BiblioVault - Books about Bodleian Library, Andrew

Postcards from Checkpoint Charlie

Images of the Berlin Wall

Edited by the Bodleian Library

Bodleian Library Publishing, 2008

Between 1945 and 1961, an estimated 2.5 million people fled East Germany in search of the political and economic freedom offered by West Germany. To thwart this tide of defections, on the morning of August 13, 1961, hundreds of East German troops began erecting the Berlin wall—a barrier that would take nearly twenty years to complete and would eventually span 166 kilometers. In Postcards from Checkpoint Charlie, the Bodleian Library assembles a stunning collection of images to document the wall’s impact worldwide.

The postcards in this fascinating volume trace the development of the wall—from its beginnings as a simple stretch of barbed wire to the daunting final structure made of concrete and containing over 300 watchtowers. The images capture scenes of tension and urgency, such as those at Checkpoint Charlie, where we see Allied and East German soldiers coldly observing one another through binoculars. Others document the wall’s ties with American history, including pictures of John F. Kennedy in 1963 when he declared his solidarity with all Berliners and a picture of Ronald Regan when he implored Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the wall. Also included are images from the toppling of the wall, when thousands of joyful East Germans realized the fulfillment of their personal dreams and marked the conclusion of the cold war.

An intimate look at one of the most visible manifestations of the postwar divide, Portraits from Checkpoint Charlie presents a key location in twentieth-century history through the eyes of those on the scene.

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Postcards from the Russian Revolution

Edited by the Bodleian Library

Bodleian Library Publishing, 2008

The tumultuous political events that swept Russia in the early twentieth century sent powerful ripples around the world. The Bolshevik revolutionaries and activists had sympathizers among Americans and Europeans alike, and one notable way they exercised their support was through artfully created postcards. This remarkable volumepresents for the first time a newly unearthed collection of those cards that recount the 1917 Russian Revolution in a novel way.

The postcards originated not only from Russia, but also from Germany, the United States, Belgium, and France, and they reflect their diverse origins in the rich array of artistic styles employed to create them. Whether simply drawn, hand-painted, or mass-printed, the cards present compelling and complex images of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and the people who were enmeshed in it. The cards serve as concise yet powerful artistic documents of Russian history and culture, as they display bloody and graphic street scenes, rare pictures of lesser-known revolutionary leaders, satirical sketches of Russian rulers, portraits of the royal family, illustrations of palaces and institutional buildings, and depictions of pivotal events leading up to the Revolution such as the 1905 assassination of Grand Duke Alexander. Also included in this fascinating visual narrative are cards depicting crucial events from the aftermath of the Revolution, including the great famine of 1921 and public celebrations of the newly formed Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

An unprecedented and arresting exploration of the Russian Empire in its death throes, Postcards from the Russian Revolution reveals a wholly new and vibrant perspective on one of the most important political movements of the twentieth century.

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Postcards from the Trenches

Images from the First World War

Edited by the Bodleian Library

Bodleian Library Publishing, 2008

World War I has come down to us in indelible images—those of airplane bombers, bleak-eyed soldiers, stern-faced commanders, and the ruins of countless villages. But soldiers themselves also took photographs on the battlefield, and many of their striking images were transformed into postcards that were sent home to family and friends or collected as war mementos. Postcards from the Trenches gathers a number of these postcards to create a striking visual history of World War I.

The cards in this compelling volume were created not only by soldiers, but also by embedded journalists from France, Belgium, Austria, Germany, and Britain. The images capture scenes both humorous and poignant, including soldiers having a mock party with little food to eat, wounded soldiers smiling for the camera, a makeshift trench hospital, the bloody aftermath of a battle, and a huddle of men taking what they know could be their last communion before marching onto the battlefield. Other cards document the mundane duties that dominated wartime life, including men digging trenches, troops marching to new trenches and battlefields, and or soldiers nearly comatose with boredom while waiting for the fight to begin. This stunning visual narrative opens a new window into one of the most analyzed events in history, as the postcards’ images testify to the resilience and bravery of soldiers in the most trying circumstances.

A fascinating and unprecedented historical document, Postcards from the Trenches draws back the curtain to unflinchingly show the daily horror and humanity that define life in war.

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Postcards of Lost Royals

Edited by the Bodleian Library

Bodleian Library Publishing, 2009

This enchanting, unique collection of postcards recovers an old world swept away and forgotten over the decades. The lost royals captured here have not been misplaced or gone missing—what has been lost is the very foundation of their royalty. Collected here are royal figures from around the world who lost their titles and were displaced as a result of World War I and other early twentieth-century political movements.

The royal houses of Europe, Africa, and Asia once ruled a continent and held dominions beyond the seas. Today, just ten monarchs still reign in Europe, and those with only limited powers. Captured in these distinctive postcards held in the collection of the Bodleian Library are these lost emperors, kings and queens, czars and czarinas, princes and princess, and grand dukes and duchesses, who were left behind by the sweep of history. Featuring monarchs from the Balkans to the Iberian Peninsula, from Ethiopia to Korea, these portraits include members of the Russian imperial family, and royals from Romania, Bulgaria, and Germany, among others. But this is more than just a picture book; it provides a narrative snapshot of world history—alongside each postcard is an intriguing mini-biography of the pictured royal that provides a gripping account of his or her story.

Reminiscent of a forgotten era of glamour, grace, and regal power, Postcards of Lost Royals brings history to life and distills the essence of a long-vanished world of royalty.

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Postcards of Political Icons

Leaders of the Twentieth Century

Edited by the Bodleian Library

Bodleian Library Publishing, 2008

More than any preceding era, the twentieth century was defined by images. The widespread adoption of photography, the advent of film, and the increasing speed and ease of communications enabled people worldwide for the first time to know the faces of world leaders as intimately as those of their friends and family. The jutting jaw and jaunty cigarette holder of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Fidel Castro’s raised fist and bearded countenance, Tony Blair’s toothy smile, and Stalin’s bristly frown—these and other iconographic images immediately conjure up unforgettable, dramatic moments in history.

Opening with the end of Queen Victoria’s reign and continuing through the end of the cold war, Postcards of Political Icons tells the story of the twentieth century through images of its most recognizable leaders. The politicians who presided over the demise of colonialism, led the communist revolution, and fought two world wars are presented on these postcards in unusual–and often surprisingly personal—moments. Nelson Mandela is captured in a moment of privacy, looking dreamily into the distance; Yasser Arafat wrestles with chopsticks; while Benito Mussolini, known for his public performances, masters a new curious posture.

Reproducing many rare and little-seen images, Postcards of Political Icons offers a fascinating glimpse at the iconography of political power—and the reality of the people behind it.

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