The sound postcard, a cross between the postcard and the vinyl record, was born as a talking card at the beginning of the 20th century to replace writing. It later evolved into a musical instrument, and tried to spread throughout Europe and the United States, but failed to integrate into the customs of the time. Little-known and forgotten today, it nonetheless succeeded in establishing itself and gaining an important place in Polish society in the 1970s, notably as a means of disseminating songs from the West, which were restricted in Poland during this period.