Wild Postcards

This very clear view of Westminster Abbey (with Big Ben in the background) comes from Aimee Dars, a prolific swapper extraordinaire. This card was sold in England but produced by a company in Barcelona. Next to the stamp box, it has the phrase “the friendship post card” in ten languages.

A clear view of Westminster, with Big Ben in the background. Sent in by one extremely prolific postcard swapstress.

One can only imagine how, in the 19th Century, expeditions would leave Europe to search for undiscovered places in the New World. They would leave amid great fanfare — and then there would be a complete vacuum of information on their progress for months (or even years) at a time, until they were able to dispatch a letter or, more likely, until their actual return home. Their exploits were often serialized in the press, day-for-day, and the reader could feel as though they were along for the journey, despite knowing that the actual journey had been long ended.

Almost 24 hours ago, I read online that my epistolary friend Sean McLachlan had completed his planned walk along Hadrian’s Wall.  Eighteen hours later, I received my first two snail-mailed dispatches from the trip. Antiquarian though I am, I must admit that the 21st Century has advantages. Not only do I have news on the trip in near-real time, but I also receive personal dispatches from the field after the fact.

I won’t post Sean’s dispatches; he’ll be chronicling the trip in Gadling beginning on 1 September and I don’t want to use his own words to steal his thunder.  But I will share the postcard images he sent, beginning with Day 1 from Segedunum.

From the postcard’s description: “Segedunum, the Roman fort at Wallsend. The eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall built in the middle AD 120s, it was occupied for nearly 300 years. Now it is the site of a new Museum, a full-size reconstruction of a Roman bath-house and a section of Hadrian’s Wall.”

According to this card, the walking route is the Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail, and the trail (and the wall) stretch along for 84 miles.  By my reckoning, Sean walked the route in about a week. Personally, I would have started at the west end, so that I could have ended the journey at the reconstructed Roman baths, along with a box of Epsom salts.

One can only imagine how, in the 19th Century, expeditions would leave Europe to search for undiscovered places in the New World. They would leave amid great fanfare — and then there would be a complete vacuum of information on their progress for months (or even years) at a time, until they were able to [...]

I find this photo postcard of the St. Martin-in-the-Fields church at Trafalgar Square to be very striking.  What makes it more interesting is that it was taken from atop an empty plinth in the Square by Carol, who sent this to me.  As a participant in an art project entitled One & Other, which started on 6 July and ends on 14 October, 2,400 participants will each spend an hour on the empty fourth plinth in the square, and may do whatever they wish.  Many just stand around; many perform mundane activities; a few are outrageous.

You can read and watch more about the project, you can watch it live, and you can even go back in time and watch Carol’s time on the plinth, Sunday, 19 July from 3 – 4 AM.

I find this photo postcard of the St. Martin-in-the-Fields church at Trafalgar Square to be very striking.  What makes it more interesting is that it was taken from atop an empty plinth in the Square by Carol, who sent this to me.  As a participant in an art project entitled One & Other, which started [...]

Margaret W. Tarrant (1888-1959) was an English illustrator whose career spanned fifty years, and who seemed to be in constant demand.  Over the years, she illustrated some very nice editions of what are now classic children’s books: everything from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to All Things Bright and Beautiful.  Many of the editions illustrated by her sell for hundreds of dollars today.

The one postcard in my collection featuring her work is her illustration “Fairy Secrets”, published around 2008 by the Medici Society of Great Britain.  Contrary to their name, the Medici Society is a for-profit publisher of cards and stationery.  Founded in 1908, the company was originally run as a membership organization, with the goal of bringing artwork to the masses at the lowest possible cost.

Apparently they’ve been recycling a lot of their artwork; I was able to find a 1937 version of the “Fairy Secrets” postcard from the same publisher (and which was part of something they called the “Fairy Hours” Series, according to the postcard back).  Interestingly, on both cards, I can’t help but notice that the image is not square on the card, but is slightly askew.  Perhaps they’re still using the same printing press.

(The 1937 postcard images are courtesy of Antosch & Lin, dealers in vintage postcards and stamps.)

Margaret W. Tarrant (1888-1959) was an English illustrator whose career spanned fifty years, and who seemed to be in constant demand.  Over the years, she illustrated some very nice editions of what are now classic children’s books: everything from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to All Things Bright and Beautiful.  Many of the editions illustrated by [...]