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Advance Australia [postcard re “Slangwidge”, early 20th Century]

24 September 2022 · 2 Comments

[Editor: This postcard, which incorporates a drawing of a tree with the words “Advance Australia”, along with a Southern Cross Shield and a poem, is from the early 20th Century. The postcard is undated.]

Advance Australia

Postcard, with a drawing of a tree with the words “Advance Australia”, along with a Southern Cross Shield and a poem
Front of postcard



Postcard
Reverse of postcard

[Front of postcard]

Advance Australia

A Token let this BLUE GUM be
That you, Old Friend, will STICK to me;
Should you, perchance, find things look BLUE,
By GUM, Old Friend, I’ll STICK to you.

[Description: A tree with the words “Advance Australia”, along with a Southern Cross Shield and a poem.]

[Reverse of postcard]

[Handwritten text, in italics]

Sent in the best Australian “Slangwidge”

Them’s my sentiments

Ev.

[Manufacturer’s information:]

B.B. London Series No A.58. Printed in Germany.



Source:
Original document

Editor’s notes:
Dimensions (approximate): 89 mm. (width), 140 mm. (height).

The signature on this postcard is somewhat unclear; however, for lack of any further information, it has been transcribed as “Ev”.

This postcard is undated. It is estimated that it was printed in the early 20th Century, possibly around 1900-1914. As the postcard was printed in Germany, it can be reasonably assumed that it was printed prior to August 1914, as the British Empire and the German Empire were enemies during the First World War (August 1914 to November 1918).

slangwidge = slang; slang language (also spelt: slanguage)

[Editor: For ease of reading, punctuation has been inserted as deemed appropriate.]

Filed Under: ephemera, postcards Tagged With: 500x500, HTML tables (side) div style, IAC Ephemera Collection, poem, postcard, SourceIACLibrary, Southern Cross Shield, word slangwidge, YearEraEarly20thCentury

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Raymond says

    25 September 2022 at 00:44

    Dear Ed.

    Thank you yet again for a great card.
    I do not clearly see the final sign-off as being from “Ed”, as you have transcribed it.
    But nor can I be dogmatic about a possible re-reading of it either.
    However, my best guess is that it might instead be rendered as:
    “Ev.” — perhaps short/abbreviated for “Evelyn” if from a female, or “Evan” if from a male; as guesses.

    I did toy with the idea that it might be construed instead as E.V.; but there is no full-stop after the “E”, as there is after the proposed “V”.

    Thanks once more. Raymond

    Reply
    • IAC says

      30 September 2022 at 23:48

      Thank you for your comment.
      The signature on the card is problematic. Your interpretation of it as “Ev” is likely to be more accurate than “Ed”, so it has been changed it to that.
      It is possible that is El, Eu, or Ev; or, if the capital letter is not an E, but a stylised G, then it could be Gl, Gu, or Gv (although E seems more likely than G).
      If only people were more careful and clear with their handwriting.

      Thank you once again for your contribution.

      Reply

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