From Views.PC.Cooke

The Cooke postcards here deliver rather more than standard greetings. The first is one of a curious series of pre-Soviet postcards capturing Moscow images of the 1905 Revolution.

Further conflict-related items follow. First is a charming piece of World War One propaganda, with the Kaiser’s moustache giving away his wartime upset in contrast with his pre-war cool. A glimpse into British involvement in the Russian Revolution follows, this real photographic postcard showing a group of ‘Bolshies’ captured in Batumi. The next two cards are among many in the collection which relate to World War Two. The first shows historical heroes fighting alongside Soviet soldiers, and the second is a post-war celebration of heroism in the appalling fight for Stalingrad. The third card shows a 1950 warning against a new dread threat—nuclear war.

The last three cards have gentler messages, celebrating Soviet life and encouraging appropriate behaviour. We see citizens at rest in a Moscow park, followed by a Socialist Realist depiction of welders at work (with a celebration of the arts added by the Pushkin memorial stamp). With the final card, the stamp takes priority. One of a didactic series, it warns against messing about with electricity wires.