Wonders of the Isle of Wight

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The idea of Wonders of the Isle of Wight was started by W. J. Nigh, a Ventnor postcard maker about 100 years ago. The earliest I have is postmarked 1908 (although they were probably produced earlier) shows them as 'The Five Novelties' (the card was part of the publishers 'Novelty series'). This was subsequently changes to 'The Five Wonders'. 

Wight Novelties

This card  gives the novelties as:

  • Needles without Eyes 

  • Saltwater you get from Freshwater 

  • Ryde you can and not have to move

  • Mutton you get from Cowes

  • Lake without any water

 

The five wonders of the Isle of Wight

This was probably the next card produced by Nigh, unfortunately it is undated but produced in the same style, with the 'novelties' changed to 'wonders'. It shows a copyright declaration in the bottom left hand corner.

  • Needles you cannot thread

  • Cowes you cannot milk

  • Brook you can walk without getting your feet wet

  • Newport you cannot bottle

  • Freshwater you cannot drink

 

Isle of Wight Curiosities

 This card, also postmarked 1908 and produced by Nigh showed ' Curiosities of the Isle of Wight' and included 4 of the above wonders (Brook is missing).

Contradictions of the Isle of Wight

This card, one of my favourites, produced by Welsh of Portsmouth, postmarked 1912. The quality is poor, but it is unusual in that it includes 'contradictions' that do not appear on other cards. These are:

  • Shal-Fleet - without a ship

  • New Town - the oldest Town on the Island

  • Vent nor - Which Vents or Opens to the South

  • St. Catherines - Without a shrine

If you notice, the names of the places are slightly changed to make the 'contradiction' more realistic.

 

The Garden of the South. Isle of Wight

A slightly different, but unfortunately undated card but around 1910, published by A.C.Redmond of Southsea with the wonders in text form, these are set out below:

A card in the I.D.S. series, which includes 4 of the usual 'peculiarities' and also one I have not seen elsewhere, Shanklin Chine you cannot eat, the meaning of which defeats me.

Though milk the COWES you cannot do,

Nor bottle PORT so NEW,

The garden Isle,

Brings back a smile,

With its pleasures not a few.

When coaching at OSBORNE forget not to halt,

With the sights at the castle you will not find fault,

SHANKLIN CHINE you must do,

Not forgetting SEA VIEW,

And the bay where FRESHWATER is salt.

CARISBROOKE CASTLE I scarce need to name,

See it you must it deserve all its fame,

If for a change you decide,

You prefer COWES to RYDE,

You will get there as soon as the train.

 

From ALUM BAY to its NEEDLE(S) to say,

To YARMOUTH where doomed warship lay,*

At ROMAN VILLA* take a peep,

SANDOWN is not far to seek,

BLACKGANG, VENTNOR are sure to repay

* The doomed warship is a reference to HMS Gladiator which sank off Fort Victoria in 1908,  and the roman villa that a Brading.

 

More examples of 'Wonder Cards'

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24 February 2006 (Originally produced 01/01/2001)