Vintage Pix | Merry Widow Hats

Page created 12 March 1999 - updated 18 April 2001
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The five images below are part of a series of sixteen postcards published in 1908 by I. Grollman. They satirize the large brimmed hats trimmed with plumes that were made popular in 1907 by actress Lily Elsie (pictured at right) in The Merry Widow.		Click to see full postcard And here's another postcard of Lily in a suit!
	She stood on the bridge at midday, boys, Imagine a fix like that, We couldn't get by, hard as we'd try, By that MERRY WIDOW HAT.
If two is company and three's a crowd, You needn't be bothered by that; Just shut the third one out, girls, Use your MERRY WIDOW HAT.
	Alone here on the piazza, I can't miss a chance like that, But Gee, I wonder who it is 'Neath that MERRY WIDOW HAT.
Although he looks quite pleasant, Don't think he feels like that, For all the while he's thinking "Darn that MERRY WIDOW HAT!"		You can see more of this series at Billie's Bangles and Antiques .
I recently bought this last card on eBay where it sold as a "black collectible with no blacks in it." The sign on the elevator door reads "Ladies with Merry Widow Hats Take Freight Elevator."	Ah beg yuh pahdon, Miss, But dis haint no place fo' dat, De freight elevator back dere'll Take yuh MERRY WIDOW HAT.