Tuesday 15 December 2009

The fall of the Ukulele - from Eden to Babylon - and back

Ladies, Gentlemen, and you lot in the pit,

I give you, for your delectation and edefication, a pictographical homily on the moral decline of the Ukulele!

In the Beginning, The Ukelele dwelt in innocence in the Garden:



It was associated with carefree youth and vitality:




Of course, the French had to reduce things to the sordid beastliness of the bordello...


But in America, the Ukelele was symbolic of the pure, the beautiful, unattainable ideal



Although inevitably there were exceptions:



 Nevertheless, The Uke embodied youth, vivaciousness, and healthy fun:



And occasionally young ladies dressed as Sailors:



Of course, it always carried the allure of The Innocent Savage


Then came the 1950s, and the shocked realisation that  times had changed:



The Ukelele had become inextricably linked with eroticism, sexuality, and Forbidden Desires:




Until we were shown the Error of Our Ways:



And the Ukulele was restored to its original State of Innocence:



Et In Arcadia Ego

Finis.