Here's precusor to Lark Rise to Candleford, from St. Nicholas magazine, 1898.

Here's a precursor to Cesar Romero as The Joker, from An American Girl in London by Sara Jeannette Duncan, 1891.

"Here, this is Mr. Scissors.  From now on, he's your best friend." —George R. R. Martin, Dreamsongs Vol. II (2007)

Our illustration is from St. Nicholas magazine, 1903.

Here's a precursor to the game show Let's Make a Deal's "Curtain no. 1," from Home-Theatricals Made Easy, or, Busy, Happy, and Merry by Frances Elizabeth Callow, 1891.

Here's a precusor to Suzanne Vega's song "Blood Makes Noise": The Song of the Blood Corpuscles, 1899.

Here's a precursor to Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat, from Lilliput Lyrics by William Brighty Rands and illustrated by Charles Robinson, 1899.

Here's life before the dating apps.  "Matrimony by advertisement," from Vizetelly's Sixpenny Series of Amusing Books, 1885.

"I thought it first!"  From The Bashful Earthquake by Oliver Herford (1899).

"Auld Lang Syne" traces back to times long past, as we see in St. Nicholas magazine, 1909.

Here's precursor to decorative adhesive strips, from The National and Domestic History of England by William Hickman Smith Aubrey, 1878.  The caption reads, "Lady's face with patches."

Here's a precuror to the cliche of a film director framing a scene with his fingers.  From Первое путешествіе въ аѳонскіе монастыри и скиты въ 1845(-1846) году.

Here's a precursor to the "let your fingers do the walking" ad campaign, from The Home Library by Arthur Penn, 1883.  This one goes out to all the E.J.s of the world.

Today animals are used as test subjects in space travel, but it used to be cherubs (up until the religious lobby stepped in).  From A History of the Growth of the Steam-Engine by Robert Henry Thurston, 1878.