Happy Image 7: Brownies

Brownies...those odd little dudes so popular at the turn of the century.  Happily doing all the work humans would rather not do...and doing it in enthusiastic, if klutzy, groups.
A barrage of brownies?

I have not found out who the artist A.M.H. is yet.

Happy Image 6: Nasturtium Sweetie Pie

These covers from Miss C. H. Lippincott.  I have to admit they are straying into "sweet" rather than "happy".  On the other hand, I wouldn't mind seeing some of these kids at school!  

My kids are sweet there, too, but in the last week of school they aren't as easy to deal with as these three  images :-) (or as quiet). 

This first one is a sweetie pie.  Nice dolly face.

The eyes of these following children are weird!

Happy Image 5: Again With The Moonflowers!

Moonflowers seem to have been the vine of the turn of the century.  Many catalogs have them featured. (See previous post. (1) (2))  This is a cover, however!  Large version below.

Johnson & Stokes, Philadelphia -1891

Happy Image 4: Lushness

Who can look at this and not happily smell the strawberries 

or long to roll the wineberry on the tongue?! 

Visit the Fruit Forum to read the short piece, In Praise of the Japanese Wineberry.  I was delighted to see it likes partial shade!

Below, the full size image, again a Childs catalog illustration. 1895

Strange scans.  The backgrounds are blurred.

Happy Image 3: Proud Seedman Shares

This sort of image makes me happy as I share the obvious pleased as punch vibes coming off the page!

I also love visually touring this sort of aerial map...walking down the streets as a tiny me.  Do you see the little puffing steam train?  A full sized version follows the image below.

Childs' Rare Flowers, Vegetables & Fruits for 1894 has this page.  See previous post for postcard views.

Happy Image 2: May Berries and May Poles

After I said I was only going to post happy images for awhile I had the hardest time finding one!!

This is a John Lewis Child's catalog from 1895.  I am beginning to think the sweet spot for "happy" is 1895 -1903.  That is open (real open!) for revision.  There is a lot of "sweet" around in the years prior to that period, but not this utopian happy, or even goofy happy.

The May Berry must be some sort of Rubus.  

Happy Image: 1920's, Happy Garden, Happy Family

Comforting, optimistic, happy, secure, in control, - the artist got it right in this ad.   

Download the PDF at https://archive.org/details/bolgianosseeds19jbol

The inside of the catalog is visually dreadful with b&w photos which make the plants look embalmed now that the paper has yellowed.  Nasty, nasty images.  

I have placed the full sized image below if you want a snappy desktop image.