Memorial Day Sale: May 12-27
Buy new:
$12.99
FREE delivery Saturday, May 17 to Nashville 37217 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$12.99
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Saturday, May 17 to Nashville 37217 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Thursday, May 15.
In Stock
$$12.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$12.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$5.62
Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc... Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc... See less
$3.98 delivery Wednesday, May 21 to Nashville 37217. Details
Or fastest delivery May 16 - 20. Details
Only 2 left in stock - order soon.
$$12.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$12.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from and sold by glenthebookseller.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Helen Baggott
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Posted in the Past: Revealing the true stories written on a postcard Paperback – June 1, 2019

by Helen Baggott (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 93 ratings
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$12.99","priceAmount":12.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"12","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"k8cPyMovlAEIKC6kPj%2Bg4c%2FL2cyllv9ran8L2YPWdwtb9N7xNW2TaZwcwnnrSCQgT8iv4g8BoKK7AQ5LS7upPXi3zsyujljZfdfNn41J9bX7WsywVnGGQpfj3HincT5HOYGb7vleonMUBlTEsJL4uQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$5.62","priceAmount":5.62,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"5","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"62","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"k8cPyMovlAEIKC6kPj%2Bg4c%2FL2cyllv9rG94740Cm3PeQo7sUZyxR40GPc7W%2Bjzgl%2Flv9SvWVP%2FcddL4ubdrZzy9%2FzHlvQydpxDZxNP%2BlOdBdC8r9CGPdVHp3wjj0oezIsXeHLfJmJUmJjmcDiBlilw%2BptS0SBomEcHHoM%2FY4l%2FWgBQllH%2BvaWOLTCmwNJmgv","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Posted in the Past – the man who helped prepare Kitchener’s last meal and other true stories

A young pupil writing to a teacher, a courting couple that might get married, a 10-year-old servant working for a laundress in 19th-century Bath, a maid who worked for Edward VII's doctor – all are connected by messages sent using the first real social media phenomenon of the 20th century.

Using a genealogist’s toolbox, Posted in the Past reveals the stories behind postcards sent more than a hundred years ago. Families who emigrated across the Atlantic to America and Canada, those who returned, and those who found tragedy aboard RMS Empress of Ireland in an event that could only be eclipsed by that of Titanic's, are remembered through postcards.

The safe arrival of a precious grandchild, a train delayed by the first national rail strike, bad weather, good luck – messages that go beyond ‘wish you were here?’ and open the door to the past. Weavers, button makers, butlers, motor bus drivers, a fitter of sanitary appliances and even the owner of a steamship – industrious employment from mills to the sea and all revealed in Posted in the Past.

Have you ever watched Who Do You Think You Are? and A House Through Time and thought about researching your own family’s history? Perhaps you’ve started a family tree and soon become stumped? Posted in the Past is sure to ignite your enthusiasm to learn more about your own history. As well as revealing the stories behind the postcards. Posted in the Past also shares how some of the research was completed, providing tips for the beginner genealogist.

The book is illustrated with black and white images of both sides of the postcards and can be viewed in colour on a blog that accompanies the book. The postcards were sent from around the world to addresses in the UK.

Now available! Posted in the Past Second Delivery

Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    285 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    June 1, 2019
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.65 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1916107001
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1916107007
Next slide of product details
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Research inspiration throughout... The final chapter has dedicated advice for beginners and Posted in the Past is a fine example of what can be achieved... The hidden histories behind each [postcard] is beautifully told. - Family Tree magazine.

Long-listed for the 2020 Dorchester Literary Festival local author competition.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. It's full of such interesting stories brought to life by the author's careful and meticulous research. Who would have thought that a simple message on the back of an old postcard - sometimes just a sentence, could reveal so much? - Amazon review

Loved this book. I have old postcards myself and picked up lots of tips from this interesting book. - Amazon review

This is not a book to be read from cover to cover. Indeed it is best taken in small bites because of its detail. The research into each card is amazing and admirable. - Amazon review

Love the format and a great insight into the subjects lives when the postcards were sent. - Amazon review

Lovely book to dip in and out of. - Amazon review

From the Author

Researching the postcards for the Posted in the Past series is both hugely enjoyable and fascinating. I never know when I begin researching a postcard where I will be taken. I start with just the recipient's details and then look for them in an official record. That could be a census return, marriage register, passenger list, etc. Once I have a document that confirms their identity, I create a family tree for that person.
The resources I use will be familiar to you if you have researched your own family tree, or have perhaps watched Who Do You Think You Are? As well as revealing the true stories, I also share some of the problems encountered - and they might also be familiar to you if you've encountered frustrating brick walls.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stourcastle Books (June 1, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 285 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1916107001
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1916107007
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.65 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 93 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Helen Baggott

Helen Baggott

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Helen Baggott is a speaker and writer from Dorset. She talks to groups on both sides of the Atlantic about genealogy and postcards – the true stories based on her books.

She has written for regional magazines; national magazines include This England, Discover your Ancestors, Who Do You Think You Are?, Picture Postcard Monthly and The Card Scene, and has also contributed to Family Tree magazine's blog. Her work has been recognised by national newspapers as a 'postcard detective' in I newspaper and an 'heirloom detective' in the Mail on Sunday's You magazine.

Her most recent project is researching the stories behind postcards sent more than 100 years ago. So far, three collections of stories have been published as Posted in the Past, Posted in the Past Second Delivery, and Posted in the Past Hands Across the Sea.

She now writes mainly about genealogy and postcards. Her series, Posted in the Past, reveals the true stories written on postcards sent more than a hundred years ago. The second in the series, Second Delivery, includes stories that link to families in America and the War of Independence and Civil War. The Mayflower Connection tells the story of the Pilgrims through postcards sent centuries later.

In the most recent book, Hands Across the Sea, Helen explores how our ancestors reached out around the world – either through emigration, business or for holidays.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
93 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Top reviews from the United States

There are 0 reviews and 6 ratings from the United States

Top reviews from other countries

  • U. Visser
    5.0 out of 5 stars I loved that I got to see the story behind the pretty picture.
    Reviewed in Germany on July 23, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This is not a novel as such, but a collection of real postcards and the lives behind the people who sent it around 1911. Brilliantly put together by Helen Baggot, I am sure it has taken a lot of time to write this book.

    Filled with pictures of postcards, this book tells the stories of who posted them and to whom, what are their relationships, what happened to their lives?
    Report
  • Anna Harris
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brings history to life
    Reviewed in Australia on August 6, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I looked forward to receiving my copy of this and I have to say it exceeded expectations. Well written and fantastic research. Excellent.
    Report
  • Dorset Meggie
    5.0 out of 5 stars A marvellous way to step back in time.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 17, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this book. It’s full of such interesting stories brought to life by the author’s careful and meticulous research. Who would have thought that a simple message on the back of an old postcard - sometimes just a sentence, could reveal so much?

    The images speak of times gone by and the book is beautifully presented. I can only admire the work that has gone it to telling the stories of postcards found at fairs, online, markets etc. and not only that, the attention to detail and fact checking that went into making sure that all was correct. It’s daunting enough tracing your own family tree, but this is a wonderful window into the world of forgotten lives.

    There are some tips in the book that I feel a lot of readers will find helpful if they are new to genealogy – and it may probably set them off on a journey themselves.

    Helen Baggott has managed to give life to the people who wrote and received the postcards, some stories are happy, some sad – and it all started with two postcards bought at a car boot sale by her parents. Marvellous stuff!

    This book made me think so much about the senders and recipients that I couldn’t rush it.

    It’s still on the coffee table, and without exception, everyone who visits picks it up and is fascinated by it.
    Report
  • MS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and useful book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Loved this book. I have old postcards myself and picked up lots of tips from this interesting book. The postcards described were interesting and descriptive. I shall definitely be in touch with the author, both to tell her how much I enjoyed it, and to bounce ideas off her.
    Report
  • boogalouie
    4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely snippets of history.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 22, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Having collected postcards for almost 60 years, this book added a lovely added dimension to the social side of any collection. Any serious collector will already have looked into details given on their items, but this book gives support to the collector that such detailing is a natural follow up.
    For those who are not collectors, this book could be the inspiration to begin.
    Or simply as a lovely piece of social history for the early 20Th century.
    Could make a good gift too?
    Report