Image wars: the Edwardian Picture Postcard and the Construction of Irish Identity in the early 1900S

Abstract

Picture postcards became immensely popular in the first decade of the twentieth century, in Ireland as elsewhere, and billions of them passed through post offices worldwide. Their imagery was largely dictated by market forces, and they penetrated all sectors of society, communicating values and concepts even to those who were unwilling or unable to engage with other media such as books and periodicals. During this period the concept of Irish identity was very fluid, and several nationalist groups had emerged whose aim was to develop a distinct Irish culture worthy of the respect of both Irish and non-Irish people. Picture postcards became seen as a means towards achieving this aim, but also of seriously undermining it. This paper examines reports from Irish newspapers from 1900 to 1910 on the postcard phenomenon, and the social anxieties and fears they reveal.