Hidden Treasures Part One - The Secrets Of Old Books

As the owner of a literary gift company, I have aof gorgeous old books. I'm often lucky enough to find hidden treasures, secret snippets of the past, nestled within their pages.
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As the owner of a literary gift company, I have a lot of gorgeous old books. I'm often lucky enough to find hidden treasures, secret snippets of the past, nestled within their pages.

Although these small delights usually appear to be of no particular value - a scrapped receipt perhaps or a post-it note with an illegible scribble - they can sometimes hold an incredibly significant sentiment.

The best part of discovering these little gems is trying to piece together the stories behind them. Playing detective is fun and actually, really interesting! There is something quite magical about uncovering even the smallest snippet of forgotten history.

I hope you enjoy reading about these lovely hidden treasures... I absolutely loved finding them!

1960's Nightclub Leaflet

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A flyer which gave the recipient free entry in to La Poubelle - 1960's nightclub based in London's Soho.

To translate,

La Poubelle = The Bin. Inviting!

"First disco. In continental London with bar and restaurant. Open every night from 8. Present this card at the entrance. Thank you."

Does anybody have any first-hand experiences of La Poubelle? I'd love to hear your stories!

Fire Safety Leaflet

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This leaflet was in such good condition that I was surprised to find that it is, at the very least, fifty years old! It was published by the The Central Council for Health Education, an establishment run between 1927-1968.

I'd guess at this being distributed in the mid-sixties, but any more informed and exact estimates are welcome.

Postcard and Bookmark Selection

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Left to right:

Far left: A bookmark from Turnowsky.

A global brand that designs and produces luxury and very lovely paper products!

Second left: William Shakespeare postcard.

Printed and published by Jarrold. This portrait was painted during Charles II's reign and can be found in the collection belonging to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Top centre: Postcard of Haworth Church and Sunday School in 1939.

Printed and published by Walter Scott. This picture is the actual view from the Brontë Parsonage. Pretty cool!

Bottom centre: Postcard of the Scottish flag.

Published by Pyramid. This postcard seems to have been purchased in St. Andrews. There is no written message but its intended address was all the way in Minehead, Somerset.

Second right: Postcard of 'Noli me Tangere' a painting by Graham Sutherland.

Published by Judges of Hastings. A postcard from Chichester Cathedral where the actual painting is available to view.

Far right: A bookmark promoting Lion's Bluff.

Turns out that Lion's Bluff is a collection of pretty amazing holiday lodges near Mt. Kilimanjaro in Kenya. Incredibly jealous of whoever was lucky enough to stay there!

Photograph

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It would be absolutely lovely to reunite this photograph with its rightful owner! At an estimated guess, I'd date this photo back to the late 80s / early 90s. Any information would be great!

This is only a tiny selection of the wonderful hidden treasures I've found so far. I'll be posting more of these little delights very soon.

Watch this space x

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