Talk to Edinburgh University - Celtic and Scottish Studies

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

2nd Year Lecture - March 3 2014

Ethnographic Photography and Postcards in Scotland

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This talk was subsequently given to Colinton Literary Society on February 4, 2015 under the title

Old Photographs and Postcards of Scotland

For further details on any of the topics below, please see these pages: Ethnographic Photography Ethnographic Postcards

PHOTOGRAPHY

Early History

Page 1

PHOTOGRAPHY

Cameras and Photos

Page 2

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographic Societies

Page 3

PHOTOGRAPHY

Professional
Photographers

Page 4

POSTCARDS

Early History

Page 5

POSTCARDS

Postcard Use

Page 6

POSTCARDS

Publishers

Page 7

POSTCARDS

Views of Scotland

Page 8

Photos then Postcards

Valentine's Books

Between about 1890 and 1910, Valentine & Sons also produced a range of books of their photos
There were many book titles, including:

- Photographic view album of Alva and district

- Photographic view album of Falkland and district

- Views of the Trossachs and Loch Lomond

- Edinburgh: Collotype View Book

Front Cover

The major landscape photographers in the late-19th century photographed the popular Edinburgh sites including:
- The Royal Mill
- Princes Street
- Edinburgh Castle
- Holyrood Palace and Abbey
Here are views of Holyrood Palace and Abbey. They have been taken by three different photographers, but I find their viewpoints and resulting photos to be very similar.

Photographer: James Patrick

Photographer: James Valentine

Photographer: George Washington Wilson

The photos above are all true to life. However, the next one creates a more romantic, misty atmosphere. It was published as a 'Photogravure Series' postcard in Valentine & Sons'.

Postcard: Valentine & Sons

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Types and Dates

of Postcards

1894

Britain's first Picture Postcards

Postcards had been introduced in Britain in 1870s, but only those printed by the Post Office were allowed. They had space for the address on one side and a message on the other - but there was no picture on them.
From 1 September 1894, the Post Office allowed postcards published by others to be posted. Several manufacturers began to produce postcards.

The first publisher to include pictures on their postcards was at one time thought to have been George Stewart of 92 George Street, Edinburgh, but now it seems more likely that was probably EWT Dennis of Scarborough

Court Cards

1895
From 1895 onwards, a size of 4.75 ins x 3.5 ins was adopted for postcards. These were known as Court Cards. The address was written on one side. The reverse bore a small picture leaving sufficient space to write a message.
Here is an example of a court card by Valentine's. The company first produced postcards in 1897.

Standard size of Postcard

1899

From 1899 onwards, the standard size of 5.25ins ins x 3.5 ins, already in use in other countries, was accepted in Britain.
The address, and nothing else, still had to be written on the back of the card. The front was used for the picture and message. Sometimes, the picture covered most of the card, leaving little room for the message.

Divided Backs

1902

In 1902 the Post Office in Britain changed the rules to allow the back of the card (which post office workers incidentally referred to as the 'front' of the card) to be used for:

ON THE LEFT: The message.

ON THE RIGHT: The address.

Publishers normally printed a line down the middle of the back of the card to separate the two halves. These became known as 'divided back cards'. The divided back is an indication that the card would have been published in 1902 or later if the card was British.
Britain was the first country to adopt the divided back. Other countries followed later, USA in 1907.

Halfpenny Post

to 1918

From the time that postcards were first allowed in Britain, in 1870:
- the cost of inland postage was one halfpenny (about £0.002).
- the cost of posting a letter inland was a penny (about £0.004).
Decline in the hobby of collecting picture postcards began with the outbreak of World War I in 1914, and continued later in the decade when the Post Office increased the cost of posting a card from a halfpenny:

However, following major protests, the cost was reduced to a penny in 1922.
It remained at 1d for a further 18 years until it increased to 2d in 1940, soon after the outbreak of World War II.

1d © © © ©

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