I have been thinking about postcards a lot lately. During trips and vacations, I typically send a postcard or two to friends and family. A wonderful, tiny way to send something beautiful on both sides. In January, I started a project called “Political Postcards as a Political Art Form.” Postcards became the medium, and the handwritten messages became more than just embellishment. The handwritten notes became a way of sharing my opinions and the information that is important for a constituency representative to consider during the talk of Alberta's separation from Canada. By writing the messages by hand, the act becomes somewhat of a way of reflection and meditation during a time of unrest. I created (or used other postcards designed by Canadian artists and designers) and mailed a uniquely designed postcard to my MLA Grant Hunter and Premier Danielle Smith. I decided after a few weeks to include a member of the opposition. Each postcard was designed and printed in Canada and carries a clear message advocating against the separation of Alberta from Canada. Because postcards travel openly through the postal system, every person who handles them becomes part of the artwork’s audience. This project transforms routine correspondence into a distributed public intervention, using repetition, materiality, and everyday communication to promote unity and encourage dialogue across the country.
After I started the project, I began researching the history of postcards and what I discovered was surprising. Were postcards the original tweets?
The oldest postcard currently known was created and sent in 1840 by Theodore Hook. The postcard was steeped in satire, rooted in political commentary, and went against the norms of proper etiquette. “A letter without an envelope was once considered improper,” (1) inappropriate due to privacy and social expectations. Early postcard designers and users were, in effect, the first punk rock artists. Sending a postcard in the wrong context might be seen as disrespectful or, in contrast, thought-provoking and radical .
As postcards began to be used more readily in the world, and people became more comfortable with casual, economically prudent prices and shorter forms. Individuals started to rebel against the idea that a proper letter, in a proper envelope, was expected for anything respectful.
Starting in the early 1900’s, many political groups and organizations started using postcards as a method to share their messages. Suffragettes used postcards as a mode to share their message of gaining the vote for Women, while their opponents sent postcards with the opposing opinion. You can view a variety of these postcards at Suffrage Postcards | The Long 19th Amendment or at a large collection of Suffragette postcard history atPalczewski Suffrage Postcard Archive at UNI | University of Northern Iowa Research | UNI ScholarWorks
Another example of early political postcards was between 1905 and 1907, and dealt with the relationship between Russia and France. In Alison Rowley’s paper “Ephemeral Art as Political Commentary: Russia’s Financial Woes and French Satirical Postcards, 1905-1907,” they discuss these examples of political postcards, two of the prominent creators: Orens and Mille, and a variety of images to explore. You can read more and view the examples at Ephemeral Art as Political Commentary: Russia’s Financial Woes and French Satirical Postcards, 1905–1907
During World War I, postcards were used as a form of both positive and negative propaganda. During the first great war, millions of postcards were circulated to influence public opinion, used by governments to defend their own actions, discredit the enemy and try to gain support of their nations. (2) The use of postcards as a political mechanism for propaganda continued in the Second World War. The World War II ephemera collection consists of over 5000 items and can be viewed here World War II Ephemera
After World War II, artists and politicians continued to use this medium to express their opinions and views. Raymond Johnson, a collagist and member of the pop art movement, is considered the first “mail artist.” (1) He created a global movement still existing today.
Not all postcards have a political, satirical or opinionated purpose. Just like a tweet from modern times, sharing a light moment in someone’s day, such as a post about their dachshund puppy. Postcards will continue to be sent, sharing memories of their vacations with beautiful landscapes and landmarks. And I will continue to send postcards to friends and family while on vacation, as well as “Political Postcards as a Political Art Form”.
(1) OYLA, “Twitter By Post: A History Of Postcards,” January 1, 2021, https://oyla.co.in/2021/01/01/postcards-history-and-evolution/
(2) Steiner, Zora, “Use of Propaganda in World War I Postcards,” Europeana, October 11, 2018, Use of propaganda in World War I postcards | Europeana
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