Postcard illustrating "Auld Lang Syne" by Robert Burns

A coloured lithographic postcard of scene from Robert Burns' most famous song.   Robert Burns created "Auld Lang Syne", perhaps the best known song in the English language (although it is actually written in Scots) by reworking a snatch of a traditional song which he had collected. He first wrote down a version of it in 1788 whilst living at Ellisland Farm, 5 miles north of Dumfries.   This postcard illustrates the verse beginning, "We twa hae paidl't in the burn.." and shows a nostalgic scene of two boys wearing kilts. They are knee deep in a stream and have caught a large fish in a piece of tartan cloth. Surrounding them is a treeless Highland landscape.   The sender has written the message in black ink, then turned the card through 90 degrees and continued in red ink, thus maximising the amount of information sent. Both parts of the message are perfectly legible.