I was trying to decide whether to do this post on spoons or on mustaches.

Perusing a list of my paternal grandparents’ wedding presents, I was leaning toward spoons.

James B. Woodman MD, and Ethel Mae Everett met in Franklin, NH, where he’d gone to practice medicine and surgery in 1904. In 1907, they were in this amateur theatrical production together at the local Unitarian church. James is back row, far right, and Ethel, middle row, also right.

Photo credit: Currier’s, Franklin, NH

They were married in 1910, at Ethel’s parents’ home in Wollaston, Massachusetts. People who didn’t attend still sent gifts, and the most popular offering by far was the spoon—either a singleton or a set.

At least twenty-eight of the young couple’s friends gave a total of 68 spoons.

My grandmother carefully noted whether the spoons were for tea, coffee, jam, jelly, salt, strained honey, oranges, bonbons, bouillon, sugar, ice, berries, or olives. Plus, there were a couple of sets merely called “dessert spoons.” (Well! Pudding, custard, or mousse, I ask. Caramel or tapioca?)

Finally, some maverick gave a souvenir spoon of Daniel Webster’s birthplace.

As for other tableware, my grandparents also got designated forks (for cold meat, lemons, lettuce, olives, pickles), and specialized knives (for cream cheese, ice cream, fruit.)

One wonders if the newlyweds used these gifts for their stated purpose. Might they have thought twice before eating blueberries with an olive spoon? They were proper folks, after all.

But back to my decision. In favor of mustaches, I’d been meaning to post some more of those old pictures that I found in the biscuit tin. I’d done a post on beards, and wanted to follow up with other facial hair.

I don’t even know who these mustachioed dudes are. I love this fellow’s crisscross tie and pearl-buttoned shirt, however.

Photo credit: Woodman family collection

Guys obviously spent time and money on their look. This dandy’s striped trousers and watch chain make quite the fashion statement. His hands are well-manicured, too. As for hair, I don’t think that upswept asymmetrical style was achieved by accident.

Photo credit: Woodman family collection

Hey folks, three for the price of one.

Photo credit: C E Lewis Photographer, Lebanon, NH

Spoons or mustaches? Decisions, decisions. Happily, a Wikipedia Commons public domain photo came to my rescue.

A Mr. Andreas Praefcke took this picture at the Victoria and Albert museum in 2011. It’s a silver spoon to protect one’s mustache when eating soup.

Thank you, Andreas Praefcke.

PS I also had to decide on spelling: moustache or mustache? More on that another time.