The King's Connection Magazine Volume 25 // Number 1 | Página 5

HAT GOD CAUSES
ORK TOGETHER
HOSE WHO LOVE
HO CALLED
S PURPOSE.”

POSTCARD
COLLECTION

T

he Gerry Segger Heritage Collection has a growing
collection of postcards that were sent to the Netherlands
by Dutch immigrants and Dutch people who visited Canada
in the 19th and 20th centuries. The oldest postcard in the
current collection was sent in 1884 from Brandon, Manitoba
to Hilversum, NL.
The core of the collection is composed of postcards collected
by Dutch authors Jan Krijff and Karen Green and included in
their book: Greetings from Canada. The book features postcards dated between 1884 and 1915, but the collection in the
Gerry Segger Heritage Collection includes postcards from as
recently as the 1970s.
Today one can Skype, email or simply make a phone call,
but for many emigrants and travellers, the simple postcard
was a tangible connection to friends and family. The picture
postcard was inexpensive to send and was an easy way to
stay connected with family and friends. The voices in the
messages are sometimes impatient, sometimes factual and
often times heartbreakingly homesick or excited as they
describe events and occasions.
The pictures provide a snapshot of Dutch immigration
history. One might imagine the pictures to be of prominent
and beautiful Canadian locations but they also include
places off the beaten path, small towns, motels and people.
The postcard collection is held in the Gerry Segger Heritage
Collection at The King’s University and will be available for
viewing online on the Gerry Segger Heritage Collection.
www.kingsu.ca/library/heritage-collection

POSTCARD COLLECTION Summer 2015 3