1890: The 25 Stages From Courtship to Marriage

IN the late 19th Century, you could buy The 25 Stages from Courtship to Marriage. Presented as hand-tinted stereographs, they tell the story of the Bashful Lover and his pursuit of the chaste maiden:

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage

She offers her cheek. This is an ‘improvement’.

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 1

 

 

Coming where with Mother?

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 2

 

 

CM loves leaning. Mr Bashful is now a ‘Him’.

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 3

 

 

1am. More leaning.

25 stages from courtship to marriage 4

 

 

1:30am. His arm is numb. His shoulder is numb. He will never play table-tennis again.

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 5

 

 

Fifteen minuts later and Father gives Mr Bashful a massage. Chaste Maiden now upright, mostly.

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 6

 

 

He’s on is knees.

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 7

 

 

She is relocated to a palm forest.

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 8

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 9

 

MISSING SLIDE NUMBER 11. 

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 11

25 stages from courtship to marriage 12

25 stages from courtship to marriage 13

25 stages from courtship to marriage 14

25 stages from courtship to marriage 15

25 stages from courtship to marriage 16

25 stages from courtship to marriage 17

25 stages from courtship to marriage 18

 

The Mother’s Kiss or the Bridegroom’s Kiss? Who did it better?

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 19

25 stages from courtship to marriage 20

 

 

To a clearing in the jungles of Burma…

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 21

25 stages from courtship to marriage 22

 

25 stages from courtship to marriage 23

25 stages from courtship to marriage 24

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