Sidmouth Beauty Spots
Both the picture postcard and the cosmetic beauty spot are aspects of another time, this new Sidmouth postcard unites them as a form of cultural refreshment. Drawing on the familiar picturesque sea views postcard style, the image is punctuated with small black beauty spots of differing sizes that may refer to the small black spots once penciled on women’s faces to draw the attention.
Once upon a time in a place before electronic devices, people sent picture postcards from places they visited as a way of staying in touch with friends and loved ones.
Typically the form consisted of a small rectangle of card with an image on one side with blank space for a message and address on the other. Sometimes however one image was deemed insufficient; the ‘Beauty Spots’ card was a form of multi-view postcard often available in seaside towns between the two world wars.
Beauty Spot. noun. a place of outstanding beauty. a small dark mark or spot worn on a woman’s face as an adornment.
Spot. noun. a particular place or a small, round mark.
Postcard. noun. a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and posting without an envelope.
Full Stop. noun. used at the end of a sentence or an abbreviation. Used to suggest that there is nothing more to say on a topic.
Bellingham lives and works in Glasgow and Copenhagen, his practice is often conceptual and humorous, enabling us to see everyday things in a new light.
“As far as we know no one ever made a ‘Beauty Spots of Sidmouth’ postcard so we have made one to correct this historical hiccup.”David Bellingham
Photography: Sarah Hall
David Bellingham and Sidmouth Beauty Spots