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| An Applique Postcard from Stonehouse in Lanarkshire, Scotland, having had ground glitter added to the surface |
This Blog celebrates the humble postcard. During the Edwardian era, and generally up to the 1920's, postcards usefully served many varied purposes. These ranged primarily from simple holiday postcards, the exchange of personal and business related messages, as well as the sending of birthday, Christmas, New Year, and other festive occasion greetings. The increasing availability of new colour chromo-lithograph postcards, mainly printed in Saxony in Germany, further added to their popularity.
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| A Collage type Postcard with the image formed of used stamps |
This also led to the new hobby of postcard collecting, what we now term "deltiology". During her childhood in Scotland my Great Aunt became a fervent collector, managing to fill three large albums which I now hold. Obviously becoming a very discriminating collector, her brother sent her an extra large 26 cm long postcard in 1907 with only the very short and seemingly rather exasperated message, "Will this one please you? J.W."
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| A Mirror Postcard which can only be read by holding it up to a mirror |
An added bonus has been the large amount of personal and family related information I have been able to glean from these postcards. Even simple and apparently mundane personal messages have enabled me to gain a better understanding and impression of everyday Edwardian life and times. Had these been sent as letters this information would generally not have survived. Once the telephone came into common usage, much everyday information which had previously been conveyed by way of the postcard, then ceased. Interestingly, comparisons can be made to the advent of email and electronic messaging and how this will, in another hundred years, leave an even larger "black hole" in the printed record of own daily lives.
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| A Novelty Postcard - "The Language of Postage Stamps" |
Advertising
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| Stra'ven [Strathaven] in Lanarkshire Scotland was once widely renowned for Gingerbread |
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| Mr John Letham of Auchinairn, Bishopbriggs appears to be making use of free postcards supplied by the firm of "Hadfields". |
Military & War
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| A sentimental type of postcard that became popular during World War One |
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| "Unity is Strength" with the flags of Britain and her Allies - A Christmas postcard from the First World War period |
Humour
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| An Exaggeration Postcard - manipulated images are nothing new! |
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| A Humorous postcard showing a man warming his feet on a candle, probably dating from the 37 day Miner's strike of 1912 |
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| A Comic Postcard - a very mild version compared to some! Circa 1920's |
Embroidered Postcards
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| An Embroidered postcard of the Gordon Highlander's Crest, World War One period |
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| An embroidered card with the British and French Flags. World War One period |
Birthdays & Christmas
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| A Glossy Birthday Postcard with an embossed border |
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| An Edwardian Birthday Postcard |
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| A Birthday Card featuring well known Edwardian actresses |
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| An Edwardian Christmas Postcard |
Love & Affection
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| An Edwardian Chromolithograph Postcard expressing love |
"Collage"
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| A Novelty Postcard with the die cut images pasted onto the backing card |
Events
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| A glossy Postcard from the New Zealand International Exhibition held in Christchurh, 1906-07. The card has been highlighted with glitter. |
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| A Postcard advertising the touring Australian Champion Woodcutters Peter MacLaren and Harry Jackson, posted by the promoter, Mr Thomas Dougall, 1908. |
Mechanical
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| Mechanical Postcards with moving parts were easily damaged and are now quite rare, as evidenced in this case by the missing Lion's tail which could be spun around. |
Anthropomorphic
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| "On Holiday" - An Anthropomorphic postcard depicting dogs with human attributes. Such images depicting animals in semi-human form were once very popular |
Pull-Out
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| "Pull-out" Postcards allowed the recipient to open a cover and pull out a long strip with images, in this case of the Scottish National Exhibition, Glasgow 1908 |
Business
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| Postcards were popular with businesses for non-confidential mail. |
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| And this Postcard served as a record of British Post and Telegraph charges for 1909 |
All Postcards are from my own collection and may be freely copied for personal use provided this site is acknowledged.
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