My choice of the above 1907 "Peek-A-Boo" postcard for Sepia Saturday 128 was prompted by a sheet music cover of "I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love" featuring Sophie Tucker posing with a chair. According to the cover of Sophie Tucker's song, that song was one of the first big hits of 1913. I think the model on the postcard even looks a bit like Sophie Tucker.
Some early 1900s comic postcards were based on the same themes as the music that was popular at the time. Therefore, I decided to see if there were any Peek-A-Boo songs published around the same time in the early 1900s. I found several songs along with images of the sheet music covers.
The first cover, for the song titled simply Peek-A-Boo, is my favorite. This image is from the Minnesota Historical Society. The music and words are also shown for this song here. The words are by Chas. S. Finley and the music by A.M. Budke. It was published by St. Paul Music Pub. Co., c1909.
Some early 1900s comic postcards were based on the same themes as the music that was popular at the time. Therefore, I decided to see if there were any Peek-A-Boo songs published around the same time in the early 1900s. I found several songs along with images of the sheet music covers.
The first cover, for the song titled simply Peek-A-Boo, is my favorite. This image is from the Minnesota Historical Society. The music and words are also shown for this song here. The words are by Chas. S. Finley and the music by A.M. Budke. It was published by St. Paul Music Pub. Co., c1909.
The cover for "When the Moon Plays Peek-A-Boo" was found on eBay. Actually I saw six different versions of this cover there with the same background design but different inset photos. This song was written by W.R. Williams and published 1907 by Will Rossiter Music Publisher of Chicago.
The cover for "Peek-A-Boo Rag" was also found on eBay. That Rag was by Charles L. Johnson, and was published in 1914 by F.J.A. Forster Music Publisher of Chicago. Music and audio of "Peek-A-Boo Rag" and other amusingly named Rags can be found on Rag's Rags.
I also found a few more song titles without images or music. Three titles are listed in Google books Catalog of copyright entries: Musical compositions, Part 3: "You Peek-A-Boo With Your Baby", "Peek-A-Boo," and "When the Girl You Love Plays Peek-A-Boo":
I, too, thought about posting some portraits of ladies posing with chairs, but decided to leave that theme for another time. An interesting idea, which seems to concentrate on the ornamental chair and leave little room for the portrait of the person.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy we of all go off in different directions given the theme. Your Peek-a-boo choice was a clever one.
ReplyDeleteSuch a clever post. That first photo is hilarious and such a perfect intro for the sheet music.
ReplyDeleteOh I have to say your first photo is pricesless! I totally enjoyed your post...what great cards you always present!
ReplyDeleteOld photos always seem so glum and serious, so it is fun to see the peek-a-boo photo for a change. I'm jeaous of how you thought about this theme and found music to match the photo. Too smart for me!
ReplyDeleteI found some photos of ladies with chairs but those from the Folies Bergere did not seem appropriate somehow. I would have never associated music with Peek-a- boo.
ReplyDeleteWho knew there were so many songs with peek a boo in the title. The title when the moon plays peek a boo is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteThis is really cool. I'm glad that you thought of searching for peek-a-boos!
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
Love the peek a boo theme that you took from Tucker's suggestive pose!
ReplyDeleteThis meme is such a fun one. Looking up things and applying to the theme photo is just a wonderful learning experience and then reading all the entries is a great way to spend a rainy day as in Ky. today. Love that first photo.
ReplyDeleteQMM
Great post to play peek a boo. Like all the old images on the postcards. It looks like it was a good song title, even ragtime,which I enjoy very much, it just does not let you sit still, sometimes I wonder why it has not yet had a big comeback?
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed your Peek-a-boo theme. Like the chair photo and the link to the ragtime music. I enjoy listening to Scott Joplin.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I most enjoy about Sepia Saturday is seeing the various interpretations of the photo prompt. Your peek-a-boo theme was a fun, clever twist on it.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the "when the moon played peek-a-boo" cover was designed by my grandfather. It's the right city and approximate date. Highly unlikely- but who knows? If only he had signed it!
ReplyDeleteBarbara
I think you've exhausted the topic here. The first one is the most compelling, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteWhy would Bob think Folies Bergeres be inappropriate here? We're all adults and these girls were merely "suggesting". It's not like some other things one can see almost everywhere nowadays...
;)~
HUGZ
What a very interesting take on the theme! Well done!
ReplyDeleteA great post! I also have a few copies of vintage sheetmusic songs which have similar imaginative art work. I really like the last Chas. Johnson one. I'm reminded that the publishers often included photos of the artists or composers, so that is another resource to discovering the identity of an unidentified musician.
ReplyDelete