Seaside resort
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| - | '''Seaside postcards''' are postcards sent from a [[seaside resort]]. They have the reputation of being [[saucy]]. | ||
| - | ==History== | ||
| - | In [[1894]], British publishers were given permission by the [[Royal Mail]] to manufacture and distribute picture postcards, which could be sent through the post. Early postcards were pictures of famous landmarks, scenic views, photographs or drawings of celebrities and so on. With [[steam locomotives]] providing fast and affordable travel, the [[seaside resort|seaside]] became a popular tourist destination, and generated its own souvenir-industry: the picture postcard was, and is, an essential staple of this industry. | ||
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| - | In the early [[1930s]], cartoon-style [[saucy]] postcards became widespread, and at the peak of their popularity the sale of saucy postcards reached a massive 16 million a year. They were often bawdy in nature, making use of [[innuendo]] and [[double entendre]]s and traditionally featured [[stereotype|stereotypical]] characters such as vicars, large ladies and put-upon husbands, in the same vein as the ''[[Carry On films|Carry On]]'' films. In the early [[1950s]], the newly elected [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] government were concerned at the apparent deterioration of morals in Britain and decided on a crackdown on these postcards. The main target on their hit list was the renowned postcard artist [[Donald McGill]]. In the more liberal [[1960s]], the saucy postcard was revived and became to be considered, by some, as an art form. This helped its popularity and once again they became an institution. However, during the [[1970s]] and [[1980s]], the quality of the artwork and humour started to deteriorate and, with changing attitudes towards the cards' content, the demise of the saucy postcard occurred. Original postcards are now highly sought after, and rare examples can command high prices at auction. The best-known saucy seaside postcards were created by a publishing company called [[Bamforths]], based in the town of [[Holmfirth]], [[West Yorkshire]], [[England]]. | ||
| - | Despite the decline in popularity of postcards that are overtly 'saucy', postcards continue to be a significant economic and cultural aspect of British seaside tourism. Sold by [[newsagents]] and street vendors, as well as by specialist souvenir shops, modern seaside postcards often feature multiple depictions of the resort in unusually favourable weather conditions. The use of saturated colour, and a general departure from [[Realism (arts)|realism]], have made the postcards of the later twentieth century become collected and admired as [[kitsch]]. Such cards are also respected as important documents of [[social history]], and have been influential on the work of [[Martin Parr]]. | ||
| + | A '''seaside resort''' is a [[resort]] located on the [[coast]]. Where a [[beach]] is the primary focus for [[tourist]]s, it may be called a '''beach resort'''. | ||
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Revision as of 12:16, 31 December 2008
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A seaside resort is a resort located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Seaside resort" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
