The Postcard Is Always Innocent
There is something particularly appealing about old works of art by anonymous makers, by painters and photographers of the past whose names will never now be known; this exhibition featured postcards of Somerset, the majority pre-1920 in date, many hand-tinted, all owned by Somerset-based collector and writer Jeremy Cooper, and co-curated with Susie Clark.
The emphasis of the collection is social, on how people lived, concentrating on postcards made by amateur photographers, taken in town markets and parks, in village streets, at home in the garden, at church fêtes, on holiday by the seaside, at school, and at work.
Displayed on custom-designed tables by Michael Marriott, the collection toured venues in Somerset in 2019, and has recently been gifted to Hestercombe Art Gallery.