Private Life

Private life represents a major part of the telegram collection, with 2,050 artefacts. Telegrams, due to their public nature, are not and ideal form of communication for confiding private information and emotional disclosures, unlike the post or the telephone. Their wording is abstract, suggestive, even enigmatic, as is evident in the messages sent between relatives or friends. Their main function was formal and used mainly to send wishes, congratulations, and condolences. Private life telegrams have an ambiguous role. Their goal is to publicly express private feelings. Telegrams in this category are more for show than reading. Their singular function quickly became apparent to telegraphy services, and as a result in 1938 TTT launched its luxury telegrams. OTE followed the same practice in 1960, when it printed telegrams for special occasions and holidays (Christmas, Easter, weddings, births, etc.). During the 1970s, OTE’s luxury telegrams depicted works by Gyzis, Parthenis, and Vikatos.