Postcards

Originally, it was shaped as an auxiliary (documentary) collection, but due to its high information value, it became a genuine part of the BCM collections in its own right in 1999. It gives a primary emphasis on the documentary value of the visual component, not on the graphic treatment on the obverse, technique of its production or production variants. Only items acquired for their visual aspect related to the city are included into this collection (not for the textual content for its addressee). The collection has no time limit.

What does the collection document?

• Transformation of the city and surroundings: documents the changes of public space of Bratislava and its surroundings from the end of the 19th century to the present.

• Events and disappeared architecture: some of the postcards capture unique events in the city (disasters, visits of significant personalities, celebrations) and lost city structures, such as buildings, streets, blocks or even entire neighbourhood. In this respect, it overlaps with the collection of photographs.

• Touristic promotion and pop culture: from the perspective of pop culture research, a group of postcards from the 2nd half of the 20th century, issued within the promotion of Bratislava as a tourist destination, is very significant,