When did you last send a postcard? For many of us, postcards are reserved for summer holidays, and even then they have largely been eclipsed by texts and video calls. But in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the postcard was a hugely popular means of communication. By the end of King Edward VII’s reign (1910), 800 million were being sent every year! Postcards were quick to write, cheap and informal, and numerous postal collections per day meant they could be delivered in a matter of hours.
At Dorset History Centre, we hold an archive of over four thousand postcards from all over Dorset (aptly named the Dorset Postcard Collection – reference D-DPC). Until recently, they were housed in large albums without clear references, which made them very difficult to find! Over the last few months, we have been working on tidying up the collection – housing it in new archival-quality boxes, ensuring every postcard is catalogued and clearly labelled, and generally making it much easier to access.
To mark the end of this work, we’ve put together a series of blogs showcasing some of our favourite postcards from the collection, sent Dorset’s tourist hotspots. We’re kicking off this month with Bournemouth. All the postcards below feature images of things in and around the town, including the Alum Chine Suspension Bridge, Boscombe Beach, Hawthorns Hotel, and much more!
D-DPC/BH/176 – An early 20th century postcard sent in 1905, showing Bournemouth Beach as seen from the Pier.
It’s nice to see that the sender approved of the beach – their message begins “Rather a better sort of beach to Southend’s”!
D-DPC/BH/209 – Another early 20th century colour postcard, featuring a lovely picture of the Arcade.
This message, written in a rather wobbly hand, begins “I am writing this on the train so you must excuse the writing”. It was posted in 1907.
D-DPC/BH/9 – Jumping to the other end of the 20th century, this postcard shows Pier Approach, Boscombe, with two of the area’s famous Yellow Buses.
D-DPC/BH/261 – Sent in 1931, the message on this postcard showing Bournemouth Gardens reads “Here for a few days to try and get rid of colds. Sun out lovely this morning. Such a treat after the last two days”
We’re not sure a trip to Bournemouth would do much for a cold these days, but it’s nice to see the British tradition of talking about the weather is so long-lived!
D-DPC/BH/339 – Also sent in 1931, this postcard features a lovely sketch of The Hawthorns Hotel.
On the back, the slightly concerning message reads “We had some very nice trips around Torquay, and but for Bernie’s experience in drowning [fatalities] enjoyed it very much”.
D-DPC/BH/36
The short message on this card, commemorating Bournemouth Centenary in 1910, wishes the receiver “many happy returns of the day”.
D-DPC/BH/273 – Sent in 1956, this postcard shows children waiting to go on a pony ride at Boscombe.D-DPC/BH/276 – This early 20th century postcard shows Bournemouth Corporation Tramways trams in front of the Empress Hotel.
D-DPC/CH/332 – The sender of this postcard, sent in 1934, writes that there are “simply crowds of people” on the beach.
We wonder how her experience would compare with those of today’s tourists?
D-DPC/BH/267 – And finally, if there wasn’t enough room on a postcard for your message, then a letter card could provide you with a lot more space!This one, which looks to have been sent in the 1920s, includes six different images of Bournemouth and came complete with a built-in envelope.
We hope you’ve enjoyed a look at some of the fun and fascinating postcards from Bournemouth! Stay tuned to the blog for some snapshots from other parts of the county, coming soon!
