The opening, attended by Prof. Banaś, an eminent Wrocław art historian, researcher and collector, who will talk about the displayed collection of postcards, will take place on Tuesday, 26 January, at 5:00 p.m. in the City History Department at 14 Kutuzowa Street.
The exhibition presents nearly 300 postcards, mainly from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The display is divided into three sections. The first presents cards with romantic motifs. They often form series that create a narrative story about the happiness and suffering of lovers. These postcards are linked by a common form, the shape of the picture area, the decoration of the frame, or the style of the main motif. Many contain maxims intended to supplement the main scene.
The second section presents the “Solitaire Made Entirely of Hearts” collection. It is a group of cards from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, representing an exchange of love letters between a pair of lovers from Jablonec nad Nisou. The third section presents reprints of old cards from various countries, including the United States.
The postcards arranged on the individual boards share common romantic motifs and symbols. Besides the main scene, which most often depicts a pair of lovers, the cards feature not only the obvious motifs of the heart and Cupid with his bow and arrow, but also a whole range of other symbols, including a bench, a fence, Pierrot, a horseshoe, the moon and a child motif. There are also postcards containing elements associated with the cultures of particular countries, including Japan and the Netherlands. A large group consists of cards decorated with motifs of various kinds of flowers. The meaning and origin of the symbols are explained in a concise description on large-format prints.
The exhibition is complemented by an arrangement that enables visitors, especially couples in love, to take photographs together. In addition, the Museum of Ceramics has prepared free reprints of selected postcards presented at the exhibition, as well as postcards for children to colour.
The exhibition concept was prepared by Prof. Paweł Banaś, PhD. The curators of the display are Agata Bojanowska, Anna Puk, Krzysztof Rajczakowski (Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec) and Katarzyna Makarewicz (Museum of Post and Telecommunications in Wrocław).
The exhibition can be visited until the end of February 2016. Admission to the display is free for children and young people. Ticket prices: regular – PLN 4, reduced – PLN 2. The City History Department of the Museum of Ceramics is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
