What may happen at the seashore if summer is as cold a proposition as spring (1907)

"Exploring Samuel Ehrhart's playful illustration, 'What may happen at the seashore if summer is as cold a proposition as spring' (1907), we are transported into a whimsically altered seaside experience. Set against a chill that binds both the climate and the attire of its beach-goers, this artwork unfolds a series of humorous scenarios where summer traditions are amusingly skewed by unseasonable cold.The painting offers a vivid panorama divided into playful vignettes. On the left, we see individuals arrayed in winter gear gathered at a 'Piz Fountain', a humorous nod to icy drinks tuned to warm concoctions like 'Tabasco Sundae'. Below this, a doctor rushes out on a 'Hurry Call' to aid those perhaps too ambitious in embracing the frosty beach day. In the central image, large pipes labeled 'Steam Heated Surf' amusingly suggest that the sea itself needs warming for visitors to enjoy a dip. Children and adults, still in thick coats and hats, tentatively interact with the steamy surf.To the right, Ehrhart portrays people bundled in heavy clothing, some lounging on beach chairs under piled blankets instead of sunbathing in swimsuits. A subtle humor encapsulates the scene, with signs advising, 'Do not look at the thermometers'. In the final box, titled 'An Interrupted Proposal', a couple's romantic moment is comically thwarted by the need to hold onto their thick, wind-swept garments rather than each other.Samuel Ehrhart’s work beautifully captures a delightful absurdity, turning what might be a disappointment – a cold summer – into a scene filled with laughter and light-hearted adaptation.