Holyrood Palace

Postcards were not always popular as a historical artifact. Many scholars were very reluctant to use them, due to the challenges that postcards can present when being used for extensive scholarly research (Ferguson, 169). Postcards were a way for people throughout the 18^th to 20^th centuries to communication with a means of quickness in mind. As postcards became more popular, most days there were up to 12 deliveries (150 Years of Postcards, 27). Postcards have been referred to as the “ambassadors of social convection” due to their subtle messages that could be well understood (Rusch, 2). During their time of popularity, they were used to convey many things to society including stereotypes, cultural and personal tastes, business, and the country of where they came from, etc. Although this card may not express stereotypes or business, there are other things we can learn from studying it.

Backside of the Postcard

On the front of this postcard, there is a picture of Holyrood Palace with some writing in either corner. As seen in the bottom righthand corner, written is “H.M. Office of Works”. This allows for further research into where this card came from and what the Office of Works. On the back side of the postcard, along the left-hand side there is more printing which reads “Photogravure by The Rembrandt Intaglio Printing Co. Ld., London”. By using this information, we can begin to research the publishing company of this postcard. Although it may not provide information of the specific card, we can use it to research the photogravure procedures of this publisher. From the photograph on the front of the postcard, we can also study some of the architecture of the building. The architecture of this building is long and extensive due to multiple reconstructions of the building throughout earlier decades.