The Garden City Postcard Project

About

This autumn, Broadway Gallery is displaying postcards dating across the history of Letchworth, in an exhibition that seeks to consider these questions.  From day-trippers in 1905 to artists in 2017, how does the imagery used on postcards capture the spirit of this fascinating town?

The exhibition centres on a selection of twentieth century souvenir postcards from the Garden City Collection. From historic scenes and sentimental imagery in the Edwardian era to amusingly unfashionable 1970s examples, we see how Letchworth has imagined itself as a visitor destination over the years.

Alongside this, a series of new postcards of Letchworth will also be displayed. Local artists, illustrators, designers and writers, as well as local art students and contemporary artists visiting from further afield, have all been invited to contribute to the exhibition by creating new postcards that capture their impressions of the Garden City.  It might be a favourite scene, a detail from a building – even a poem or a short story.

The Garden City Postcard Project promises to be an exploration of local history, a celebration of contemporary creativity, and a remarkable insight into how Letchworth Garden City occupies the popular imagination.