‘None of it is quite as real as when you commit something to paper’ John Niven
emotion PERSONAL
tangible
lovely
creative WONDERFUL
EFFORT CONNECTION
keepsake
The word ‘post’ was first recorded in 1506, it’s name derives from the fact that early postal systems involved riders ‘posted’ at intervals along a route, carrying letters by relay. Charles I opened the Royal Post up to the public in 1635. The network was based on six royal messenger routes. It took 16 hours for a letter to get from London to Bristol and 13 hours to get from London to Norwich.
Penny post, private postal service was created by the London merchant William Dockwra in 1680. All letters and packets up to one pound in weight were delivered for one penny. Prior to the establishment of the Penny Post, payment for a letter was the responsibility of the receiver, not the sender. This meant that many working class Victorians had no way of keeping in touch with family and friends who had flown the nest.
‘I think letters are important because they require care and thought and emotion and consideration in a way that an email never really can’ David Nicholls
Postcards were invented in 1861 by John Charlton, an American printer and stationer. By 1907, millions of postcards were in circulation, and in 1906, Eastman Kodak made a camera called the “Folding Pocket Camera” to create postcards out of photographs. The years before World War 1 from 1905 - 1915 have been called ‘The Golden Age’ of postcards. During this time around 750 million postcards were sent in Britain each year, two million a day.
Postcard use declined during World War I, as Germany was one of the main producers of postcards this supply came to an end. After the war the hobby never recovered. The role of the postcard changed becoming increasingly associated with the Seaside Holiday.
‘I think that’s the magic of the letter, that the true self is revealed’ Stephen Fry
In the early 1930’s cartoon style saucy postcards became widespread and at the peak of their popularity the sale of saucy postcards reached a massive 16 million a year. In 1954, during a morality campaign at seaside resorts across the UK Donald McGill was charged with publishing obscene images and 21 of his cards were banned. They went back on sale over 50 years later in 2011. At the height of his fame McGill earned only three guineas a design, but today his postcards are highly sought after with his original artwork going for up to £2,500. McGill’s ‘Kipling’ postcard is the best selling postcard of all time selling more than 6 million copies worldwide..
‘Somebody’s true sentiment comes across more plus their personality’ Lisa Dwan
The average time since an adult has written by hand is 41 days. One in three has not had cause to write anything ‘properly’ in over six months. Two thirds of adults said that if they do write by hand, it’s usually something for their eyes only with hastily scribbled reminders or notes most common. More than half admitted their handwriting had noticably declined with one in secen declaring they were ‘ashamed’ of their written word. One in five children in the UK have never receieved a handwritten letter.
One in ten children have never written a letter.
‘It’s such a thrill to get a letter, it hardly ever happens now, it’s either something from the inland revenue, a wedding invitation or a bill, it’s very rarely a handwritten letter.’ James Rhodes
Designed and Produced by Rebecca Farmer