Tuesday 15 May 2012

Postcards - little snapshots of history

I have recently purchased some lovely old postcards via a great internet markeplace site called Delcampe and particularly from one of their many postcard sellers Old_Postcards

I've always loved buying postcards when i've been away and either keeping them for souvenirs or sending them to family at home but i never realised until recently just how fascinating they are.
Each one is a small snapshot of history especially if it has been written and posted to someone. The message on the back can be a funny one, sad one, mysterious one or just a few words of thanks, they all meant a lot to both the sender and recipient.  My favourite era of postcards to collect is 1900 to 1920's which apparently was known as the golden age. It was a time when postcards were really popular and people would use them a bit like sending texts today. They would be sent to say 'thank you for a lovely day' , 'arrived home safely' or 'isabella had a baby boy'. People would send them just for others to add to their collection as collecting postcards was a big deal at the time.

Being a family history buff I cant resist being nosy, reading those messages and doing some research on the people mentioned.  What was the senders relationship to the recipient? Boyfriend and girlfriend perhaps, mother and daughter? I cant resist the thrill of the chase to find out more about them, 1 postcard at a time, which i will do in my next post.

So here are the first three postcards i bought.




These are all of views which are fairly local, so they have a double interest for me.

Do you have a postcard collection, if so how many and what made you begin?

4 comments:

  1. Excellent blog post on Postcards. Nice to see some old images of Leigh-on-Sea too. I only visited the town for the first time last year and will definitely go back again.

    I picked up some great old Postcards for my collection for just 30p each at a market in Hitchin at the weekend. I mainly collect Postcards of Minigolf/Crazy Golf (as the sellers I speak to tell me “well, I suppose someone’s got to”) and other Postcards of places I visit on my travels.

    Happy collecting and blogging.

    Richard

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  2. Thanks Richard, thats very kind of you. I'm only just getting into collecting them and discovering the best places to buy them from and how much to pay.

    I have a friend in Hitchin who also collects postcards, how strange is that?

    all the best
    Gill

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  3. Thank you for mentioning us Gill and congratulations on your first postcard blog. Also thank you for buying from us - we really appreciate your custom. We shall feature this blog on our website. It seems you've been bitten by the Deltiology Bug .... welcome to the club! LOL!

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  4. Thanks, i think i have been. They are such fascinating little things. I really appreciate the comment.

    Gill

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