Mena Fotógrafo, Carretas 39, Madrid
Tarjeta Postal, Union Postal Universal, Espana
"¿No quieres caldo?.... ¡Tres!... digo... cinco (5) tazas, Madrid -12-15-"
Dr. Ricardo Fernández Romero wrote me concerning the inscription:
It is an adaptation of a popular expression or saying in Spanish, with comical tone. The meaning would be something like: “Now that you’ve asked for more I will give you plenty of it, more than you asked for, actually [three instead of just one more portion]”. The author of the writing is making a joke after the saying, since the original expression in Spanish uses the number 3, not the number 5, increasing the exaggeration implicit in the original saying. In other words, the joke from the part of the man in the photograph is about the idea of sending not just one picture of him, or three, but five, in case the correspondent would not have had enough with just one. It is written with a tone of sort of playful and not aggressive vanity. Literal translation of the writing on the postcard would be: Didn’t you want some broth? Here’s three, I mean, five cups for you.
Collection Heinz-Werner Lawo
