

A portrait of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham by C. Janssen. Colour process print, 19--.

A portrait of Prince William of Orange by Antonis Mor. Colour process print, 19--.

A portrait of Charles I in needlework miniature form. Colour process print, 19--.

A portrait of Viscount Castlereagh. Process print, 19--, after Sir Thomas Lawrence.

A portrait of Michelangelo. Photographic postcard, 19--.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Photographic postcard, 1906.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria and Neuschwanstein castle. Colour process print, 190-.

H.R.H Prince Henry, wearing a top hat. Photographic postcard, 190-.

Clouds Hill, the residence of T.E. Lawrence. Photographic postcard, 19--.

Fred Barnes and his father playing cards. Photographic postcard, 19--.

Fred Barnes, inset in various poses, over a Union Jack flag. Photographic postcard, ca. 1912.

An actor in Elizabethan costume in conversation with two actresses. Photographic postcard by J.W. Debenham, 193-.

Fred Barnes. Photographic postcard, 19--.

Fred Barnes. Photographic postcard by Fielding, 19--.

Charles Lorrain. Photographic postcard, 19--.

Leslie French. Photograph, 192-.

William Fox. Photographic postcard, 193-.

Harry Pilcer. Photographic postcard, 19--.

Shaun Glenville. Photographic postcard, 1914.

Lilly Elsie and Ivor Novello in "The truth game". Photographic postcard, 19--.

Frank Vosper. Photographic postcard, 1927.

Bobbie Andrews. Photographic postcard by C. Harris, ca. 1920.

Master Philip Tonge.

Jeremy Spenser. Colour photographic postcard, 195-.

Robert Flemyng. Photograph, 195-.

Mischa de la Motte. Photographic postcard, 1937.

Jimmy Edwards. Photographic postcard, 195-.

Douglas Byng. Photograph, 1962.

Gilbert Harding. Photograph, 195-.

Adolf Wohlbrück (Anton Walbrook), in profile, wearing a trilby. Photographic postcard by Bender & Jacobi, 193-.

Billy Milton. Photographic postcard, 193-.

Adolf Wohlbrück (Anton Walbrook). Photographic postcard by Bender & Jacobi, 193-.

Frankie Howerd. Photograph, 195-.

Ralph Richardson. Photographic postcard, 193-.

Colin Clive. Photographic postcard, 193-.

Horst Buchholz. Photographic postcard, 195-.

Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor, as bride and groom. Coloured photographic postcard by Fox, 193-.

John Gielgud. Photographic postcard by D. Wilding, 193-.

Rudolph Valentino and Natacha Rambova. Photographic postcard, 192-.

Anton Dolin as Satan. Photographic postcard, 193-.

The Bay City Rollers. Photographic postcard, 197-.

Alexis Rassine. Photograph by G. Anthony, 194-.

Rudolf Nureyev as Hamlet. Photograph by Reg Wilson, 196-.

Serge Lifar. Photographic postcard by C. Harcourt, ca. 1930.

Peter Pears. Process print, 195-.

Pole Neshdanov (?), posing in profile, wearing a patterned robe. Photographic postcard, 192-.

Vaslav Nijinsky. Process print after Park Street Studios, 19--.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Photographic postcard, 191-.

George Nader. Photographic postcard, 195-.

Rudolph Valentino. Colour photographic postcard, 192-.

Rock Hudson. Photographic postcard, 195-.

Doris Day and Rock Hudson in 'Pillow talk'. Photographic postcard, 196-.

Sal Mineo. Photographic postcard, 195-.

Horst Buchholz. Colour photographic postcard, 19--.

Louis Hayward. Photographic postcard, 196-.

Dirk Bogarde. Photographic postcard, 195-.

A 'gay' dog. Photographic postcard, ca. 1911.

The destruction of Sodom; and the supposed location of Sodom and Gomorrha on the Dead Sea. Colour process print after Fenner, 19--.

Two boys in single beds applying make-up and perfume to themselves. Colour process print after Rob-Vel, 193-.

Two young men wake up in bed with headaches on Sunday morning after much drinking the night before. Colour lithograph, 1913.

A Scotsman and his female companion swap his kilt and her trousers after going to the public baths. Colour process print after BF, 195-.

Two men in bed on a Saturday night drinking from a bottle of alcohol. Colour process print, ca. 1908.

Two men relaxing outside in a garden, sharing a table and in the company of a dog. Colour process print after L. Mayer, 191-.

Two men in bed with a bottle on Sunday morning, holding their heads. Colour process print, ca. 1908.

A group of 'gay' dogs. Colour process print, 194-/195-.

An unmarried man sits alone smoking a pipe by the fire and pondering the pros and cons of marriage. Colour process print after Rutherford, 191-.

Sailors preparing for a concert party performance. Coloured process print after H. Gervise, 191-.

A sailor and a soldier face to face lighting each other's cigarettes. Colour process print after C.T. Howard, 191-.

Two sailors gazing lecherously at each other. Photograph, 192-.

Boys dressed as sailors in a line, varying in height. Colour process print, 191-.

Sailors of different characters. Colour process print after D. McGill, 192-.

A sailor from HMS Dreadnought, clenching his fist. Process print, 1915.

A sailor on the dock, smoking. Colour process print after G.A.S., ca. 1915.

Bert Murray in character as a sailor pouring himself a drink. Photographic postcard, 192-.

A sailor on the street, play-fighting with a boy. Colour process print after G.A.S., ca. 1915.

Bert Murray in character as a sailor. Photographic postcard, 192-.

A sailor with his girl friend at a sideshow. Colour process print after F. Spurgin, 191-.

Two Belgian soldiers cleaning their uniforms. Coloured photographic postcard, 192-.

A senior Scout poses next to a tree. Photographic postcard, ca. 1920.

Two Belgian soldiers contemplating documents. Colour photographic postcard, 192-.

Charles Gray and Jack Greer in character as a couple of sailors under the name "Shrimp and Lobster". Photographic postcard by Central Photographic Co., ca. 1930.

Two men pose as a sailor and a soldier. Photographic postcard, ca. 1905.

Two young soldiers. Photograph, ca. 1955.

A group of soldiers posing for an informal portrait. Photograph, 193-.

People relaxing at a summer camp on the Thames. Photographic postcard, ca. 1911.

Scouts in a summer camp at Kapellen near Antwerp, peeling potatoes. Photographic postcard, ca. 1951.

A French and a British sailor embrace, with their ships inset below; representing alliance between the French and British navies. Coloured photographic postcard, 191-.

Bermondsey swimming baths: interior. Photographic postcard, ca. 1906.

Boy scouts in camp. Photographic postcard, 192-.

Three sailors from H.M.S. Natal sitting together: one is in uniform, the other two are wearing pseudo-Oriental costumes. Photographic postcard by T.E. Lonnergan, 191-.

Two British naval officers in an intimate pose, one with his arms round the other. Photographic postcard, 192-.

Belgian military recruits celebrating the end of their training stint at Camp Beverlo. Photographic postcard, 192-.

A lance-corporal posing with a bicycle. Photographic postcard, 192-.

Sailors posing in an engine room. Photographic postcard, 191-.

Belgian soldiers posing with a dog. Photographic postcard, 191-.

British soldiers inset above a view of the Rhine at Cologne. Photographic postcard, 1919.

Two men outside their tent at Camp Tecumseh, near Schenectady, New York. Photographic postcard, 1912.

Soldiers during inspection: an officer lovingly straightening the uniform of a soldier. Photographic postcard, 191-.

World War I: three soldiers, one lighting his cigarette from another's. Colour process print, 19--.

Two Marines and a young sailor sitting together on board ship. Photographic postcard, 192-.

World War II: engineers of the GHQ Middle East Forces (?) relaxing on the coast of Egypt (?). Photographic postcard, 194-.

Three French or Belgian soldiers arm-in-arm in a park smoking and drinking beer. Photographic postcard, 190- (?).

A French soldier in front of the French flag. Colour process print, 191-.

Soldiers in the 45th Rattray's Sikhs infantry regiment. Colour process print after A.C. Lovett, 191-.

A French and a British sailor clasping hands in front of the spirit of Lord Nelson; representing Anglo-French naval cooperation in World War I. Colour process print, 191-.

A libel about the colonel of a garrison is invented by a junior soldier and works its way round to the colonel himself. Colour process print after N. Pocock, 191-.

A Belgian soldier in front of the Belgian flag. Colour process print, 191-.

A Scottish soldier stands holding his rifle. Colour process print after C.T. Howard, ca. 1915.

Two military officers in uniform sitting at a table in a domestic kitchen. Photographic postcard, 191-.

Two soldiers stand arm-in-arm outside a building of corrugated metal (barracks?). Photographic postcard, 191-.

Two soldiers embrace in a field. Photographic postcard, 191-.

Two soldiers stand together for a portrait. Photographic postcard by W.H. warren, 191-.

A young Belgian cavalry officer holding a baton and gloves. Photographic postcard, 193-.

A French and a British soldier looking at a photographic postcard. Coloured photographic postcard, 191-.

Two naval officers posing with a dog. Photographic postcard, 192-.

Ecole Normale de Gymnastique et d'Escrime, Joinville, Val-de-Marne: Belgian soldiers performing gymnastic exercises. Process print, 190-.

German or Czech (?) soldiers posing for a group portrait in a garden. Photographic postcard, 192-.

Naked sailors having swimming lessons in Portsmouth, supported by ropes held by clothed sailors standing around the pool. Colour process print after J.S. Cribb, 190-.

Ecole Normale de Gymnastique et d'Escrime, Joinville, Val-de-Marne: Belgian soldiers performing gymnastic exercises with rifles. Process print, 190-.

Soldiers performing gymnastic exercises at a military gymnasium in Aldershot. Process print, 190-.

Belgian soldiers posing for a group portrait in a casual manner. Photographic postcard, 1908.

Candidates fit for military service awaiting a medical assessment, 1897. Process print after Jos. Straka, 1904.

An old German soldier giving advice to a young one. Photographic postcard, 193-.

Two sailors posing on the deck of a boat. Photographic postcard, 191-.

Soldiers relaxing in a field. Photographic postcard, 191-.

German soldiers enjoying a drink in a dining room. Photographic postcard, 190-.

Soldiers posing for a group portrait outside a large building. Photographic postcard, 191-.

World War I: a soldier writing a letter home. Colour process print, ca. 1916.

A young Belgian cavalry officer holding a baton and gloves. Photographic postcard by R. Moraux, 191-.

A Royal Fusilier places one foot on a chair to display his boots, ca. 192-. Photograph, 195-.

A Royal Fusilier standing holding a sword in a domestic setting, ca. 192-. Photograph, 195-.

A Royal Fusilier seated reading a newspaper in a domestic setting, ca. 192-. Photograph, 195-.

A Royal Fusilier leaning back in a chair in a domestic setting, ca. 192-. Photograph, 195-.

The boots and gaiters of an army officer lying on some grass. Photograph, 193-.

Two men resting close to one another, wearing formal attire. Photograph, 1910.

A man standing barechested with his arms behind his back. Photograph, 190-.

A man sitting backwards on a chair wearing formal attire. Photograph, 190-.

Michael Simon and Gerald Fidler, two air force officers, together in a garden. Photograph, 1943.

Two men demonstrating jiu-jitsu, wearing formal attire. Photographic postcard, ca. 191-.

Two performers dressed as bellhops in a dance-hold, pose with a pianist (Ringham), who is wearing a top hat. Photographic postcard by Dobson, 19--.

Two Dutch men dancing together, accompanied by an accordionist. Colour photographic postcard, 190-.

Two men wearing dressing gowns sitting arm-in-arm on a terrace. Photographic postcard, 192-.

Phil Smith and Oscar Quantrell in uniform perform a roller-skating act arm-in-arm. Photographic postcard, 192-.

Two drunk men (played by actors) swear undying friendship. Photographic postcard, ca. 1905.

Michael Allinson (actor) at The Garrick Theatre, Altrincham. Photographic postcard, 1941.

Douglas (actor) at The Garrick Theatre, Altrincham. Photographic postcard, 1942.

Daniel Ross (actor) at The Garrick Theatre, Altrincham. Photographic postcard, 1943.

Four men posing together wearing street clothes and coats, in front of a curtain. Photographic postcard, 194-.

Two men in a domestic setting, one of them arranging flowers. Photographic postcard, ca. 1910.

Three men surrounded by garlands and baskets of flowers. Photographic postcard, 19--.

Two men dressed in drag having a conversation: one is injured as a result of wife-beating. Colour lithograph, 1908.

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Two men dressed in drag having a conversation: one is injured as a result of wife-beating. Colour lithograph, 1908.

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Romantic fantasy and comic postcards

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