Postcards are forever - the Vintage Collection #6 - Turin - Italy

"There are no bad pictures; that's just how your face looks sometimes - Abraham Lincoln"

In Turin (Italy), near piazza Castello, we can find Palazzo Madama e Casaforte degli Acaja, a palace that was the first Senate of the Italian Kingdom. The name derives from two queens (madama) of the House of Savoy.

Palazzo Madama in a modern image - source: Wikipedia

Originally a gate in the Roman walls, it was enlarged to become a castle by the Savoia-Acaja family (a branch of the House of Savoy) during the early 14th century. After Acajas extinction, it became a residence for guests of the House of Savoy.

Palazzo Madama in a postcard of 1910, approximately

The palace had various uses (i.e. headquarters of the provisional French government during the Napoleonic wars). King Carlo Alberto made it the seat of the Royal Art Gallery Pinacoteca Regia and then it became the Subalpine Senate. In 1934 it started to house the City Museum of Ancient Art with a big collection of paintings, statues, ornaments, porcelain and decorative art.

Coordinates: 45°04′15″N 7°41′09″E
black and white postcard from my collection
dimensions: 13.5 cm x 8.5 cm

In 1861, John P. Charlton, an American printer, produced the first postcard, later copyrighted with Hymen Lipman (who is also credited with the copyright of the first pencil with an eraser, in 1858).

After more than 150 years, all kinds of postcards were produced all around the world.
Nowadays they seem a thing from the past and probably they are a vintage view on what the world once was. Those willing to actually pay attention can find a full universe in a single postcard.