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Postcards
The Rise and Fall of the Worldβs First Social Network
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Postcards
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See moreA history of the postcard, which created connections between people, places and beliefs.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
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Description
Although postcards are usually associated with cheeky seaside tableaus and banal holiday pleasantries, they are made possible by sophisticated industries and institutions, from printers to postal services. When they were invented, postcards established what is now taken for granted in modern times: the ability to send and receive messages around the world easily and inexpensively. Fundamentally, they are about creating personal connectionsβconnections between people, places, and beliefs.
Postcards examines postcards on a global scale to understand them as artefacts that are at the intersection of history, science, technology, art, and culture. It shows how postcards were the first global social network and also, here in the twenty-first century, how postcards are not yet extinct.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Postcards by Lydia Pyne offers a richly illustrated exploration of postcards as precursors to modern social media, highlighting their role in communication. Pyne delves into their historical significance, the evolution of postal services, and their connection to human interaction and nostalgia. The book is praised for its engaging narrative and scholarly research, providing a framework to understand postcardsβ impact on contemporary communication.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781789144840
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 18 October 2021
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Reaktion Books
Illustration: 109 illustrations, 99 in colour
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 171.0mm
Height: 220.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 232
Collections
About the Author
Lydia Pyne is an affiliate researcher at the Institute for Historical Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Her previous books include Genuine Fakes: How Phony Things Can Teach Us About Real Stuff (2019).
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