Postcard ‘En Égypte: Le Sphinx et la grande pyramide’ before 1911 (stamped 9-6-11), tondo: coloured lithograph, text ‘Bon Souvenir’ in relief and gilded letters on double paper, Lehnert and Landrock, Cairo.
This weekend I visited the exhibition ‘Carthago’ in the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden. The artefacts were impressive and beautifully displayed. But not just original pieces were on show: the outer walls told how Carthago was received by western explorers, travellers and tourists. Impressed as they were, they longed to share their experience: post cards were designed and sent with a short wish. The popularity increased, so special series were designed, including posh albums to collect these exotic greetings, by land or place. For Egypt one of the most appealing faces was the sphinx, here as a tondo added. The cards were stamped on the front.
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