Postcards From
the Edge

In 1840, the writer and British playboy Theodore Hook received the world’s first postcard. It’s believed by postal historians that he also wrote it—a self-inflicted RETURN TO SENDER featuring caricatured illustrations of postal workers. These days, Hook’s prank feels like a metaphor: of living in isolation, monologizing daily routines, ignoring our inboxes in favor of slower communication. After a year that’s felt more like an eternity, returning to old school modes of correspondence has become a salvation—less “I hope this finds you well,” more "Wish you were here."