Snippets from the collection
Have you ever considered the story behind the computer, behind the item inside the cabinet?
This page is for the unspoken and unsung heroes of the collection. Each month a story will unfold about a lesser known item. Contributors will vary from the swag of eclectic staff at the State Library including Archivists, Subject Specialists, Collection Development, the crew in Preservation and Conservation and of course, the people who define the collections... YOU!
The humble postcard
This months snippet briefly examines some quirky postcards that tell a tale of another time where emails, mobiles and telephones were just a fragment of peoples imaginations.
Fast Facts about Postcards
- The State Library postcard collection has around 9,500 items (and still counting) dating back to 1905
- The first postcards were issued in 1857 from the Sydney GPO
- Deltiology is the study of postcards
- Before the 'Divided back' (dividing line on the back of a postcard) was formalised, all that was permitted to be written was a name and address!
Its all in the stamp!
Have you ever considered the significance of how you put a stamp on a letter? This item was unfortunately never written on, with no date and time stamp we are left to our own devises to determine its time period.
It does however unlock a new dimension to the meanings of what has been written on other cards. For example, a card with the message " I had a wonderful time at the picnic yesterday, I hope you did too" has a new meaning if the stamp is upside down or upside down and on an angle.
Passions from the past
Text reads Dear Joy, Have a good sleep?! I’m still walking around in a dream. Am feeling awfully blue! So bye bye, your pal Joe
Is this a forbidden love, a passion from the past, or simply friends?
As you can see, the stamp has been removed so we are unsure which way the stamp was placed on the card. You be the judge!
Early text messaging?
Message reads We leave here about a quarter past three if we can.
Can you read the time on the stamp?
Traditionally, posties would make two deliveries a day. One in the morning and one in the evening. The above postcard was sent as a message in the morning, telling the receiver what time they were leaving that afternoon! Is this an early version of the text message?
The time is marked as 9.45am
Want to see more?
Pop into the State Library next time you are in town and see if you can uncover an unusual item to add to the Snippets collection.
Sources and your link to more information!
1. http://www.postalheritage.org.uk/
2. http://www.metropostcard.com/glossaryd.html
3. http://www.emotionscards.com/museum/historyofpostcards.htm
Page last updated: 13/03/2009 12:00:29