SNIPPET: The work of Englishman John Wilfrid HINDE (1916-1998) photographer, postcard producer and circus publicist for the famous Chipperfields' Circus, etc., was to define the public face of Irish tourism in the 1960s with a seemingly endless procession of postcard images of red-haired Irish children, donkeys and white-washed cottages . Other postcard subjects included O'Connell St, Dublin; Gap of Dunloe near Killarney, Co. Kerry; Medieval banquet in Bunratty Castle, Co. Clare; Kissing the Blarney stone, Blarney Castle, Co. Cork, Fishermen on the Aran Islands, Co. Galway (especially nice); an Irish creamery lorry; a Thatched cottage near Renvyle, Connemara, Co. Galway. His colorful images captured Ireland's innocence, striking a cord with the increased numbers of visitors coming to Ireland in the 1960s. One especially delightful scene was that of a young boy with freckles and red hair standing in a remote bog in the West of Ireland, watched by his smiling little sister while he piles sods of turf into a basket or pannier placed on the back of a sturdy donkey. A several-page photoarticle by Donal HORGAN about this gentleman and his work is featured in the March-April 2005 issue of Dublin's "Ireland of the Welcomes" magazine. Mr. HORGAN is the author of "The Victorian Visitor in Ireland." The postcard was the creation of the late Victorian era. In an age renowned for its strict formality, the notion of any form of correspondence being open to the prying eyes of postal officials, or anyone else, shocked Victorian sensibilities. In 1894, the British Post Office allowed postcards to be sent on condition that each card was enclosed in an envelope! This restriction was relaxed in 1899 with the development of the now familiar oblong postcard. However, it was 1902 before the postcard, as we now know it, made its arrival with the front of the card being given over entirely to a picture. Countries such as Germany and France were well ahead of Britain and Ireland in the development of the postcard. In fact, much of the technical development of postcard printing was pioneered in countries such as Germany. Picture postcards were an immediate success as is evident from the millions sent and received. The British postal authorities reported that a staggering 600 million cards were posted in 1903 alone. HINDE was born into a close-knit Quaker community in Street in Somerset the year of Dublin's 1916 Easter Rising. By his 20s, he was already recognised as a pioneer in colour photographic processes. With the onset of war in 1939, HINDE in keeping with his Quaker background, opted to work as a photographer with the civil defence forces. However, in 1944 there came a sudden career change with HINDE decided to work as a circus publicist. In was in 1947 while on tour he paid his first visit to Ireland. It was about this time that he met and married his wife - Jutta, a flying trapeze artist. They set up their own circus, The John Hinde Show, bought a circus tent, hired performers and began to tour. Life on the road quickly began to lose its appear as the financial realities of trying to run a circus began to sink it. HINDE decided to utilise his photographic skills and develop a series of postcards for the emerging Irish tourism industry. In 1957, he closed his circus in order to concentrate on producing his now famous picture postcards of Ireland. By the 1960s he was able to move the production facility from the downstairs rooms of his house to a purpose-built factory near Bray, in Co. Wicklow. During the 1960s the company opened offices in the UK and an African subsidiary was established in Nigeria. In fact, John Hind Ltd. soon became one of the biggest postcard manufacturers in the world producing approximately 50 million postcards annually for desinations far and wide from the UK, Africa and America. HINDE sold his postcard company in 1972 which continues to retain his name and produce postcards today.