Thursday, October 18, 2012

Pinching & Police & Women



Like this postcard of a woman dressed in a sexy police outfit, most of the postcards with a police theme fall in the comic category. Also like this postcard, many comic postcards depend for their humor on a caption with a pun or double meaning. Pinch is a word with many meanings. Here the humor comes mainly from two of those meanings. The most common meaning of pinch is "to squeeze between the thumb and a finger," which gives this image a risque interpretation. Pinch is also slang meaning "an arrest by a law enforcement officer." Naughty can mean simply disobedient or mischievous, but it can also imply something indecent or irmmoral.

The picture on the postcard is not as far-fetched as it first appears. The postcard was published about the same time that women suffragists were demonstrating for equal voting rights. The picture below is from the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. It was published in 1909, and its title is "Policewomen - the woman "Cop" (a dream). Suffragette posed to illus. woman police concept - Cincinnati."


Another photo from the Library of Congress shows the "Arrest of Suffragette, London Oct. 1913." Not only is the policeman arresting or pinching the woman, but she is displaying another meaning of pinch with her pinched face.


There actually were a few women police in the United States early in the twentieth century, but they were mostly limited to working with women and children. The first police woman may have been Marie Owens who was transferred to the Chicago Police Department in 1891 after working with the city health department as one of five female factory inspectors who enforced child-labor and compulsory education laws. Alice Stebbin Wells was a social worker who became a Los Angeles policewoman in 1910. Lola Baldwin of Portland, Oregon has also been called the "First U.S. Policewoman." She became a paid policewoman in 1908 and oversaw the Women's Protective Division.

The next picture is also from the Library of Congress. It is dated 1918 and titled  "Police Women - Capt. Edyth Totten and women police reserve. New York City."


For More Vintage Photos


21 comments:

  1. That was so interesting - about the early women police officers. I love the pinched photo - where she had such a "pinched" face while she was being pinched.
    Wonderful post.
    Nancy

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  2. The first postcard looks like the promotional material of an early 20th century revue. The card is probably a forerunner of later, even more naughty pictures which were sold in certain shops "under the counter". But for collectors this must be a very special card. Thanks for showing these.

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  3. I'd never given much thought to the history of women in the police force, but it's fascinating. I have that first card too.

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  4. Great card that only lacked some handcuffs!
    Interesting to see something of the history of women in the force.

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  5. I didn't know there were policewomen as early as 1909. Fascinating story.

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  6. This blog does it all -- naughty picture, nice history, clever word play. I enjoyed this contribution to the Sepia Saturday theme.

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  7. Well, in that top photo, I find it hard to interpret "pinch" in anything other than the risque manner. I mean, look at that pose!

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  8. The postcard is terrific. What a pose. I have a friend who was one of the first women in the FBI. We should never forget how hard things were for the trailblazing women in these formerly "men only" professions.

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  9. I like that second photo, the helmet looks a fine balancing act. Interesting that you had police women that early.

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  10. This was a terrific spin on the theme! A good choice of supporting images and history, too.

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  11. Great post! Especially love the pinch wordplay; that first postcard was definitely of the naughty variety!

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  12. I'm so happy that caught that tough looking cookie inspector! Bravo on bringing out the ladies in this fine fashion! Especially the pincher! Funny!

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  13. I agree with Peter too, she does give you the impression she's going to get off that chair and sing and dance for us! Very fun!

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  14. Very interesting post! I didn't know the history of women police officers.

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  15. A fascinating post. How interesting that women police officers should be only 'a dream' back then. I wonder what the suffragists would make of the recent UK news of two brave female officers who answered a routine burglary call and were murdered!

    That first picture is very reminiscent of the Christine Keeler pose!

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  16. Wow! That first postcard is pretty racy for those days.

    I enjoyed learning more about the suffrage movement. Another great post, Postcardy!

    Kathy M.

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  17. Perfect post for the police theme. History, word play and sepia - a great read! Thanks.

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  18. Nice post!!
    Her pinched face is hardly anything that would have rallied folks to the cause, me thinks!!...
    Scary!!
    ;)~
    HUGZ

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