Postcards were first published in this country in 1894 and were known as 'Court Cards'. They were smaller than the standard cards of today and the correspondence was written on the side used for the illustration. The standard size was introduced in 1902 whereby the reverse side was used for the correspondence and the address. The period from 1900 to 1918 was deemed to be the 'golden age' for production of postcards and nearly all homes had an album of cards. More than 7 million cards were received by the British population in the year ending March 1904 - this was in part due to the cheap 1/2d postage rate and the variety of postcards published.
After the end of the First World War the hobby of collecting postcards fell into decline because there was an increase in postage rates and the telephone was becoming more popular. However, with the huge interest in family history, which has grown at a rapid rate over the last twenty to thirty years, more and more people are rediscovering this wonderful hobby because it provides nostalgic memories of days gone by. Of particular interest are the topographical cards and these holiday postcards provide a reminder of the holiday resorts our ancestors escaped to.
Southampton from Pier.
Prestatyn Sands.
The Pier Head, Cardiff.
Aberystwyth - The Sands.
South Beach & Pen Dinas. Aberystwyth.
General View, Aberystwyth.
Railway, Barry Island.
Barmouth: Marine Parade.
Barmouth, North End.
Quayside (Sunday Morning), Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Largest Railway Crossing in the World, Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Rhyl Pavilion & Sands.
Rhyl: Marine Lake.
Blackpool.
Torquay - Waldon Hill.
The following postcards are from the 1960's and reflect the holidays of that era. The buildings and transport are of particular interest. A huge 'Thank You' to Amy for these postcards.
