I’ve got about 10 shillings left after train fare, yet I’m doing just fine. Please send my regards to Miss Gilbert and John.
Recently, a faded postcard postmarked August 23, 1903, arrived at the Swansea Financial Cooperative in the UK. Can you believe it took 121 years to reach its destination? 📮 This postcard features a snowy landscape with a reindeer by the British animal painter Edwin Henry Landseer from the 19th century, and bears a stamp with the profile of Edward VII. The sender was Sir Ewart, and the recipient was believed to be Miss Lydia Davis, the former owner of this address (a title of my own choosing). The cooperative tried to return the postcard to its rightful owner, using social media and other means, but they never found them. After all, with mail arriving 121 years late, neither the sender nor the recipient are likely with us anymore.
In the analogue days, it wasn’t uncommon for someone’s physical traces to surface in the world long after they had vanished. Sure, digital data can linger too, but it’s not like data can ring your doorbell. Right? When I think about this, it pains me to realize that the analogue charm that used to tap on my shoulder is slowly fading away. 💔
May Miss Gilbert and John of that era have been at peace, may Sir Ewart have been safe with only 10 shillings, and may Miss Lydia Davis, who perhaps never received the message but served diligently as a messenger, have been happy.
Leave a Reply