Reading List

Wednesday 9 June 2010

George - turn them over!



These things are a sort of diary upon which the English people have unconsciously recorded themselves. Their old-fashioned outlook, their graded snobberies, their mixture of bawdiness and hypocrisy, their extreme gentleness, their deeply moral attitude to life, are all mirrored there.

George Orwell, taken from England Your England, 1941
Okay you've got one guess as to what Mr Orwell was writing about! Yup postcards. But specifically, the fronts of postcards.

A truly awesome quote don't you think?

But - and I tread carefully when crossing one of postcardings founding fathers - I reckon Orwell missed a trick. The cards themselves do reveal a lot about a society's psyche. But surely there is more to be found in the messages?

Take Jim's card to Maggie. Turning over the pastel image of a Winchester horizon, you find a real treat...

I love the addition of the "to all" in Jim's message. I'm thinking his interest in Maggie's nearest and dearest was a bit of an afterthought? And isn't there something beautiful in the way he's written Maggie's name. The 'M' is just a delight.

PS By the way, some good news Postcardesers. Postcardese was named this week's Best of Web by
Culture Critic. Good work guys!

7 comments:

  1. I am enjoying these front and backs that you are posting! I had one in a blog post more than a year ago: see
    http://viridianpostcard.blogspot.com/2009/05/pff-guess-who.html
    and a moving one:
    http://viridianpostcard.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-york-city-1930-and-pff.html

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  2. I'd say he tilted that stamp on purpose and is trying to say something in the "language of stamps."

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  3. I used to live in Winchester until very recently. St Giles Hill is now completely covered in trees. It looks as though they used to quarry in that area. I had no idea!

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  4. Viridian - Thanks for the links. They are quite something. Could I use one for next week's blog?

    Sheila - Can you still go up the cathedral? I've tried to find an image on google but not come up with anything.

    And Postcardy, I'm liking the "language of stamps" a lot.

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  5. I love the written sentiment.

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  6. Wonderful! What a beautiful find.

    Happy PFF!

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  7. Thanks for commenting on my June 18th PFF post, Guy! Your comment was funny - it took me a minute but then I got it! :)

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