Cookie Settings
Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Other cookies are those that are being identified and have not been classified into any category as yet.

No cookies to display.

Siirry suoraan sisältöön To homepage

Towards Summer – Virpi Pekkala’s maximum cards

2nd floor
15 / 10 / 7
Piirroskuvassa keijukainen kukkivan omenapuun oksan luona, alla postimerkki, jossa omenapuun kukkia.

Towards Summer is an exhibition featuring more than 100 maximum cards that will get viewers into the summer mood. The cards, based on artist Virpi Pekkala’s postcards, come from Leena Vainio’s extensive collection of maximum cards. The exhibition also includes scale models depicting the cards’ themes made by Pekkala herself.

What on earth is a maximum card?

Maximaphily is a branch of philately. On a maximum card, a postage stamp is placed on the picture-side of a card and stamped with a postmark. The image, stamp and postmark must be as thematically similar as possible. According to the rules of maximaphily, the stamp and postmark must both be in use at the time the maximum card is made.

Virpi Pekkala – one of Finland’s most popular postcard artists

Virpi Pekkala’s cards have brought joy to their senders and recipients for almost fifty years. Pekkala drew her first postcards in the mid-1960s, and in 1980 it became a full-time occupation when she set up her company. She has created about 2,000 postcards.

Virpi Pekkala paints her postcards in their actual size using watercolours and finishes the images with thin black ink. Her cards are never just pictures; they all have a name and a story. The names often contain a pun or joke. Pekkala has also illustrated books, calendars, textiles, dishes, paper bags, sweet wrappers and stamps.

The Virpi Pekkala Club

Admirers of Virpi Pekkala’s illustrations founded the Virpi Pekkala Club in 2003. It cherishes Pekkala’s production, participates in events and organises various kind of activities. The club has 130 members (2022).

View pictures

Piirroskuvassa keijukainen kukkivan omenapuun oksan luona, alla postimerkki, jossa omenapuun kukkia. VIrpi Pekkala's postcard number 1961 / stamp: Apple flowers 2.3.2005, Leena Airikkala.
Piirroskuvassa keijukainen kukkivan omenapuun oksan luona, alla postimerkki, jossa omenapuun kukkia.
Piirroskuvassa tyttö kurkistaa kesäisessä maisemassa postilaatikkoon, jossa lukee loma; yläpuolella on postimerkki, jossa lapsi ottaa postia postilaatikosta.
Takaisin ylös