Online Exhibition
View our online Settlement map that illustrates the growth and spread of man's occupation of East Surrey.
Postcard Collection
The museum has recently acquired a wonderful collection of over 2000 postcards from villages throughout Tandridge. The images offer a fascinating record of the district from c.1900 through to the 1960's. Scenes of everyday life a hundred years ago are captured in this unique collection. The East Surrey Museum would like to thank the Friends of the ESM, the Victoria and Albert Museum Purchase Grant Fund, the Titsey Foundation, North Downs Golf Club, Knight's Garden Centre, Hampton's Estate Agents, East Surrey Local History Society and the Parish Councils of Caterham-on-the-Hill, Caterham valley, Whyteleafe, Felbridge, Outwood, Tatsfield, Chaldon and Horne for their invaluable contributions to this purchase.
Children outside the Castle Tea Rooms, Bletchingley. Posted in 1914
The entire postcard collection, as well as many other items from within the museum has been digitised. If you would like to study the collection please book an appointment with the curator.
The practice of sending post cards home when on holiday is still quite common, but the humble postcard, 'picture or plain', does not play such an important part in our day-to-day communication as once it did, having been superseded by electronics. In looking through the East Surrey Museum's collection, some of which pre-date the first World War, I have been fascinated by the content and the glimpse they give into the writer's world all those years ago.
The contrasting lives of two ladies are illustrated by two cards both posted from the Oxted area. The first written in 1917: 'Having a topping time here. A Lovely place and awfully nice people staying here. I am writing this on a swing so excuse scrawl. Much love, Henrietta.'
Then, in June 1944, (no recipient's name appeared over the message):- 'Don't laugh, working hard, one mass of nettle stings, bites and scrathces. Cleaning ditches with a scythe. Daphne' A land army girl perhaps?
We are transported back to 1914 - 1918 as one reads on the back of a postcard of a large house in Limpsfield, 'K only had to pick some splinters of shell out of his face (so he says) and then went back to duty. It was a horribly narrow shave though. His subaltern walking beside him was badly hurt...'
In 1906 on the back of a picture of a horse and carriage someone has written, 'Dr. Brit we have decided to have our Whips and Worms cricket match on 5th September'. A 'Whips and Worms' match was coachmen against gardeners. The perils of travel are brought home to us on the back of a picture of Caterham Square and Fountain, dated 1916, (Sic.) 'My dear Annie, i have just sit down to let you know that i got home quite safe but i dint get home til 2 o'clock because there was a smash up at Purley Oaks Station my love and i had to wate on the line 3 hours my love till it was clear but i don't think any body was hurt my love.'
These are just a few of the many glimpses of times past preserved on the reverse of the humble postcard.
Edited and abridged from Norman Skinner's article, 'Drop us a card when you get there'
