‘What do you think of him?’ A postcard for Valentine’s Day

If our earlier post on vinegar Valentine’s has left a sour taste in your mouth, this postcard is a sweeter reminder of the day. It was sent from Brighton on 13 December 1909 to a lady in Shrewsbury. Perhaps it lead to a Valentine’s card two months later?

Message side of postcard, 1909 (HA920381)

‘Dear Old Eda,

Am sending you photo of the boy I told you about what do you think of him.  Hope you are quite well.  Am expecting a letter.  Fond love to the children + best and fondest to yourself.  Yours Lou’

The picture side of the postcard bears a group portrait of the Theatre Royal football team. The man standing on the right of the back row is marked by an ‘x’. Is he the boy mentioned by Lou?

Postcard showing the Theatre Royal football team, 1909 (HA920381)

Living Chess and a loving Daddy — a postcard for Father’s Day

Living Chess, 1904, HA901542

The Brighton Mayor’s Children’s Ball was a regular event. Usually held in the Royal Pavilion, it appears to have been a charitable occasion that took place in the early part of the year. The theme for 1904 was ‘Living Chess’, and this postcard shows the children dressed as black and white chess pieces.

Although the ball was, presumably, a fun occasion, the image seems stilted and awkward. The children are all unsmiling or supressing grins. Most likely, this is because the stiff poses of Victorian portraiture had yet to fade from the photographer’s art, but it could also be a reflection of the game. Chess may be fun, but it is a cold, logical, strategic type of pleasure.

As is often the case with postcards, the message side is a clear contrast. Written to ‘Miss M Hardwick’ in Putney, the sender’s message consists of three simple sentences.

Handwritten side of Living Chess postcard, 1904

‘I hope you are almost well & that it will not be long before you are able to come home. With love to Uncle Frank. Your loving Daddy.’

This message tells us very little. We don’t know the name of the sender, we don’t know what illness his daughter was suffering from, or whether she ever got better. We know nothing about Uncle Frank, or why the daughter had to convalesce with him. But we do know that this father missed his daughter. And, appropriately for Father’s Day, that’s the least mysterious thing of all.

Kevin Bacon
Digital Development Officer

Picture this: conference and competition

St Margaret’s Church, Rottingdean, 1907

The Royal Pavilion and Museums hold well over 8000 postcards relating to Brighton & Hove. Although these have been traditionally collected for the images they bear, the message sides can be just as revealing. These short handwritten messages can give a brief glimpse of what visitors and residents thought of Brighton and Hove. They also give a hint of contemporary everyday life, and personal stories that are otherwise lost.

Handwritten message on postcard

We are collaborating with the University of Sussex on a conference entitled Picture this: postcards and letters beyond text. As part of this event we will be hosting a research seminar examining postcards from our collections. But even if you are not attending the conference, it is still possible to participate: a postcard competition is currently running until 21 January. If you’re in need of some diversion over the festive season, why not write or design your own postcard for this?

If you would like a further challenge, why not have a go at decoding the message on the postcard featured on this page? If you’re stuck, here’s one clue, and here is a solution and transcription.

Kevin Bacon, Curator of Photographs