An image of the original marriage (anvil) room in the Blacksmith Shop

This postcard gives insight as to one of the reasons why tourism to Scotland increased, and some quick research about the postcard will allow the reader to learn about why Gretna Green is labeled as “possibly the most romantic place in Scotland” (Catellow, n.d). Prior to 1754, couples could marry without the consent of their parents if they were at least 16 years old, but in 1754, a new Marriage Act was introduced in England which required couples to be at least 21 years old in order to marry without the consent of their parents (Gretna Green, 2018). However, “this law did not apply in Scotland,” so young couples would flee across the border to marry in secret (Knowles, 2015). Gretna Green was the chosen destination for these couples because it was “the first village in Scotland on the main post road from London” (Knowles, 2015). Thus, Gretna Green’s popularity and the rise in tourism to Scotland is illustrated. Additionally, the same way that Gretna Green was the first village couples would see, “the Blacksmith Shop was the first building that couples reached in [the village]” (Gretna Green, 2018). This teaches the viewer of the postcard about why the Blacksmith Shop is such a famous building, even to this day.

An image of the marriage certificate writing on the postcard

This postcard is a prime example of the fact that postcards have a variety of uses and that they do not just need to need to depict beautiful landscapes or buildings. Admittedly, postcards that depict the Blacksmith Shop today would most likely be used to either let others know that one is visiting such a historic location or to keep as a souvenir for oneself, which is how most people view the use of postcards. However, in the past, this postcard would primarily be used as a memory of the day that a young couple officially tied the knot. The greater significance of this postcard would be the fact that it was the legal document that certified a couple’s marriage.  Although the postcard would still be kept as a souvenir, its meaning was much more significant because it represented the strength of the love that a couple had for one another and it was the legal proof that they were married. This illustrates that postcards can have much more significant uses than most people think. Ultimately, the postcard highlights how valuable these seemingly useless sources can be. They have the ability to encourage people to research about the past and about specific events that were going on at the time of the postcard’s creation.