A Bloomsday Postcard

This book beautifully presents a curated collection of 240 postcards from 1904 Dublin, celebrating James Joyce and Bloomsday's centenary.

To commemorate James Joyce and the centenary of Bloomsday, A Bloomsday Postcard presents an extraordinary collection of 240 postcards, all sent within the Dublin area during the pivotal year of 1904. This limited edition features a signed, clothbound volume encased in a slipcover adorned with a 1904 penny. In a time when private telephones were scarce, postcards served as a vital means of communication, with Dublin experiencing six mail deliveries daily, even on Sundays.

The postcards included in A Bloomsday Postcard capture the voices of everyday Dubliners, whose lives intertwined with the characters from Joyce's Ulysses. The messages reveal a vivid tapestry of life in Dublin, from tales of rescue and crime to the impact of significant events like King Edward’s visit and the Great Storm of 1903. Love stories emerge from the collection, mirroring Joyce’s themes, such as the relationships of Millicent and Francisque de Boissieu, Jack Miller and Maud Tighe, and Ina and John McGregor, echoing the romance of Milly Bloom and Alec Bannon.

In collaboration with the National Library of Ireland, this book showcases the artistry of renowned postcard illustrators like Louis Wain, Lance Thackery, and C. Dana Gibson. The illustrations range from whimsical depictions of human-like cats to elegant portrayals of women, alongside historical snapshots of events like the Russo-Japanese War and the Dublin Horse Show. A Bloomsday Postcard offers a captivating glimpse into the vibrant world of Dublin in 1904, creating a rich, full-colour mosaic of the era.