Ethnographic Postcards in Scotland

1

Early History

From 1870s

2

Postcard Use

Messages on Postcards

Postcard Portraits

3

Postcard Publishers

George Stewart

Valentine & Sons

Others

4

Views of Scotland

Wells and Fountains

The Scottish Highlands

Edinburgh

5

Scottish
Life and Character

Raphael Tuck

Other talks:    Ethnographic Photography in Scotland

Other talks:    History of Photography

Edinburgh University, School of Literature, Language and Cultures, Celtic and Scottish Studies

2nd Year Lecture:  February 23, 2010  -  Ethnographic Postcards

Ethnographic Postcards in Scotland

Postcard Use

Messages

written on

Postcards

• Postcards played an important part in peoples' lives in the early 20th century, quite apart from the pleasure they gained from collecting them and exchanging them.

• In some places there might have been up to perhaps a dozen collections a day from post boxes, and perhaps six deliveries a day to houses, beginning early in the morning.  So  it was possible to send a message about events the next day, or later the same day, with confidence that it would arrive in time.

• Here are some examples of messages written on postcards.  The first card was posted from Coldingham in SE Scotland in 1921.

Most of the others were posted 1903-05, many from in or around Edinburgh.  These are the topics.

• 1.  A Religious Message

• 2.  Not so Religious

• 3.  Postcard Collecting - 1

• 4.  Postcard Collecting - 2

• 5.  Postcard Collecting - 3

• 6.  In  the Crowd

• 7.  University and Shopping

• 8.  An Accident

• 9.  Motoring and the Weather

• 10.  Not trusting the Post

• 11.  Trusting the Post

• 12.  Short Message - 1

• 13.  Short Message - 2

• 14.  Short Message - 3

• 15.  Chess Move

• 16.  Coded Message - 1

• 17.  Coded Message - 2

• 18.  Coded Message - 3

• 19.  Coded Message - 4

MESSAGE

"Beloved Bro & Sister in Him, our Life and Blessed Hope.

Just read a glowing epistle from our dearly loved Sister, Miss Young, and she says Bro Murdie is so bright.  Hallelujah!   ... "

ADDRESS

Bro Murdie

"The Light of the World"

MATT 5-14

The Manse

North Sunderland

Northumberland

MESSAGE

"Will has been here many a time."

"It's quite true I have whiles frequented the kirk."

"I ken the mannie fine guid - forgie me for leein'."

MESSAGE

"Hope this will please you. I am sure you could not wish for anything more beautiful."

MESSAGE

"This is an ideal PC.  Don't you think so?"

MESSAGE

"These are the most awful black looking things but I suppose your collection will admit it."

MESSAGE

"Dear Sister  -  Do you think you would be able to find Maggie and myself here?  Let me know if you can."

MESSAGE

ON THE FRONT OF THE CARD: 

"How would George like to go to this school?"

ON THE BACK OF THE CARD: 

"I forgot to tell you in my letter to write and say how many yds of cloth you want and what colour.  I think you should try navy blue.  Annie has got a nice blue out of the Co-op. ..."

MESSAGE

"I am still in bed but am mending as well as can be expected.  I have had a very narrow escape, or rather a Devine deliverance from a tragic death.

I got well kicked by the horse on the left leg and the lorry wheel took out a piece of the calf on the right leg and laid bare the bone.

God stopped the wheel suddenly.  I dare not use the right leg and am kept in bed.  Love to you and the girls."

MESSAGE

"Dear Mrs C  -  We, Pa and I, have been out a motor ride today.  We went nearly to Mid Calder.  It was dreadfully cold but we enjoyed it.

Pa is buying a new one tomorrow and we're testing it.  It's frightfully cold here today."

MESSAGE

"Dear Blanche  -  I wrote you a letter of ten pages and posted it the same day as we arrived.  I am sorry that you did not get it as I took great pains to write the events of every day from leaving London to Glasgow."

MESSAGE

"Miss Johnston will not be in Edinburgh tonight.  You will hear from her later."

MESSAGE

"Ye ken wha frae."

MESSAGE

"From one you don't know."

MESSAGE

"Nothing"

MESSAGE

"K Kt to K2"

"Ferry boat at Granton.  Horses being loaded up for manoeuvres.  Went to Tantallon Castle yesterday."

MESSAGE

"Dear Bertha  -  Is this new calligraphy as sublime and beautiful as the picture?  Thanking you in anticipation.  "Me". "

MESSAGE

"Liz.  If you are not going anywhere this afternoon and care to come out I could see you at say two 20 Walmer Road end of your street only if you feel like it.

Tom.  WP of course."

MESSAGE

***  Thank you to John Hadden who wrote:

"The text (complete with spelling mistake) is:

It is a slightly modified Pigpen cipher."

John Hadden, Edinburgh:  February 19, 2010

MESSAGE

"Dear Maggie,  Be sure and remember Saturday night 6.45 WP or not.   With best love  RRS"

Further Details

1.

Ray Rob

New Zealand

Postcard No. 15 above was posted on July 14, 1905.

Thank you to Ray Rob for telling me about the person that this postcard was sent to.

Ray wrote:

Miss Robinson

©

©

"This postcard was addressed to

Miss Robinson

20 French Gate

Doncaster.

According to the 1891 and 1901 censuses, she seems to have been Miss Constance T Robinson.  In 1901, she was a 15-year-old school teacher."

Ray Rob, New Zealand:  January 29, 2011

Further Details

2.

Ray Rob

New Zealand

Postcard No. 14 above was posted on May 4, 1903.

Thank you to Ray Rob for telling me about the person that this postcard was sent to.

Ray wrote:

Miss Morris

   ©

"This postcard was addressed to

Miss Morris

47 E High Street

Forfar

The 1901 Scotland Census records that Euphemia D. Morris was born about 1886 at St. Fort , Fifeshire.

At the time of the census , she was a 15 year-old Pupil Teacher,  living with her adoptive parents at 47 E High Street , Forfar.

Ray Rob, New Zealand:  January 31, 2011

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Jerome Studio  -  Leith Street, Edinburgh: 1934 to 1970

• A visit to a Jerome studio would not normally have taken many minutes, and the postcard portraits would have been available for collection soon afterwards.  In my experience, very few of these postcards appear to have been sent through the post.

Jerome Postcards

Studios throughout Britain

A variety of fashions and backdrops

©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Joyce Gallois

©  Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

©  Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

©  Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

©  Reproduced with acknowledgement to Joyce Gallois

©  Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

Claude Low

Postcards

Postcard 1

©  Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

Postcard 2

©  Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

Postcard 3

©  Copyright: For permission to reproduce, please contact peter.stubbs@edinphoto.org.uk

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