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Postcards

                 Postcard Collection

Both 'carte de visite' photographic cards and drawn and coloured picture postcards originated in the mid-nineteenth century and rose in popularity. Individuals would have a photographic portrait made into a postcard format by a photographer to send to family and friends. The average card size is 3 inches by 5 inches.


                   The RCN archive holds two main postcard collections:

 

Boardman postcard collection

 

Elizabeth Boardman was a postcard collector specialising in nursing and hospital related postcards, a collection which she bequeathed to the Royal College of Nursing Archives.


The Boardman collection contains 1061 nursing postcards consisting of portraits of nurses; First World War cartoons; interiors and exteriors of hospitals; military hospitals; overseas hospitals and fund-raising cards. Some of the cards are unused, but many have been written on and are postmarked and have stamps attached.

Frances Biley's postcard collection

 

Francis Biley's postcard collection was bequeathed to the RCN archive in 2012.



This collection consists of 440 postcards, collected by Biley, dating from around 1914 to the 1940s. Many of the postcards depict First World War nursing images, while the remainder are of hospital exteriors, wards and nurses. Many of the postcards have also been used.


Francis Biley initially trained in mental health nursing. He went on to study for an undergraduate degree, and subsequently attained a Masters in nursing, a PhD, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Humanities.  In 1991, Biley left clinical practice and developed a highly successful and respected career as an academic.

Postcard of a 'Queen's' nurse walking through the snow to a cottage, 1926. RCN Archive. Postcard of an illustration of a nurse reading from the bible to a uniformed soldier with his arm in a sling, 1914-1918. RCN Archive. Postcard of view of the male wing of Crossley Sanatorium, Kingswood, along with shelters for sitting outdoors. Men are seated outside under trees, outside shelters, and inside shelters, 1910. RCN Archive. Postcard of a posed photograph of a sleeping nurse in an armchair beside the bed of a patient, 1905. RCN Archive. Boardman gallery page Postcard of view of The County Hospital, Huntingdon. A Coloured photograph of the grounds and main building, 1900. RCN Archive. Postcard of the approach to the County Hospital in Winchester, 1907. RCN Archive.