Saucy Seaside Postcards are Making a Come Back!

Titillating postcards are as synonymous with British seaside holidays as a donkey ride and a stick of rock. There was a time when the first thing you would do is browse the postcard selection, unpack and then feel the sun on your face. 100 years after the busty bathers and downtrodden husbands first appeared the cheeky images are making a comeback.

The 50,000 Bamforth postcard images are owned by Ian Wallace and will soon be available on everything from mousemats to boxer shorts and cushions. Wallace has owned the rights to the Bamforth images for nine years and has been patiently waiting for the centenary to agree to release the images on household items.

‘They always look good and they always make people smile,’ he said. ‘Maybe they’re not to everyone’s taste — but if you can’t laugh at Bamforth postcards, what can you laugh at? They’re classic images which have really stood the test of time.’