Illuminated Postcards

With, Illuminated Postcards, I am creating new photographic images of found postcards that explores the connection between the printed image and written messages. I photograph these cards with a strong back light to merge the printed image with its handwritten correspondents. To be able to decode cursive penmanship, I re-learned to read cursive. I use text-to-speech software to create audio stories of the information hiding within the cards. The audio recordings can be heard through headphones hanging on the wall next to the photographic print, or through the viewers personal cellphone. I am especially interested in cards written by students sending notes back home, teacher sending messages to other teachers, friends or family keeping up with each other, and cards that can be tied to historical events. Many of the found postcards that were used within this project are Real Photographic Post-Cards. We all know the story how the first successful roll-film camera, the Kodak Box Brownie, made photography available to the masses. But less is known about the roll-film camera Kodak’s Model 3A Folding Pocket camera the “Postcard Camera” that was released in 1903. This camera was designed for making postcards, it made exposures the same size of the postcards of the time. This large negative allowed the photographer to contact print their negative onto Gas-Light Developing Paper that had a preprinted postcard back. Arguably the combination of the postcard camera, film on rolls, home Gas-Light rooms, and photographic postcard paper truly brought photography to the people.