Four Strange Easter Cards from Yesteryear

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Brian H. Gill
Paw Rabbit, Maw - Rabbit?? Chicken?? Two Young Rabbits and - a baby chick. (Victorian Easter Card)
There may be quite a story behind this.

I’d planned on posting this today, with an ‘Easter’ post tomorrow. But, although I’m not feeling as awful as I did Wednesday morning: that’s not going to happen.

It’s “nothing serious”. Probably the same “nothing serious” that’s been plaguing this household for a month and more. My temperature’s stayed below the 103° F threshold, so I’m a comparatively happy camper. And that’s another topic.

Now, about these cards: the first three are Victorian-era, part of this selection:

“Quirky Victorian Easter Cards Reveal Surprisingly Twisted Humor“
Racing Nellie Bly (April 19, 2019)

“…As with any art form, humor relies on knowledge of its social and historical context. Military motifs appear frequently in these quirky Victorian Easter cards. As Europe edged toward world war, is it possible that people needed to laugh at that which worried them sick? Humor generally doesn’t travel well to other cultures, not to mention other eras. Even so, these Easter cards are amusing, if not a little disturbing….”

I don’t find them disturbing, but my teens and the Sixties overlap almost exactly, and that’s yet another topic. Topics.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these.

Three rabbits smoking: some sort of flowers, apparently. (Victorian Easter Card)
“…Beatniks and politics, nothin’ is new. A yardstick for lunatics, one point of view….”
Rabbits, bearing pink flags, riding chickens: led by a martial rabbit, also riding a chicken. (Victorian Easter Card)
Rabbits riding chickens, led by a military hare. So many questions.

The fourth one: The text is “Happy Easter!” in Russian. This card was apparently published in the Russian Empire during the early 1900s, the Wikimedia Commons description dealing with intellectual property rights runs to nearly 300 words — but I’m pretty sure it’s in the public domain over here.

Russian Easter card: five chicks enjoying a nice drive in the countryside. (early 1900s)
“Take me home, country roads”???

Finally, Easter is a very big deal.

I’ve talked about that before, and probably will again:

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About Brian H. Gill

I was born in 1951. I'm a husband, father and grandfather. One of the kids graduated from college in December, 2008, and is helping her husband run businesses and raise my granddaughter; another is a cartoonist and artist; #3 daughter is a writer; my son is developing a digital game with #3 and #1 daughters. I'm also a writer and artist.
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2 Responses to Four Strange Easter Cards from Yesteryear

  1. The Overlord Bear says:
    March 31, 2024 at 08:38

    Considering how Christ lived and died while the land He was born in was colonized, I suppose that’s another reason to consider every day a good day to be Catholic.

    Reply
    • Brian H. Gill says:
      April 3, 2024 at 20:45

      Conquered and occupied, at any rate – But I think I get what you’re driving at. And yes, every day is a very good day to be Catholic. And alive, and that’s another topic. Have a good one!

      Reply

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