What's the Point of a Postcard?

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We studied a messages on the back of postcards for an exhibit we did called americans on vacation. It was fascinating, not only to see what people wrote, but also there were certain formulaic ways that people wrote things. We're not sure how far they stretched it, but people tended to want to make their vacation sound really good. That's what they do on instogram, exact and facebook. So like, we are here and you are not. Therefore, we're going to make it sound as good as possible.

Why were postcards invented and why do they still exist? Why do we lie to people and say our lives are better than they are? Alie stopped into the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan and talked to curator of 40 years, Donna Braden, about her work with the postcard collections -- as well as her musings about how emotions impact memory, why Americans love to hit the open road and what the biggest postcard you're allowed to mail is. Listen while riding off into the sunset or sipping tea on a porch and then send someone you love a giant postcard because you can.

The Henry Ford Museum Postcard Archive

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Sound editing by Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray Morris

Theme song by Nick Thorburn