It looks like a fairytale wedding.
In center place
are the dashing groom
and his enchanting bride.
In center place
are the dashing groom
and his enchanting bride.
Standing behind them
is a roguish fellow,
perhaps the city mayor
who conducted a civil ceremony,
along with two of his deputies,
one of whom is carelessly smoking a cigarette.
is a roguish fellow,
perhaps the city mayor
who conducted a civil ceremony,
along with two of his deputies,
one of whom is carelessly smoking a cigarette.
To the right beside the groom
are his devoted sister
and a young cavalry officer serving
as his faithful best man.
They are accompanied
by the officer's loyal sergeant
are his devoted sister
and a young cavalry officer serving
as his faithful best man.
They are accompanied
by the officer's loyal sergeant
and a boorish faced old gentleman,
perhaps the vice mayor.
perhaps the vice mayor.
On the side stands a sly looking footman
offering drinks to toast the happy couple.
offering drinks to toast the happy couple.
Opposite on the bride's side
are her loving parents,
the tenderhearted mother
and the irascible father.
Curiously four soldiers stand guard
clutching their cavalry swords
and doubtless trying to catch the eye
of the bride's pretty chamber maid.
are her loving parents,
the tenderhearted mother
and the irascible father.
Curiously four soldiers stand guard
clutching their cavalry swords
and doubtless trying to catch the eye
of the bride's pretty chamber maid.
Just as in all fairy tales,
this wedding is a strange affair
where we think we recognize the plot
yet strange and unexpected details
add questions that need more explanation.
this wedding is a strange affair
where we think we recognize the plot
yet strange and unexpected details
add questions that need more explanation.
The full wedding party of seventeen people
posed at a photographer's studio
in front of a painted backdrop
of dreamy garden of a grand palace.
The various principals and supporting characters appear real
but I hope readers will observe in the closeup clips I've provided
that there are some odd, even zany, faces in this group.
Could this be the cast of some comedy play or merry operetta?
Some of those mustaches look more fake than genuine.
And what kind of fancy wedding party includes
maids and butlers, not to mention ordinary soldiers?
posed at a photographer's studio
in front of a painted backdrop
of dreamy garden of a grand palace.
The various principals and supporting characters appear real
but I hope readers will observe in the closeup clips I've provided
that there are some odd, even zany, faces in this group.
Could this be the cast of some comedy play or merry operetta?
Some of those mustaches look more fake than genuine.
And what kind of fancy wedding party includes
maids and butlers, not to mention ordinary soldiers?
It all very confusing as the wedding couple themselves,
a gallant cavalry officer and a cultured young woman,
seem quite authentic and believable.
a gallant cavalry officer and a cultured young woman,
seem quite authentic and believable.
The military uniforms have three star collar insignias and tall shakos
that are in the style of the armies of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.
But I'm not exactly sure where they are from.
that are in the style of the armies of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.
But I'm not exactly sure where they are from.
Adding to the mystery is that this is a photo postcard sent on 22 August 1914, just three weeks into the start of World War 1, by a soldier using the free military postal service. The message might reveal the story behind this unusual wedding party but the writer's script is much too twisted for me to make out more than a few letters. Even the address is too challenging to decipher. I think it was sent to another soldier using the name of an army unit rather than a place name.
 |
| Map of ethnic groups of Austria-Hungary in 1910 Source: Wikimedia |
The Austro-Hungarian Empire, also known as the Dual Monarchy, was a huge area of central Europe united under a multi-national constitutional monarchy from 1867 to 1918. In 1914, the Emperor Franz Joseph ruled as both Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary in a military and diplomatic alliance of two sovereign states. The empire's official languages were German, Hungarian, and Croatian, but in many regions people spoke a different native language like Czech, Polish, Ruthenian, Romanian, Bosnian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovene, Italian, Romani (Carpathian), Yiddish, Friulian, Istro-Romanian, and Ladin. Each ethnic group contributed folk traditions, costumes, music, and stories that made the Austrian-Hungarian Empire a true melting pot of mixed-up cultures. It also inspired countless comedies, dramas, musicals, and operas that feature a wedding.
The questions raised by this peculiar photo of a 1914 wedding party may remain unanswered, but I think this ensemble is more theatrical than authentic. The characters resemble those found in a comical romance story from some opera or theater stage show. The picture looks like it was taken just after the final scene when everyone lives happily ever after and the entire cast has come out to take a final bow. The only group missing is the village band. Where are the accordions and tubas?
The character who initially caught my attention
was the serious face of the bride's father
who looks more perturbed
By the extravagant cost of the event
than proud of his daughter's wedding.
was the serious face of the bride's father
who looks more perturbed
By the extravagant cost of the event
than proud of his daughter's wedding.
Why is his face so familiar?
I think the father of the bride bears an uncanny resemblance to the actor Kelsey Grammer. His high forehead and receding hairline should be familiar to anyone familiar with Kelsey Grammer's role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane in the NBC sitcom Cheers (1984–1993) and its spin-off Frasier (1993–2004, and again in 2023). For more than 20 years combined, these two shows allowed Grammer to play one of the longest-running roles in television history.
His official birthday is listed as 21 February 1955,
but maybe he is older than we think.
Or has he invented a time machine?
but maybe he is older than we think.
Or has he invented a time machine?
So many questions but little hope for answers.
This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday
where wedding bells are ringing.
6 comments:
This wedding photo could inspire a play. So many possible stories in those families.
Oh yes indeed. Your conclusion gives support to the fact that this image became a post card, rather than something to remember the real event which would have gone into a frame, or perhaps a scrapbook. Not sure about Grammer's involvement however...as several other (living) actors come to mind. The stare that the father of the bride gives to the camera is uncanny, that's certain. I really enjoyed looking at the map of the various Astro-Hungarian peoples! Will save this to have as a resource (for who knows what!)
What a fascinating and intriguing post! Was it an actual wedding or a theatrical performance? The first photograph is charming - an excellent match to the prompt, yet still reflecting your love of anything with musicians. I liked the way you drew us into the story with the other characters by cropping sections of the image, and I appreciated the history lesson and map of the Austria-Hungarian Empire.
That is a startling resemblance to Kelsey Grammer! The only real difference I could see is the supposed father of the bride's ears stick out a little more. I met my own look-a-like one time. It was rather unsettling - like looking in a mirror except there was no mirror! I think we probably all have one (or more) look-a-likes somewhere. It is curious, though, about whether or not that's a real wedding photo. With the servants present, probably not.
Well, it clearly can't be Kelsey Grammer as that postcard was sent in 1914. But I agree it's an unusual wedding photo. And I can't decipher the message on the back either.
This is certainly a mysterious photo to decipher, and you’ve done an admirable job. Too bad the postcard is so hard to read, as it may contain some clues. And how did the picture end up on a postcard, anyway? Were these folks famous? Actors in a play about a wedding? Were the cards given to wedding attendees as favors? Whatever the story, it’s a unique photograph.
Post a Comment