I think some of the most fascinating aspects of collecting old postcards are the messages that can be found written on them. Each and every one tells a story of some kind (if you can decipher them) and represents a little piece of someone’s life and history.
Dear Helen,
Suppose you are back in school after the holidays. I have a very nice school.
L. Robbins, 1910 postcard.
No two postcards are alike. Each uses differing styles of cursive script, each has different things going on. We can gather other information based upon what’s been said, any postage stamps that are visible, and even the stamps from the post office. Some people had very elegant writing! Others? Notsomuch.
I’ll often use postcards like these as background elements. They don’t often get used as the focus of a piece—they’re too busy.
Of course, now I’m getting ideas.
What distinctive styles of cursive writing can you identify in these pieces? What style did you grow up with?
Chat with me in the comments!