Historical information

Post card inscribed "Wishing you many happy returns of your Birthday from Flo"

Florence May Shillinglaw
Possibly sent to sister Carrie Watson for her birthday in February 1917 (see also 05699)

View looking south on Main Road towards Pitt Street and Watson's Eltham Hotel on left

See also EDHS_00136

POSTCARD 1905-1940s
Like the carte-de-visite, postcards enjoyed a collecting craze by large numbers of people, and were often kept in albums through which the interested visitor could browse. Postcards were posted or exchanged in huge numbers.
Postal authorities in Australia only allowed the private printing of postcards from 1898. At this time the back of the card was reserved for the address and postage stamp, and the front was used for the message and a picture. In 1902 British authorities allowed a "divided back", so that the left side could be used for the message, the right side for the address and stamp, and the whole of the front was devoted to the picture. France followed suit in 1904, Germany and Australia in 1905, and the United States in 1907.
- Frost, Lenore; Dating Family Photos 1850-1920; Valiant Press Pty. Ltd., Berwick, Victoria 1991

Physical description

POST-CARD Photo
Digital file only, scanned from album in private collection