Front of the postcard being studied in this section

The Sutherland crest & motto

Postcards with images on them, like the one pictured to the right, are often referred to as “picture postcards”, or the “Edwardian Postcard,” as they became so popular during the Edwardian era of Britain in the early 1900s. These postcards were, and still occasionally are, used as a quick and cheap method of communication between family, friends, and colleagues. The postcard became extremely popular in this early time period because people loved the idea of getting in touch using “ready-made text and images” (Wilson, 2018) as opposed to writing out a long letter for the same purpose.

This postcard, representing one of the various Scottish Clans which date back to the 12th century (Scottish clan profile: Sutherland, 2014), is part of a series printed in 1907 called “Scottish Clans VI” by Raphael Tuck & Sons' Ltd in London, England (TuckDB Postcards). Upon observation, it is seen this collection of cards illustrates various concepts of the Clans such as the family tartan, coat of arms or crest, the group’s official flower, and an image representing where the clan is from; whether it be a castle, map or picturesque scene.

The Sutherland Clan was known for its famous motto, “San Peur”, which means “without fear” (Clan Sutherland Society, n.d.). This saying was nevertheless carried out and shown to be valued during various feuds and attacks by the Mackays or Sinclairs, who seemed to be habitual enemies of the Sutherlands. During the Battle of Torran Dubh around 1517, the Sutherlands fought without fear, successfully defeating the Mackays thus almost entirely cutting off the Mackay clan (Alchetron, 2018). One may choose to send this card as a member of the Sutherland clan to another, as a quick, uplifting reminder of the family’s values and beliefs.