Postcard Storytelling

Postcards; something bought by holiday makers to show where they had spent their summer or as a souvenir to later get lost or thrown away. Whilst that may be today’s opinion for the 'insignificant' medium, in the 20th century and before, they had a far deeper meaning.

The postcard revolution or 'Golden Age' as it was known came during 1901 - 1907. Unlike the rest of the world the UK made their postal pictures on larger prints (perhaps a nod to Britain's imperialistic success in industry and wealth), but that was eventually changed in the golden age to match the 'norm' of postcards around the globe. There was also a major increase in literacy skills, allowing for the 'average Joe or Jane' to make use of them and subsequently meant that millions were sold and used in Great Britain.

Proving to be more versatile than merely showing an image of a attractive location or person, postcards could also be seen as being ahead of their time in many ways. For generations before the time of tweets, instant messaging and the social media craze the people of Swindon, like the rest of the country, relied on ‘postcards’ to keep their friends and relatives updated on the goings on from day to day. The postal service of Swindon acted as a lifeline to keep in touch with people, sometimes in extreme cases delivering post up to twelve times a day, and there were instances where people would complain if it arrived hours late. Landlines were a luxurious commodity and the pay phones that usually existed down residential streets were also considered too expensive. To negate these issues the use of postcards as a way to stay in touch was very popular with the locals.

Whereas with letters, which are often lengthly pieces pertaining to a certain topic or issue for the reader, postcards like the ones taken from Swindon’s Museum and Art Gallery, they were used to send quick messages for the more daily occurrences.

One 'Miss Rees' was thanked by her family member for sending her fresh cream from the local dairy and expressing the excitement to see their family member soon.

Others similarly whilst writing to their relatives; such as the postcard to a 'Aunty Kate and Uncle Will' just so they were aware that their own postcards had been received by the writer, their niece 'Dolly'.

Whilst the discussions of the weather and simple family matters may seem mundane, they speak volumes of the character of the individuals both reading and writing the postcards. They give us a better idea about Britain in the early 20th century, in particular the residents of Swindon, who demonstrate the family spirit and relationships that can be argued has been lost over the years.

Sometimes postcards were used in order to send quick 'important' messages rather than lengthly letters. But in order to prevent the postman nosily reading private conversations it would be written backwards, much to the annoyance to the reader who would then have to carefully decode it.

Although this particular message to a Miss Smith may not seem like the secret message from a spy movie, the conversation was still deemed necessary to be kept from the postman or other curious eyes. If anything this possibly just shows the private nature of the people writing at the time, a bit of a contrast to the modern need to keep everyone updated on the smallest things.

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Swindon in the 20th century also saw a boom in tourism. In 1840 Swindon saw the Great Western Railway come to its town further increasing its popularity for visitors. Many of the postcards written, were sent by people visiting the area, expressing their views on the town in a positive light. The majority of old postcards depict public locations of interest such as the GWR (Great Western Rail) or the Town Hall. However certain themes and public figures of Swindon were used as a means to promote the town and make it stand out individually, by putting their image on postcards. ‘Bruce’ the collector dog from 1915 travelled about 12,000 miles by rail and raised more than £890 for charity, mostly for the Swindon Victoria Hospital. Although it is not clear why he started doing this act of humanitarianism but Bruce gained popularity around the world none the less and aided in bringing more people to Swindon, as well as being awarded many gold and silver medals for his service. This particularly photogenic dog helped show Swindon's giving nature and generosity, and by using 'Bruce' as a spokesperson, figuratively speaking, he tried to show what the railway town wished to represent.

More obscure images from Swindon’s caricature themes include ‘The Glad Eye’ of Swindon or ‘The Black Cat’. Some of which the meaning behind are no longer certain, but nonetheless had significance for Swindon’s history. Possibly seen as a type of propaganda to boost Swindon’s tourism, posters also exist with similar images that show Swindon as being a land of opportunity for professionals, especially during the railway boom during the late 1800s. The sense of humour behind them and the wit is clear, there seems to be inside jokes when it came of the type of cartoonish images portrayed with the postcards and posters in the 20th century. Slogans and cat-phrases seem to be the way in which Swindon tried to boost their reputation for the rest of the UK and even visitors around the world.

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The most common postcards from Swindon include photographs from around the Swindon area, showing particular sites of interest or fame amongst other towns and cities. As previously mentioned, Swindon was not well known until the production of GWR, but also the introduction of canal routes. Previous to this, Swindon was known as a quiet, market town. This boom in popularity continued throughout into the 1900s, with the introduction of an electrical power station and following this a tram line through Swindon. Swindon played an important role in the war years due to the railways as well as the industrial works. This may also be why in some of the postcards found the wellbeing of the residents who lived in Swindon during WW1 and WW2 are enquired after, as it was considered a target for bombing, and was subsequently attacked in the 1940s.

Swindon was also praised for providing aid for Belgian refugees. Refugees were welcomed enthusiastically when they started to arrive, thirty homes were designated 'Belgian homes' for the 350 refugees who came to Swindon. Over £5,000 was raised for them during the war, the large sum of money does not take into the countless gifts that the refugees received. Many of the refugees eventually learnt English, while a few local folk even learned French in return. Swindon's response to the needs of the Belgians is the only one example of the huge contribution of the town on the Home Front. This sums up the people of Swindon at the time in a extremely positive light.

Although seemingly something considered to be not of great importance when compared to historical documents and artefacts, Swindon’s large collection of postcards are rich in local history and valuable in researching the history of Swindon. Postcards have and still continue to be a wonderful primary source which enable us to look at the local ‘people’ of Swindon and those who were visiting during the early 20th century. A personal piece of history that arguably gives more insight into the people who were writing these messages than a photograph or document ever could. Its a more intimate understanding of the residents of Swindon and it collectively shows how throughout the trials and tribulations of the early 20th century Swindonians always proved to be generous, hardy and family oriented as they remain even to this day.

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