Shriya Nevatiasay cheese for the postcard
October 21st 2006 11:04
The mention of postcards doesn’t shiver most people’s bones. Except if you are a postcard collector, and then a colonial lithograph of a pioneer hut would probably get you pretty excited. Like a lot of people, I was at first bemused by other people’s attraction to postcards. I didn’t think about all the postcards I have bought to remember a moving work of art or exhibition that I have visited. You can probably get a postcard of any place or thing that you have ever admired so it stands to reason that eventually you too will be seduced by the ubiquitous postcard.
One of the speakers at the conference I attended on Thursday was Jonathan Sweet who talked about postcards from international exhibitions like those that appeared in the Royal Exhibition in Melbourne. He showed postcards commemorating the golden obelisks and sheep’s wool arches constructed by patriotic Australians eager to show the rest of the world our wealth.
It’s not just the images on postcards, it’s also the inscriptions. As Jonathan said, once it is inscribed, it will always be unique. He noted that he had a lot of postcards that were written to an aunt or uncle from a niece or nephew and said that since postcards were sent open and could be read by anyone, the relationships between the writers were not always what they seemed…
Besides the correspondence of separated lovers, postcards have a lot to say to the imagination. Some of my favorites are those taken by roving photographers who captured families and faces, or special moments, like an elephant walking down the main street when the circus came to town.
I bought this postcard off eBay because the writer mentioned Haley’s comet when it came by in 1910. It reminded me that I had anticipated and then seen Haley’s comet from the driveway when I was a child. The picture on the front of Melbourne University is also special because it’s where I have spent (or wasted) a lot of my adult life. It also produces cheesy sentiments in me, like looking at stars and going to university means you can dreamy dream you life into whatever you want it to be.
One of the speakers at the conference I attended on Thursday was Jonathan Sweet who talked about postcards from international exhibitions like those that appeared in the Royal Exhibition in Melbourne. He showed postcards commemorating the golden obelisks and sheep’s wool arches constructed by patriotic Australians eager to show the rest of the world our wealth.
It’s not just the images on postcards, it’s also the inscriptions. As Jonathan said, once it is inscribed, it will always be unique. He noted that he had a lot of postcards that were written to an aunt or uncle from a niece or nephew and said that since postcards were sent open and could be read by anyone, the relationships between the writers were not always what they seemed…
Besides the correspondence of separated lovers, postcards have a lot to say to the imagination. Some of my favorites are those taken by roving photographers who captured families and faces, or special moments, like an elephant walking down the main street when the circus came to town.
I bought this postcard off eBay because the writer mentioned Haley’s comet when it came by in 1910. It reminded me that I had anticipated and then seen Haley’s comet from the driveway when I was a child. The picture on the front of Melbourne University is also special because it’s where I have spent (or wasted) a lot of my adult life. It also produces cheesy sentiments in me, like looking at stars and going to university means you can dreamy dream you life into whatever you want it to be.
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Comment by Lily
Ars Poetica
I've lived in Melbourne all my life and i've never even seen Melbourne Uni. A Grand old place, isn't it, the architecture is stunning!
I used to send cheesy postcards to my friends when we were on school holidays on those rare family holidays, I never even thought about anyone reading it, except the postie of course - probably gave him a laugh lol
I enjoyed your article, bought back a few memories, of circuses and the like.
~Lily
Comment by Kerrianne
You should drop by Melbourne Uni if you get the chance, unfortunately you can't stage a protest in the pond; some person has filled that in, but there is the grand architecture along with the contrast of witty toilet door graffiti.
I hope you keep sending the postcards, they will bring happiness to your friends as well as people like me for decades to come!
Kerrianne