Easter greetings in exhibition

We’re all very familiar with greetings cards. Christmas and birthdays are the most popular, but nowadays it seems as though there is a card for every occasion and every life event imaginable. 

As we approach the feast of Easter, there is little doubt that the card shops and websites will feature the latest array of related greetings, and we will buy and send them in their thousands. Most people are beginning to notice Easter cards more and more as they have grown in popularity over recent years, perhaps in line with the trend for greetings cards in general, but the concept is nothing new.

Easter postcards, held by the East Riding Archives & Local Studies Service and currently on display at the Treasure House, Beverley, reveal how one local lady, Bertha May Jackson from Weel, used to receive regular Easter greetings from her Aunt Nellie in the USA during the early 20th century. The cards, which date from 1908-1921, cover a range of designs, mostly containing the Easter bunny, eggs, chicks, and even an ‘Easter Lily’.

Collections officer Sam Bartle said: “Today, most people seem to send e-cards at Easter, but back then the postcard was the common form of greeting. Essentially, though, the greeting is the same – an image, followed by a message.”

The Easter cards are currently being displayed in the Archives & Local Studies search room at the Treasure House, Beverley, as part of a wider display on local and national historical events in April.

For more details, call (01482) 392790, or visit the Treasure House, Champney Road, Beverley.