In this post we share a small selection of the Gosforth Heritage postcards in our collection.

Early Picture Postcards

In the 1890s the first picture postcards appeared in the UK. The cards were quite small, and the picture and correspondence shared one side. After 1902 one side of the postcard was used as an illustration and the other for writing and the address. The first postcards were quite small and known as court cards; eventually, the size changed. After 1902 it became a popular hobby to send postcards, at the cost of 1/2d (half an old penny) and save them. In an age before the prolific use of the telephone, let alone social media, it was an attractive way to keep in touch.

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By the end of WW1, the craze had begun to decline, possibly helped by increased phone usage and rises in postage rates.

During the early years of the nineteenth century established postcard publishers and photographers processed a large assortment of view and novelty postcards. Postcards marked news events, advertised products, and promoted business. Collections of postcards provide a visual record of life from this time; they allow us a detailed glimpse at a past era.

West Avenue

This is an item from our postcard collection. This card is a view of West Avenue that has been colourised. This was a technique that became popular at the very end of the 19^th century and continued until about 1930. It was thought to make postcards more attractive and increase sales. The colours used don’t necessarily reflect the actual colours of a scene. This postcard isn’t dated but probably dates from the first decade of the 20^th century.

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The Drive

This postcard shows a view of The Drive taken from Gosforth High Street. It is undated but was probably taken in the first decade of the 20^th century. Looking down The Drive we can see the houses on the left hand side of the street but there don’t appear to be any on the right hand side.

Gosforth Tramway

The tram track can be seen on the foreground. Gosforth was linked to Wallsend by tramway in 1902 and to Newcastle in 1903. The houses on the High Street have railings and it is likely that they were removed during World War One. A horse and cart, probably making a delivery, can be seen further down The Drive but the quality of the image is such that we cannot see any signage on the cart. Barely visible is a man walking down The Drive towards the camera. 

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The Grove

This is a photograph of The Grove Gosforth with horses and carts and lovely street lamps. The cart in the middle of the picture is loaded up with packages.

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