| When their children were young in the early 1970s, Peter and Dawn Cope began collecting old children's books and nursery postcards. From small acorns grow mighty oaks and now their captivating collection comprises some 10,000 postcards covering the golden era of postcard production from the early 20th century to the 1950s. The postcard archive is supplemented by a delightful mix of ephemera including Dean's rag book illustrations, cut-out dolls, fancy dress brochures, inter-war graphic design, art deco magazine covers and vintage greetings cards. Among the illustrators represented are Florence Hardy, Susan Beatrice Pearse, Ethel Parkinson, Agnes Richardson and many more talented artists, who enchanted generations of children with their art. Notable too is the Copes' rare collection of artist portraits.
To find out more about this delightful archive, read our interview with Peter on The Inquisitive Archivist blog.
You can view an edited selection here or see
the full set here. And do get in touch if you can't find what you're looking for online, either by email at
pictures@maryevans.com or by telephone on 020 8318 0034.
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