Greetings from the Factory Floor: Industrial Tourism and the Picture Postcard

Abstract Since the late nineteenth century, it's been popular to visit factories as a leisure time activity, a practice that continues up to the present day. This article provides a general overview of factory tours, as shown through the material culture and history of postcards. It explores the benefits and limitations of this unusual primary source and suggests how ephemera can be used more generally in capturing the intentions of and reactions to museum exhibits.