The Postcard Century

by Tom Phillips

The Postcard Century tells the story of the last hundred years in the 1900s' own words and images. Two thousand picture postcards and their messages give a vivid account of the day-to-day life of people and of what mattered to them, pleased them, shocked or amused them via the cards they chose to send. Year by year, the high and mighty, the low and worthy, and everyone in between talk of the characters, events, and hot spots of the century. Jokes from seaside, the disasters of war, the hazards of travel, the caprices of life in work and leisure--all are pictured and discussed. Each year begins with postcard views of the New York City skyline and of Piccadilly Circus. Though centered on the USA and England, cards come from every corner of the world, from Los Angeles to Beijing, from Antarctica to Alaska. Several themes emerge, notably those that evolved with the transportation (aviation takes us from the Wright brothers to NASA), the movies, fashion, vacations, and the role of women. Changes in the English language as used informally by Americans and Britons are powerfully registered. 2000 color illustrations.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

452 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Paul Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a giant art project which took five years to do and is completely charming - it's the sideways-on history of the 20th century in postcards, sort of, a kaleidoscope, "a composite illustrated diary in which 2000 people have made their entries" – what the sender wrote is exerpted below each of the postcard pictures, six postcards per page, four pages per year, 1900-1999. The postcards bump into history with the lunatic buffeting of a pinball, at random, by hazard, and "great happenings are often recounted by humble bystanders and trivial occurrences related by the privileged".

This is such a five star book, big, bountiful, cheerful and harrowing, every page a weird, kitschy or poignant bobbydazzler. But I have to make a disclosure – my old friend Patrick worked on this book, collecting a whole lot of the postcards himself for Tom Phillips, hitch-hiking up and down Britain, ferreting out, chasing down, and generally bucking up Mr Phillips when he began to think the task was too ridiculous to continue.

I don't think anyone sends postcards anymore – please tell me if you still do – but everyone used to. Postcards were the equivalent of texting – there used to be FIVE deliveries of post per day in Britain, and people would send a postcard to a friend in the morning fixing up a meeting that afternoon.

So this is the 20th century refracted and prismed into fragments - pictures and text, the hopeful, whimsical or jocular detritus of the People, "with that authentic inconsequentiality that makes everyday life so difficult to fake". And occasionally you will get one "whose brief message could be the basis for a novel" as TP says. "A whole hinterland of tragedy can be discerned behind a few words". He also admits that as well as funny and beautiful postcards:

There are, of course, cards which seem to be competing in some obscure contest to attain absolute featurelessness as if there was an esoteric plot on the part of the publishers to equal Samuel Beckett in spareness and Andy Warhol in absence of event.




And I really liked this – TP tells us how words expressing enthusiasm about someone or somewhere change as the century bowls along – in order of appearance, they were :

Capital
First class
Topping
Ripping
Excellent
A1
Grand
Top-hole
Spiffing
Smashing
Marvellous
Super
Stupendous
Fabulous
Terrific
Fab
Ace
Sensational
Brilliant
Brill
Awesome
Wicked

(If this book extended to 2012 I understand that sick would be added to this list. Sick? Sick!)

This being a British book, ther are a number of naughty seaside postcards included – here are a few favourites :

Two storks chatting on a rooftop :
Stork 1 : Any business today?
Stork 2 : No, but I put the wind up a couple of typists this afternoon.

Girl violinist to friend : My boyfriend has got an electric organ.
Friend: Gee, that must be useful in the dark.

Man on street observing young woman comments to his friend : "She's a nice girl. Doesn't drink or smoke and only swears when it slips out."

Sergeant observes army cook crimping a pie with his false teeth : "Haven't you got a better tool than that?

Yes sir, but I keeps it for making holes in the doughnuts



And this from 1911 :

Young nurse to friend : I get ten shillings a week and partial board.
Friend : Is that all? Why, I get thirty shillings a week and my whole board.

And from 1919 :

Young guy wearing a peaked cap to sports good retailer : I'd like to buy one of those caps with the peak pointing backwards.

(The exact same joke appears in The Wire.)

And –

here's a 1923 postcard featuring a teenage girl lolling in a chair listening to the radio on headphones oblivious to her dad who is bawling his head off next to her. I can confirm that this scene is still contemporary 90 years later.

Great book.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A treat! Fascinatingly 'of its time' for a retrospective published in 2000, but totally absorbing and fun to trawl through.

[Clarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book, I found information that I did not know and very nice postcards reproduced!
It is a very large book and hard to manipulate.

[Andrew Doran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finished this wonderful book! A really splendid selection of postcards across 100 chapters, one for each of the years from 1900 to 1999. Each card is by its nature ephemeral and yet there are threads and cross-references running through the pages. Excerpts of the senders��� messages are transcribed under each card and are sometimes just as interesting as the images themselves. A joy.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique take on the history of the 20th century I liked it