Historical information

Photograph looks south along Swanston Street towards Flinders Street, with about seven "W" class and one "L" class trams with built in destination boxes in Swanston Street along with numerous motor vehicles and pedestrians. It is a sunny day but the trees in front of the town hall have lost their leaves. The building on the left is the Queen Victoria Building. Also in view is the relatively new Nicholas building in Swanston Street plus Flinders Street Railway station and the Victoria Barracks in St Kilda Road. Letters and postcards were the primary form of communication between people before the telephone; postcards were frequently used to send a short note to another person who lived in the same city. There were two mail deliveries on weekdays and one on Saturdays.

Significance

Yields information about the use of postcards for short messages

Physical description

Black and white photograph with note on front and postcard very long message on rear.

Inscriptions & markings

Note on front reads: "Swanston Street, from Town Hall portico, Melbourne"
The small writing in ink on rear begins: "C/o Mrs Angliss, Findon Ave, Caulfield SE1. Dear Miss Merritt... " The text mentions feeling tired from the Sydney to Melbourne train trip, that the writer is convalesing, putting on weight and hopeful of improving the ability to walk.