In the age of next-day deliveries and speedy shipping from all corners of the world, the days of waiting around for a letter or package were thought to be over. In Swansea, UK, however, the staff of a financial institution was surprised to receive a postcard that was delivered 121 years late. The card dates back to 1903 and printed on the postcard is a work by 19th century English animal painter Edwin Henry Landseer entitled The Challenge. The addressee, Lydia Davies, is believed to have lived on the street more than a century ago and would have been 16 when she was supposed to receive the card. Marketing and Communications Officer Henry Darby said how the postcard ended up at his workplace remains a mystery, but he hopes to find those related to either Davies or the sender, written only as Ewart. The postcard is written in black cursive handwriting and has a green halfpenny stamp featuring a portrait of Edward VII, who reigned from 1901 to 1910. A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “It is likely that this postcard was put back into our system rather than being lost in the post for over a century. When an item is in our system, we are under obligation to deliver it to the correct address.”
