A new public searchable database provides access to a unique and inspirational treasure trove of amazing stories and pictures through what researchers term the 'social media' of the Edwardian era.

Painting of a reclining cat (Credit: Courtesy of the Edwardian Postcard Project, Lancaster University) "Some things persist across generations and media, and depictions of cats are one of those ...

These postcards were very different from the picture postcards we know today. Rather than souvenirs sent home from holidays or bought in art galleries, these Edwardian postcards were used anytime ...

Art dealer John Kasmin collected 100 postcards for book showing poverty-stricken people from all across the world Compelling images, from as far away as China and India, were once a hugely popular ...

1. Lina Cavalieri A famous Italian opera singer whose image and hourglass figure could be seen everywhere - from soap packaging to postcards. 2. Cleo de Merode A French dancer who won the "Queen ...

A rare collection of postcards offering a fascinating insight into early 20th century rural England are up for auction. The lot of 73 postcards depicts pre-1920s scenes of hop picking and historic ...

This colour-printed unused postcard made me chuckle when I came across it. Dating from the Edwardian period, it features a drawn image of a couple embracing.

But 100 years before micro-blogging and status updates, Edwardian Britain was using the humble postcard for just the same purpose.

THIS splendid collection of largely Edwardian postcards has just been rediscovered in a loft in Weardale. The cards take us on a wonderful tour of County Durham, from the Pennines to the sea, and ...

HERE'S a New Year treat for you - a selection of wonderful old postcards of York showing scenes from more than 100 years ago.

social networking How early picture postcards were the Edwardian equivalent of Instagram Forget about Snapchat, WhatsApp and Facebook, for the Edwardians it was all about the picture postcard.