The conference was organised by the Russian State Art Library (RSAL) jointly with the Union of Postcard Collectors of Russia and the Section of Art and Museum Libraries of the Russian Library Association, together with representatives of museums, libraries, universities, collectors, and independent researchers from across Russia.
“We are not the first in the library, archive, and museum communities to work with post cards, but we were the first to understand that this field requires a gathering of specialists, and that there are many undiscussed and unresolved issues,” said Ada Kolganova, Director of RSAL, in her welcoming remarks, highlighting the uniqueness of the conference. She noted that working with post cards allowed the professional community to focus on a common goal.
In his opening remarks, Vasily Volkov, President of the Union of Postcard Collectors of Russia and a longtime friend and partner of the Russian State Art Library, noted that the post card is greatly undervalued by libraries and other cultural institutions. “What you are doing by uniting various libraries and museums, providing them with a platform for presentations and lectures, is incredible. I hope that together we can advance our philocarty work,” he emphasised in his speech.
The conference featured a variety of research in the field of philocarty, covering both the historical aspects and its current state. Participants presented papers on private post card collections belonging to famous figures, such as local historian Vasily Efremenkov, educator Taisiya Malyutina, as well as collections associated with the work of the geologist Mikhail Rusakov, and the photographer Ivan Tachalov. Unique types of post cards were discussed, including hair post cards and greeting post cards from the Artek Pioneer Camp.
Research on post cards as a historical source occupied a significant place in the programme. The speakers presented works exploring the biographies of prominent figures, the history of costume, and images of women in post cards. A separate section of presentations covered local history and the reflection of regional history in post card collecting.
An important part of the conference was a discussion on the practical use of post cards in socio-cultural activities. Library and museum staff shared their experiences working with philocarty collections, methods of promoting them, and their use in various projects. Particular attention was paid to integrating private collections into museum collections and organising educational events based on them.
The final presentations highlighted contemporary aspects of working with post cards. Participants discussed the digitalisation of collections and their use in promoting cultural heritage. Research related to the reflection of historical events in post cards, including the Great Patriotic War, was of particular interest.
At the end of that productive day, Elena Khaplanova, head of RSAL’s Visual Information Centre, thanked all participants for the informative dialogue. She said that next year it is planned that special attention will be paid to the attribution of post cards.
