Postcards

In the age of the camera-phones, disposable cameras, and digital compacts, it is easy to forget that photography was beyond of reach of many visitors to the Island of Skye until as recently as 40 years ago. Primitive cameras and primitive access made the capturing of images challenging.

In those simpler times visitors depended on the picture postcard. Visitors bought postcards as mementoes of their holiday. These were stored away in drawers and albums, and when discovered often years later, provoked pleasant memories of times past. Of course the postcards could also to be posted to friends and family with complaints about the weather and midges. A tradition that continues to this day.

We owe a debt of gratitude to the hardy photographers like Duncan Macpherson and Alex H. Hamilton who ventured out to some of the remotest parts of the highlands and islands with bulky cameras, heavy tripods and fragile glass photographic plates.

Origin of the Picture Postcard

Postcards first arrived in the United Kingdom around 1870. These were plain cards produced by the Post Office with pre-paid postage. The price of sending a postcard was below that of sending a letter so the card became a popular method of sending short messages. Unlike modern cards, the recipients address was written on one side of the card and the message on the other.

In 1894 the Post Office allowed other companies to produce postcards but illustrations were rare because of the continued need to keep one side plain for the recipients address. The postcard we recognise today dates from 1902 when the Post Office introduced illustrated cards with the message and address on the same side, divided by a vertical line.

Scotland and the Picture Postcard

Scotland had a part to play in the history and development of the picture postcard and not just as a rich source of raw material and sales; Scotland was home to Valentines of Dundee.

By the 1930s, operating from their brand new Kingsway factory, Valentines had grown to become one of the largest publishers of picture postcards in the world. The decline started in the 1960s with Valentines focusing increasing on their greetings card business. In 1984, having recently been taken over by Hallmark Cards, the Dundee factory was closed and subsequently demolished.

Fortunately in 1971 around 120,000 of Valentines monochrome photography collection was passed to the University of St. Andrews where today over 3,000 images from the collection can be accessed via the Library Photographic Archive website. Unfortunately, because of Valentines policy of discarding negatives it is estimated that a further 800,000 or more images have been lost.

J. B. White of Dundee was established by James Bain White (1865-1947) in 1892. In 1907 they started producing small numbers of colour postcards until 1918 and the outbreak of World War I. Production restarted in 1922 with their "Real Photo" series, many of the photographs having been taken by James' son, Thomas. The "Best of all" series first appeared in 1926 and continued to be used on their cards until 1966. In 1963 the company was sold to the first of many new owners who included Photo Precision and Colourmaster amongst others. The current owner of J. B. White's assets is Judges Postcards Ltd.

Isle of Wight based J Arthur Dixon also had a factory in Scotland at Longman, Inverness. Established in 1956 by Alex H. Hamilton, the factory lasted until the late 1970s.

Gallery

In the "summary" postcard gallery below there are approximately 50 assorted black and white and colour picture postcards of the area around Blaven and Torrin.

A six-page gallery of information, observations, history and commentary on each of the postcards below and their history can be found in the extended postcard gallery.

Postcards are rarely dated so it has not been possible to accurately determine the age of the individual images. If you have any additional information about the photographer, publisher or date, please contact me.

              

              

              

              

              

              

              

        

              

              

              

              

Copyright: All of the postcards on blaven.com are in excess of 50 years old and out of copyright. Due credit is given to photographer and publisher where this known or shown on the original card. Please do not reproduce any of these postcards without acknowledging the photographer or publisher.

Extended Gallery

A six-page gallery of information, observations, history and commentary on each of the postcards above can be found in the extended postcard gallery.