Historical information
Postcards were a common form of souvenirs for soldiers who were travelling either during World War 1, or just after, or while returning to Australia. These postcard scenes include the Cathedral and a bridge in Florence, and church and the Pantheon in Rome, a view of Lausanne and a fountain in Versailles and an interior from Brussels.
These were with other World War 1 memorabilia that has come from Private John Basil McLean, 2nd Reinforcements, 37th Battalion, A.I.F. There was a large collection of postcards so he may have been collecting them as souvenirs.
J.B. McLean (Service No. 13824) was from near Maffra, Victoria and enlisted on 22 January 1916. He embarked on 16 December 1916 for Europe. His full war record is available from AWM. He spent time with the Australian Field Artillery (Pack Section). At the end of the war he worked for a year at the A.I.F. Headquarters in London before returning to Australia on the 'Ceramic', arriving Portsea in 1920.
Significance
Postcards were a very common form of communication in the first World War. Postcards as souvenirs or as correspondence would have been familiar to the first Legatees as they had served in World War 1.
Physical description
Postcards x 12 with images from Rome and Florence in Italy, Lausanne in Switzerland, a fountain in Versailles, France, and an interior in Brussels.
Inscriptions & markings
01138.1 Firenze - La Cattedrale (the Cathedral in Florence)
01138.2 Firenze - La Cattedrale vista in panorama di sopra ad Or. S. Michele (Alnolfa di Lapo, Brunelleschi ed altri Maestri)
01138.3 Firenze - Ponte S. TrinitÃ
01138.4 Firenze - Piazza delia Signoria, Loggia dei Priori detta dei Lanzi
01138.5 Roma - Il Pantheon
01138.6 Roma - Via Appia Anitca - Tombe.
01138.7 Roma - Via Appia - Aquedotti
01138.8 Capella S. Petri Claver, Romae
01138.9 Lausanne - Ochy
01138.10 Lausanne - Hotel Victoria
01138.11 Parc de Versailles - Bassin des Domes
01138.12 Bruxelles
Each one has the word POST CARD on the reverse with room for an address and an area for Correspondence. Different makers.
