There is a specific kind of magic found in the tactile nature of vintage postcards. They are more than just cardstock and ink; they are physical echoes of a moment in time, carrying the salt air of the Mediterranean and the hurried scribbles of a traveller’s hand. Today, I’m sharing a particularly beautiful piece from my personal collection: a vibrant multi-view postcard of Venice (Venezia), mailed in the summer of 1971.
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The Visual Journey: St. Mark’s and the Rialto
The front of the postcard is a classic "triple view" composition, a popular format for tourists who wanted to show off as much of the city as possible in one go.
The Grandeur of San Marco: The largest image on the left captures the iconic façade of St. Mark’s Basilica. What strikes me most about this specific photo is the fashion of the crowd. You can see men in sharp trousers and short-sleeved button-downs, and women in modest summer dresses—a perfect snapshot of early 70s European tourism. The presence of the Venetian flag (with the Lion of St. Mark) and the Italian tricolor adds a sense of patriotic pride to the scene.
The Rialto Bridge: The top-right inset shows the Ponte di Rialto spanning the Grand Canal. It appears to be captured during a regatta or a particularly busy festival day, as the water is crowded with traditional boats.
Acqua Alta: Perhaps the most "Venetian" image of all is the bottom-right inset, showing the Basilica reflected in a flooded Piazza San Marco. Even in 1971, the "high water" was a defining, poetic characteristic of the city’s identity.
The Story on the Back: "Buon Giorno, Buon Tutto"
While the photography is beautiful, the true soul of a postcard lives on its reverse side. This card was sent to Miss E. Simpson and Miss J. Cowans at the Management Services Centre of the Cranfield Institute of Technology in Bedford, England.
The Message
The message is brief but incredibly charming. It reads:
"Buon Giorno, Buon Tutto. Handley"
Written in a bold, confident blue ink, the Italian phrase "Buon Giorno, Buon Tutto" translates roughly to "Good morning, good everything." It is a warm, all-encompassing wish that suggests the sender was in high spirits, likely swept up in the romance and sunshine of the Venetian lagoon.
The Postal History
For the philatelists and history buffs, the technical details of the card offer a wealth of information:
The Stamp: It features a 20 Lire "Siracusana" stamp (depicting the Turreted Italy), a staple of Italian postage during that era.
The Postmark: The circular date stamp clearly marks it as August 1971.
The Publisher: The card was printed by Tecnograf spa in Palermo, Sicily. It’s a reminder of the bustling printing industry that once thrived across Italy to serve the booming post-war tourism industry.
Why We Collect: More Than Just Souvenirs
People often ask why I spend time hunting for these slips of paper. To me, this postcard is a micro-history. It connects a prestigious British academic institution (Cranfield) with the cobblestones of Venice. It captures a moment before the age of instant messaging, when "Good Morning" took several days to travel across the continent by post.
When you hold a card like this, you are holding the same piece of paper that "Handley" held while sitting at a café, perhaps sipping an espresso or a Spritz, watching the pigeons in the square. It’s a tangible link to a summer over fifty years ago.
The Evolution of the Venetian View
Comparing this 1971 image to Venice today is a bittersweet exercise. While the architecture of the Basilica di San Marco remains eternal, the atmosphere has shifted. In 1971, Venice was already a major tourist destination, but it lacked the massive cruise-ship scale of modern "over-tourism." The colours in these vintage prints—slightly oversaturated, with deep blues and warm yellows—give the city a nostalgic glow that modern digital photography often lacks.
Collecting these postcards allows us to preserve the "visual brand" of cities as they were. This card, with its "VENEZIA" typography in bold red, represents the peak of mid-century travel aesthetics.
Final Thoughts
This 1971 postcard is a prized piece of my collection because it does exactly what a postcard should: it transports us. It takes us from a modern screen to a sun-drenched Italian piazza. It reminds us to wish our friends "Buon Tutto"—good everything.
