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Sunday 22 August 2010

Instant Postcard Messaging









About a year ago I bought a new mobile phone - one of those fancy ones with a built-in camera. 

It is great. 

I love being able to send images to people and get instant reactions. I'll take a photo of some new glasses I've bought, say, and then send it to my mum. Within a minute she's texted back her thoughts.

How modern you think - how advanced we are. Well not exactly. Those bloomin' Edwardians were there first I'm afraid.

Take the pair of messages above. Gaddesden Place catches fire on 1 February 1905. Already by 18 February, our postcarder has a choice of cards to send showing what happened.

And that he/she decided to send two allows us to enjoy something unique.

Different cards sent on the same day, to the same address, to two brothers (?) about the same fire. This is the collecting triumph I referred to last week. By having both messages, the fire and the sending of the cards seem to become 3D.

 


PS My mum thought I was trying to look like Woody Allen. So cruel! Yet probably fair.




10 comments:

  1. You can rest easy - NOBODY looks like Woody Allen, excepting Woody, of course. I enjoyed going over to the link for Gaddesden Place. Interesting history!

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  2. I liked these postcards very much. It is almost as though the postcards were used to tell the news. Amazing.

    I think you are a very nice looking young man. And yes, in this photo you look a little like Woody--but it might just be the glasses.

    Happy PFF!

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  3. I'll never get the hang of sending instant images. Postcards are fast enough for me!

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  4. Facinating post. I like these documentary postcards. And you look much better than Woody.

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  5. Hey, Woody! Nice 'instant' messaging there!

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  6. Great story, and great set of cards.
    thanks for sharing.

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  7. Very 3-dimensional. It's exciting to get a feel for history through these cards and their commentary on the news of the fire.

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