The humble postcard of the First World War provides fascinating glimpses into life during the conflict and is also a worthwhile collectable which often serves to reveal interesting aspects of military history. Mark Khan gives an insight into the story of the military postcard of 1914 - 1918.
The First World War postcard provided a medium of communication that could perhaps be compared to the use of digital technology today and often contained what one might consider generically, and broadly, very similar messages or sentiments. They provided an efficient way to send a short message combined with an image, coming into being in Britain during the late 19th century when the facility of sending mails via The Post Office was introduced. Early versions were plain, or featured various forms of advertising and illustrated cards had limited subject content which were often scenic views.
