From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian
ADVERTISING POSTCARDS: In the late 1860s the first officially produced postcards went on sale but it was not until the last years of the 19th century that greetings postcards were sent in ever increasing numbers. Technical advances in printing techniques in the first years of the 20th century further increased the popularity of the postcard to new heights.
The early motor industry was quick to see a new advertising novelty in postcards, and many firms produced free picture postcards extolling the virtues of their products. Millions upon millions were issued on every possible subject and they were used as a form of communication in much the same way that we use the phone today.
Remember that in those happy days, there were three or four postal deliveries every day and postage on a postcard was half that of a letter. It was thus possible to send a postcard in the morning to someone in the next town or village, saying you would visit them at 3 p.m. in the afternoon. The card would be delivered by lunchtime!
The Shell Oil company was one of many which exploited the huge popularity of postcards and its advertising postcards are today much sought-after by collectors. Most were produced between 1908 and 1914 and as many as 138 different designs have been recorded.
While the vast majority of them cover motoring subjects, with the purity of Shell products being the most popular theme, a number also feature aviation subjects. Often, the subjects are whimsical and, not surprisingly, motor sport is another recurring theme.
Today, the Shell postcards form a fascinating glimpse of early motoring and of some of the preoccupations of early motorists. The largest collection of them is at the British National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, where they form a valued part of the extensive Shell art collection which also includes many fine examples of poster art, including several produced specifically for use in Ireland.
PAINTING PICTURES: Racing drivers are not the most eloquent of sportsmen, but when they do express their thoughts it's always surprised me how many of them compare what they do in a car to the work of an artist.
"To me driving is an art form," said Irish grand prix winner John Watson. "A painter uses a brush to create something beautiful - my brush is my car. I like my driving to be graceful, beautiful to watch."
Or Mike Hawthorn, who loved racing in Ireland: "Driving a car is like painting a picture. Anyone can doodle with a pencil. There are plenty of people who can turn out a reasonably recognisable sketch. But the real artists are few and far between. They are born, not made. Driving a car is just as much an art, it's not a knack that can be acquired. Either you have it or you don't."
Last word to three times world champion Graham Hill, who was rarely lost for words: "It's almost as if you were a painter - your car the brush, the track the canvas. You go out and paint your pictures on the tracks of the world in the way your character dictates. And it's through these pictures that you reveal yourself to the public for what you really are."
Couldn't have said it better. Perhaps, after all, they are a more eloquent group than is generally supposed.