The opening, attended by Professor Banaś, an outstanding Wrocław art historian, researcher and collector, took place on 26 January at the Department of the History of the City at 14 Kutuzowa Street.
Nearly 300 postcards, mainly from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, are presented at the exhibition. The display is divided into three sections. The first features 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 complement the main scene.
The second section presents the collection “Solitaire Made Entirely of Hearts”. 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 features reprints of old cards from various countries, including the United States. The postcards arranged on individual panels share common romantic motifs and symbols. On the cards, besides the main scene—most often depicting a pair of lovers—there are 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, fence, Pierrot, horseshoe, moon and child motif.
There are also postcards containing elements associated with the culture of particular countries, including Japan and the Netherlands. Cards decorated with motifs of various kinds of flowers make up a large group. The meaning and origin of the symbols are explained in a concise description on large-format prints. The exhibition is complemented by an arrangement enabling visitors, especially couples in love, to take photographs together.
In addition, the Museum of Ceramics has prepared free reprints of selected postcards displayed at the exhibition, as well as postcards to colour for the youngest visitors. The exhibition concept was prepared by Professor Paweł Banaś. 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, concessionary – PLN 2. The Department of the History of the City at 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.
Muzeum Ceramiki/UM Bolesławiec/ii