Exhibition of postcard collection on Jamaica’s history on display at Embassy of Jamaica
WASHINGTON, DC – An exhibition of postcard collection which traces Jamaica’s history and tells a story about the people, land and culture, is now on display at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, DC.
The exhibition entitled, “Greetings from Jamaica, a Country of History in Postcards”, is the work of Jamaican Speech Pathologist, Marva Shand McIntosh, who resides in Washington DC.
The over 200 cards date back to 1877 with the first card produced that same year entitled, “Jamaica 1877 Paid”. It was at that time that Jamaica joined the International Postal Union which provided the opportunity to send postcards to foreign countries as opposed to the limitation of just island wide mailing.
Another set of postcards highlight the January 11, 1907 earthquake while another highlights Jamaica’s tourism which started in the early years of the 20th century when traveling was expensive. Pictured postcards were used to advertise this island of paradise to wealthy travelers as well as souvenirs of their vacation. Documents from the National Library of Jamaica noted that, “Early colonial photographers such as H. S. Duperly, Aston W. Gardner and A. Duperly and Sons were some of the first to begin publishing these pictorials of the island.”
Given the marketing focus of the tourism industry, the historical documentation that the postcards preserved was totally unintentional. As such, some of the earlier postcards presented many of the citizens as freaks and in unflattering and degrading ways. On the other hand, the land, sea and sun were portrayed in glowing pictures and the restorative and healing power of the island’s weather were vigorously promoted. The American United Fruit Company’s fleet of steam ships was the first to transport banana and other tropical fruits to North America as well as tourists to the “Summer Land.”
In giving an overview of the exhibition at the official opening, Ms. McIntosh pointed out that in the mid-century and during the World War II, postcards were also used for business and friendly correspondences. Mail leaving the island during the war was given special markings that indicated that they were censored. These markings can be seen on many of the postcards in the 1930s and 40s. She said that more recent postcards, especially in photographer Ray Chin’s work, were used to highlight the beauty and talent of the people and the well-established splendor of the island.
According to Ms. McIntosh, the exhibit represent topics such as: the ingenuity of the people, rivers and beaches, the military, grand hotels, sugar estates, art, cultural traditions, sports, churches and a synagogue, transportation, gardens and groves, markets, King Street, country life, education, health, mineral baths, memorials and of course agriculture (banana and sugar cane). Most of the postcards in this exhibit were mailed from Jamaica to Europe and North America.
Each postcard in this unique collection tells a compelling Jamaican story of more than a thousand words.
The exhibition was declared open on Wednesday, December 3, by Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Stephen Vasciannie to a large audience.
