Exeter: The Postcard Collection

Discover the lost streets, timeless architecture, and evolving community of Devon’s historic county town through a rare visual archive of vintage picture postcards.

Centred around its magnificent medieval cathedral, the historic city of Exeter underwent dramatic transformations across the twentieth century. From the devastating destruction of the Second World War Blitz to modern postwar urban redevelopment, many beloved streetscapes and architectural landmarks vanished forever. In Exeter: The Postcard Collection, local historian Alan Spree curates an evocative pictorial record showing how old landmarks and local communities adapted across decades of change.

This curated photographic retrospective offers readers:

• A striking visual comparison between surviving heritage sites and lost city architecture
• Insightful glimpses into everyday Devon life, historic transport, and vintage shopfronts
• Detailed views of the cathedral close, historic quayside, and redeveloped commercial quarters

Whether you are a lifelong resident, a Devon family historian, or a dedicated collector of regional British ephemera, this 96-page volume provides an invaluable window into the vanished past of an essential English cathedral city.

Alan Spree is the great-grandson of the postcard publisher John Henry Spree. Alan was born in Nottingham and went to school in Bilborough before moving to Portsmouth and growing up there. His first job was at Portsmouth Dockyard then he gained a degree in Civil Engineering and became a professionally qualified Civil Engineer. He worked with the Department of Environment and Preston City Council before retirement in Spain.