Menswear

Vintage People on Photo Postcards

Phillips Tom, Musgrave Eric

This series celebrates the Bodleian Library's acquisition of Tom Phillips's archive of over 50,000 photographic postcards dating from the first half of the twentieth century, a period in which, thanks to the ever cheaper medium of photography, "ordinary" people could afford to own their portraits. Each title in this series is thematically assembled and designed by the artist, the covers featuring a linked painting specially created for each title from Tom Phillips's signature work, "A Humument". "Menswear" presents postcards of men in all manner of outfits, whether formal, practical or casual, dating from around 1900 up to c. 1949. Most of the subjects are posing for portraits, displaying both their individual style and an interpretation of the fashions of the time. The rich variety of accessories on display includes ties, gloves, pocket squares, walking sticks, canes, boutonnieres and spats.

About the author

Tom Phillips (born 24 May 1937) is an English artist. He was born in London, where he continues to work. He is a painter, collagist, writer and composer.

Reviews

"These images are captivating visual vignettes. We may not know who the subjects are, but the postcards offer us a glimpse of their interests, their time and their world. Tom Phillips's exceptional collection gives us a fascinating chance to retrieve something of these lives" – Sandy Nairne, Director of the National Portrait Gallery

"Tom Phillips has one of the greatest postcard collections in the world – the ultimate archive of British citizens from the turn of the century" – Martin Parr, photographer and postcard collector

"These books will fascinate anyone interested in humanity or in the contrivances of image-making" – Richard Morphet, curator and postcard expert

"Picture postcards capture unique moments in time and place and are a wonderful social history record. Tom Phillips is adept at seeking out and choosing amazingly evocative postcard images" – Brian Lund, editor, Picture Postcard Monthly