Human communication has evolved through countless stages, employing a wide range of means and practices. Undoubtedly, writing—regardless of the transformations it underwent—served as a landmark in the critical process of substantiating information, a process fundamental to humanity. In the modern era, around the mid-19th century, written correspondence gained a new medium that would radically reshape the practice of sending written messages: the postcard. The unique nature of this medium lies in its printed image, which functions as an accompanying "gift" to the sender’s handwritten message. In many instances, the image itself constituted the entirety of the message, as numerous postcards were sent without any personal note. The official debut of this new medium occurred on 1 October 1869 in the newly established Austro-Hungarian Empire. Gradually, postcards achieved remarkable popularity: everybody wants to send an image they had personally picked out to a loved one. At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe was living in peace and prosperity. The "Belle Époque" was an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that were created and which evolved funneled both people and their products, tangible and intangible. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, sound recording, radio, photography, but also releases in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolved dynamically and anisotropically formed a complex network of "centers" and "peripheries" in alternating roles. It is precisely this context that allows postcards to flourish; this is their "golden age". The establishment of the "Universal Postal Union" was a catalyst for facilitating their global circulation. On October 9, 1874, the Treaty of Bern established the sending and delivery of correspondence between its members.

Continuous advancements in the technology of this new medium aimed at enhancing both its usability and appeal, in order to address it to an increasingly wider audience. The first postcards were small in size and did not contain images. Nevertheless, their convenient size, durable cardboard material, and the inclusion of the cost of postage in their purchase price were innovative features for the time that upgraded the quality of communication. One side was intended for writing the message and the other was for the dispatch details. Soon, however, the image appears, dramatically increasing their demand. The evolution of photographic technology from the 1830s onward made the "real" image sought after. Postcards make a dynamic entry into a global distribution network and serve as a catalyst in the circulation of the image, which memorializes the "local" by carrying its related social representations as far as possible. It leaves–if not seeks–space for the activation of the imaginary on the part of the recipient.

The postcard, with the bilingual caption «ΑΘΗΝΑΙ – Χορός στρατιωτών της Ανακτορικής φρουράς.» / "ATHÈNES – Danse des soldats de la Garde Royal." (ATHENS – Dance of the soldiers of the Royal Guard.), is an edition produced in Athens, as inferred from the back/verso side where it is marked "Ekdosis Farazi kai Michalopoulou, Athinai." (Farazis and Michalopoulos edition, Athens) and bears the number 19. A group of Evzones (colloquially Tsoliades), the then Imperial Guard, now the Presidential Guard, are arranged in a semicircle for the photograph. It is likely an official celebration. Trees and well-kept plants complete the background of the image.

The photo is colorized in sepia and occupies the entire front/recto side, with the verso being divided vertically, the left part reserved for the message, and the right for the dispatch details. There, dashed lines are visible for filling in the address, along with a field for affixing the postage stamp and the number 59900.

The text is written in French and is destined for Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Based on the double postmark, it was sent from Athens in 1909. However, "Wien, 11/2. 27" is written next to the city of dispatch. The two Greek postage stamps on the recto side costed 5 cents in total.

This represents a unique journey of an image from Greece to Austria — a window through which (nearby) Europe views an elite Greek military unit, dressed in attire that represents a symbol, inextricably linked to the revolution for national independence in 1821.

Research and text: Dora Spetsiotou