The first, from 1934, is one of a series showing the story of Cinderella, possibly one of the most well known tales around the world, with one of the variations dating back as far as 1 BC. There are Ancient Greek versions, Roman, Chinese, and several versions appear in the Arabian Nights.
All or most of the tales seem to involve a hard-working young girl being being freed from oppression by an amazing event usually involving the loss of a slipper. The slipper is of course found by a prince who searches for the girl and they end up marrying and no doubt live happy ever after.
The stories have been studied for many years, resulting in such works as "Cinderella: Three Hundred and Forty-Five Variants of Cinderella, Catskin and, Cap o'Rushes, Abstracted and Tabulated with a Discussion of Medieval Analogues and Notes". I'm sure it makes good bedtime reading.
To change the subject almost but not quite completely, the girls in the next picture don't look at all oppressed and are most likely princesses in someone's eyes. I should put that in the past tense because the card dates from 1934.
Although much later than the picture of Infanta Beatriz of Spain shown in this week's Sepia Saturday, there is quite a similarity in the way the girls are dressed, white dresses with shoes and white socks. Even more recently than that, I recall being forced into something similar myself when I was still too young to protest. Modern little girls don't know how lucky they are.
But modern little girls may not look half as nice.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bob. Bring back the white socks and shoes. These are delightful pictures, but the little ‘princesses’ are so endearing.
ReplyDeleteI had to wear things like that too. I think those old clothes were too formal and uncomfortable, but I dislike some of the current children's clothes too.
ReplyDeleteI was just wishing modern little girls still wore those things. They are so much nicer than florescent pink stretch pants paired with a garish Disney character shirt or some other product endorsement. I wore saddle shoes and smocked dresses as a child and liked them a lot.
ReplyDeleteI am sure we all had to wear stuff like that especially for picture time and my mother took lots of pictures.
ReplyDeletefunny even in another language you can just tell that it's the Cinderella story! Lovely, just stunning display!
ReplyDeleteI can just hear older sister telling younger sister how it should be done!
ReplyDeleteI think the little girls at the piano are abolutely precious...all the more so because all I had were those three sons...no frills or fanciness for them...though they don't mind wearing a tux and look gorgeous in one.
ReplyDeleteSaddle shoes! I haven't thought of those in years. My sister and I used to drag our feet trying to wear them out. The shoes the two princesses are wearing in this photograph are adorable! Precious photo.
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