4.00 USD
Published in Brussels in the early 20th century, this card, a tear-away from a booklet which most likely contained a number of similar images, presents an image of a Flemish dairy worker. The booklet from which it was removed, might have been sold to tourists as a souvenir.
Agriculture, once the dominant industry in Europe, was quickly being displaced by factories during the 19th century due to the industrial revolution, and Belgium was no exception. However, dairy farming continued to be “carried on for the sale of natural milk, the manufacture of butter, or for cheese making,” as it continues to be carried on today. So, to the eyes of the modern city dweller, a woman wearing traditional dress and carrying a milk jug on her shoulder was already seen as quaint, someone who was not quite like themselves, but rather a visitor from a pastoral land nestled in the past, while milk was more and more often delivered in a shining glass bottle, gleaming with modernity. So, such a woman would have been viewed with perhaps a bit of nostalgia for those golden years, which are always just past, in which times, and the lives people led, were simpler and sweeter.
Many thanks to Wikipedia, as always, and to Google Books, which gave us access to the September 1905 edition of The Creamery Journal, quoted above.
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This wonderfully nostalgic card shows astonishingly little wear; even the perforated edge looks freshly torn from the booklet. Please examine our high res scans for detail.
Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, the price is the same as for a single card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, due to the costs of international shipping will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.
And please come visit our blog at:
redpoulaine.blogspot.com
where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!