Edwardian postcards were the original social media.

And Professor Julia Gillen, from the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, will share some of the fascinating stories behind a collection of Edwardian postcards at a free online talk on July 15 at 1pm,.

Organised in association with Lancaster City Museum as part of the University’s contribution to the City Museum’s popular lunchtime lecture series, this is the first joint online lecture. You can register with Eventbrite here.

The Golden Age of picture postcards, 1902-1910 coincided with the reign of Edward VII so postcards of this period are known as Edwardian postcards.

As there were several postal deliveries a day in towns and cities, postcards could arrive from early in the morning until late at night.

The newly invented picture postcard was cheap and an extremely popular craze embracing all sectors of society.

People could send quick, cheap attractive picture messages that would arrive within hours.

And, just as today, friends exchanged messages while travelling or at work.

The Edwardian Picture Postcard Project at Lancaster University has a collection of more than 3,000 cards, many of which involve Lancaster and the Morecambe Bay area.

By combining the postcards with historical data, especially census records researchers have been able to trace details of many postcard users, fleshing out their life stories at the beginning of the twentieth century and seeing how postcards fitted into their daily lives.

Professor Julia Gillen, the project director, will explore links between the Edwardian Picture Postcards and contemporary social media.

She will introduce the project website and show how to explore your own family or local history interests.

Attendees will be able to ask questions either verbally or in writing during the Q&A session

You can register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/early-20th-century-social-media-tickets-155632213139