08 May 08

Reforms or Revolution, from 'Postcards from the Russian Revolution'

The Bodleian Library is launching a new book series, Postcards from…, depicting some of the most defining events in the history of the 20th century through postcards.

The first two titles in the series features images drawn from a collection of postcards which has recently been donated to the Bodleian Library. The collection is the work of John Fraser, who began assembling it at the age of 12. Over the past sixty years, he amassed a remarkable collection of thousands of cards from around the world, particularly rich in political propaganda.

Each book in the series presents around 50 postcards, together with a caption explaining each card. The first two books are Postcards from the Trenches and Postcards from the Russian Revolution.

Postcards from the Trenches is a collection of postcards portraying everyday life in the subterranean world of battlefields. We see wounded men smiling obligingly for the camera; others appear bored. Some even take part in a mock party with very meagre provisions. The tone of postcards encompasses the range of human experience, from sombre realism to light-hearted humour, providing a fascinating insight into the everyday lives and behaviour of the men who fought one of the most gruesome wars in history. 

Postcards from the Russian Revolution features postcards chronicling events leading up to the Russian revolution, from the first revolution of 1905 in which the Grand Duke Serge Alexandrovich was murdered, to the Bolshevik revolution of 1917 and the first public events commemorating the newly founded Union of Soviet Socialist Republic.

The book captures the essence of empire in its dying days - the fading splendour of monarchy, the social unrest and the mood of revolution, which swept through the country. It also looks at the after-effects of revolution, including the great famine of 1921. There are satirical sketches of Russia’s rulers, royalist and revolutionary propaganda, portraits of the royal family and pictures of ordinary people who took to the streets.