The Postcard Century

The Postcard Century is a wholly original account of the last hundred years in its own words and images. 2,000 picture postcards and their messages provide a vivid portrait of the day-to-day lives of people and of what mattered, pleased and shocked them. Year-by-year and from all over the world, the great and the good, the low and the lowly talk of the characters, events and hot-spots of the century, from the tragedies of war to the caprices of life and work. Each year begins with a contemporary view of Piccadilly Circus and of the New York City skyline. Several themes emerge which evolved with the century - transport, the cinema, the role of women, fashion and holidays. Tom Phillips provides a commentary with every postcard, giving a perceptive and thoughtful context for the messages, allowing us a unique glimpse into the hearts and minds of the people who lived through one of the most turbulent centuries in our history.