An example of an early Scottish postcard demonstrating an attempt to show the piqturesque beauty and sublime of the country

This postcard is a wonderful example of how artists and photographers during this time worked to produce images that would intrigue and convince tourists to travel to Scotland in the early 1900s. Evidence tells researchers that “Fife (was) lacking in both the picturesque and sublime, it (had) never been regarded as a hunting ground for tourists,” (Durrie, 1992, 94) which encouraged postcard publishers to work towards producing images that illustrate the beauty and picturesque scenes of Scotland. This strategy was used to inspire others to visit the yet to be discovered country of Scotland. In “The Sutherland”, the image of Dunrobin castle includes the trees and greenery in front, with a bright blue sky to complement the extravagant castle. This enhances the beauty of this location and lures travelers and tourists to Scotland.

Aside from learning this visual strategy, the backside of this postcard includes written information on the Sutherland clan, to give insight into the meaning of the images on the front. A small description of what and who the clan is, where and when the group originated and how many individuals it consisted of is included on the back. This postcard can teach researchers, historians and postcard consumers about the Sutherland clan through the images and symbols on the front, and the small biography on the backside.

An enlarged image of a section on the back of "The Sutherland" to show the informational text

Through the aspects discussed above, this card is also able to teach us about the value of ephemeral sources, such as postcards. Researchers use old “insignificant” objects, called ephemera, to gather information on what life was like when it was first produced and used. This postcard can show historians what advertising strategies were used, what groups were found to be important and valued during this time, and methods in which images were being produced. This information may seem small, and the source may appear to be unimportant, but this is a major way in which historians and researchers learn about Scottish culture during these times, which makes this card so valuable today.