1907 Seaside Struggle; Stormy Weather by Lou Mayer

A fascinating postcard... The front image is a beautifully rendered, moody photogravure scene titled "Stormy Weather" at the bottom. It shows a stylish young couple in a lovers' quarrel on a dramatic beach at twilight. Crashing waves, dark stormy skies, and a lone gull overhead set the scene. The man, in a suit with hands in pockets, looks away. The woman, in a flowing white dress with arms crossed, is turned aside. They stand apart, capturing that classic Edwardian "not speaking" tension. The artwork is signed by the artist Louis Mayer (or Lou Mayer) in the lower left corner. 

This romantic, ironic theme was hugely popular for courtship notes during the era. 

The message side features intriguing handwritten pencil notes in old-fashioned cursive. Visible romantic phrases are scattered and overlapping: "His love from the ravine night," "His nights in the ravine," "friends are thinking of you," "the same old place," "friendship last forever," and "and the same old friend forever." These evoke nostalgia, enduring affection, and shared memories. They perhaps reference a real ravine spot near Milwaukie, Oregon.
 
On the front, to the right of the image, is a short affectionate reply note: "Got your card & H.P. and I'm crazy about it. You needn't worry any more. I think of you all the time..." It fades into fragments like "in again in some home too." It reassures the recipient, expresses excitement, and conveys constant thoughts. This perfectly ties into the stormy couple resolving their emotional weather. 

The real standout mystery is a lengthy personal secret code in hyphenated number groups, for example 2-26-15-37-81, 2-25-35-29-1-11-24-20-, and more clusters down the left side. This is a classic early 1900s postcard cipher. Senders used homemade number substitutions to hide private romantic details from prying eyes (post office, family, etc.). The code remains undeciphered, which is common for personal keys. It adds huge intrigue. Cryptography fans, ephemera collectors, and romance history buffs will love trying to crack it.

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Get it ☆  
Get Lucky 💋 Vintage