Description:
Collector Bookstore is a retailer of new books located in Leavenworth, Kansas. We specialize in price guides and reference books for the antiques and collectibles industry. The Postcard Century shows and tells the story of the last hundred years in its own words and images. Two thousand picture postcards and their messages give a living account of the daily existence of people and a vivid glimpse of what mattered to them, pleased them, shocked or amused them via the cards they chose to send.
We bump into the high and the mighty, the low and the worthy and all degrees in between, and overhear them talking of the events, characters and places of the 20th century. From saucy seaside jokes, the tragedies of war and the hazards of travel to the caprices of life and work, all life is here.
Each year includes views of Piccadilly Circus and the New York city skyline. Though centred on the UK and the USA, cards come from every corner of the world, from Los Angeles to Beijing, from Antarctica to Alaska. Several themes emerge strongly, most notably those which evolved with the century, for example transport, the cinema, the role of women, fashion and holidays. Changes in the English language as used informally by Britons and Americans are powerfully registered.
The artist and writer Tom Phillips provides a commentary on the visual material, giving a perceptive and thoughtful context for the messages. Here is a unique glimpse into the hearts and minds of the people who lived through the most turbulent century in our history.
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