Tea room ladies of yesteryear

When I started collecting old department store tea room memorabilia a few years ago, I came across several postcards showing interiors of the Bullocks Wilshire tea room in Los Angeles, Calif. But like all my other department store tea room postcards, they never showed any people in them — until now. I was just beside myself when I came upon this undated, unused postcard the other day — check out those gals and the waitresses!

Here's a close-up, a bit pixelated, but hopefully you can tell a little more about what the customers were wearing. Interestingly, when I enlarged this image it looked more like artwork than a photograph. And although it's the same size and even has the same font on the front as my other Bullocks postcards, there is a blank back. There's not even a dividing line or the word "Postcard." Nada.

On the other hand there is another recent addition to the collection, this postcard from Bullocks which was indeed postally used in 1924. In this shot, I enjoyed seeing the chair covers and all the potted palms.

The card written to Miss Gussie something of Gloversville, New York on Aug. 28th, 1924 reads, "Dear Cousins: Mommie and the children were here visiting last week. Had a nice visit with them. The weather has been lovely this summer, not a bit hot. I wouldn't go back East to stay. Best Love to you all. Mother sends love." And I can't quite make out that signature, I'm afraid. (Can you?) At any rate, I loved getting some new glimpses of what a tea room looked like back before most of us reading this blog were even born!