Curated by Rod Taylor

Do you remember the first time you posted on Facebook, or tweeted?  Long before social media, postcards were a quick way to communicate, while those that weren’t mailed were often kept to remember travels or perhaps as part of a wider interest in collecting. 

Many of the postcards here are from the early 1900s, a time often referred to as the “Golden Era” of postcards. In Canada, this period lasted from about 1904 until the beginning of WWI in 1914. Although postcards remained popular for decades, as the 20th century progressed, their market share was increasingly eroded by telecommunications and other new and improved technology. Postcards were a natural fit for local photographers such as J.H. Allen, Art Stevens and George Meeres. Larger regional and even international postcard companies also produced postcards which could be customized for local businesses.

The first true colour, glossy postcards were produced in 1939. With their photographic appearance, they are what most people are familiar with today. Before then, black and white photos were sometimes hand tinted to add colour. As you’ll see, this was done with varying levels of finesse. 

Postcards can be a window on the past, showing us people, places, and even cultural attitudes, as they were at that moment in time. Most you see here are reproductions from our permanent collection, enlarged a little (or a lot) for better viewing.  

Thanks to Greg Nesteroff, Ed Mannings and Stan Sherstobitoff for sharing some favourites from their own collections in the “Collector’s Choice” section.