Description
“This book is the outcome of a many-sided priject, lasting several years, to locate, collect and study Cyprus postcards and relevant data. To this end we carried out a search that was continuous and exhaustive-we combed libraries, antique shops, bbokshops, private and public archives; we examined many private collections of photographs and postcards. Our search was not limited to Cyprus but extended further afield, to England, the United States, Egypt, etc-places where Cypriot communities had flourished during the period concerned. […] The first part of the book prepares the reader for his mental voyage into the past, showing the historical, political and social conditions that prevailed on the island from the time its administration was tranferred to the British Crown until about 1930. The second section gives a brief biography of all the major publishers of Cyprus postcards-one of the most difficult parts of our research since traces of most of these peoples had vanished several decades ago. Following this, through the illustration of selected postcards, we try to show the living conditions of the time, customs and habits of our forefathers, the way the villages and towns looked, and some of the personalities and events associated with the country’s history and development. The last part of the book is an almost complete catalogue of postcards of Cyprus issued until the end of the Second World War. We believe that our classification of these cards, according to both publisher and series, and done with all possible care and acuracy, provides an original and unique listing.” – Author’s Preface
