In praise of the postcard

Hand-written missives from afar are tangible, tactile items with the potential to be unearthed years later and treasured.

Is the era of sending postcards over?

A recent feature in The Weekend Australian Magazine (Lockdown’s Crop; January 22-23) about treasured family mementos, such as wartime correspondence, has got me thinking about the heritage value of letter-writing. And, by association, penning holiday postcards. I know it’s all very old-school but how sad to think of leaving behind mere specks of our lives on a virtual cloud. Even if our written memorabilia ends up in a dusty attic or shoved into a storage facility, at least tangible, tactile items have the potential to be unearthed and treasured. Someone may open that shoebox, see our handwriting, even read our thoughts, all without three-step authentication passwords and a degree in computer science.

 I have no evidence for a theory that two years of Covid-enforced sojourns at home could have seen a rise in sending greeting cards or writing letters. Quite the opposite, I’m sure. Zoom sessions, Facetime calls and all kinds of instant technology have been at our fingertips. Text messages are crammed with emoji, not true emotional expression. But where’s that lasting archival value? In the middle of last year, during a few local trips, I sent off a flurry of Australiana postcards to friends in a rash attempt to resuscitate the art of travel correspondence. A few were puzzled, some ignored me, a couple missed the point and texted me to say thanks. But quite a few were so pleased that they wrote back to me and so began a lovely to-and-fro. The cards I received are on my pin-board and it doesn’t matter if the photo images are a bit naff (the ones I had sent were worse) as their value is as a reminder of the links of good friendship with kindred souls.

I am taking no chances with made-in-China postcards this year and have a stash by Australian artists to take on upcoming journeys. I bought these at the Art Gallery of NSW shop but other art institutions and museums stores have great collections, and Koala Therapy produces postcards ideal to send to young friends or family members. The cards I intend to post in 2022 will have no reference to my destination as my words will do the talking, as it were. In the end, it’s not about being somewhere but thinking of someone.

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