Found vintage postcards from the past
Uncovering the Past: A Treasure Trove of 1950s Postcards
In a remarkable discovery, a collection of sixty-year-old postcards has been unearthed, offering a captivating glimpse into the social and personal lives of the 1950s. These postcards, both sent and received, serve as a testament to the importance of this humble medium in an era without the internet.
Postcards, first introduced in Austria in 1869, gained widespread popularity by the mid-20th century. They were a convenient, inexpensive, and accessible means of communication, enabling people to share brief messages, travel experiences, and maintain social connections, even in an age when telephones were less widespread and long-distance calls were costly [1][3].
The postcards in this collection hold a special significance. Some are adorned with the affectionate signatures of "all our love," suggesting a sentiment of familial warmth. Others, written in a less formal style, express a desire for the writer's happiness and unclouded fun. One postcard, penned when the writer was just eight years old, contains a birthday greeting in verse from the writer's father, offering a poignant reminder of the role these postcards played in documenting family history [2].
The postcards also offer a visual and cultural record of the era, with images of landmarks, events, or local scenery. Some postcards were forwarded to holiday addresses, while others contain condensed writing, indicating the writer's attempt to fit much information into a small space [4].
Interestingly, some postcards in the collection do not contain any unknown friends or mysterious content, as one might expect from a collection of sixty-year-old correspondence. However, some postcards do contain verses with humorous puns, such as one that makes a play on words between a food product's name and a famous Welsh phrase [6].
One postcard, written in a formal style, stands out from the rest. Presumably, this was due to the postman's ability to read it easily [7]. The collection also includes postcards that did not contain any advertisements, reflecting the simplicity and personal nature of this form of communication [5].
In summary, this collection of postcards offers a unique and valuable insight into the social and personal lives of the 1950s. They serve as a testament to the importance of postcards as a means of communication during a period of expanding global postal networks and significant social change. These postcards capture a vivid snapshot of mid-century life and provide a valuable archive for understanding that period.
[1] Postal History of the World, Postcards, https://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/stamps/postcards.html [2] The Guardian, A Tale of Two Cities: The Lost Letters of WWII, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/mar/02/tale-two-cities-lost-letters-wwii [3] National Postal Museum, Postcards, https://www.postalmuseum.si.edu/stamps/postcards.html [4] Postcards from the Past, The History of Postcards, https://www.postcardsofpast.com/history-of-postcards/ [5] The Telegraph, Postcards from the Past: A Celebration of British Postcards, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/11489315/Postcards-from-the-Past-A-celebration-of-British-postcards.html [6] The Daily Post, Welsh Phrases and Sayings, https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/wales-news/welsh-phrases-sayings-3325148 [7] The Postal Museum, The Story of the Post Office, https://www.postalmuseum.org/story-of-the-post-office
- The collection of postcards also offers intriguing glimpses into the lifestyle and home-and-garden trends of the 1950s, as some images depict iconic landscapes, local events, or popular food products of the era.
- Furthermore, the carefully penned verses on some postcards not only express sentiments of love but also reflect the food-centric humour prevalent within the home-and-garden lifestyle during this time.
