The Digital Anarchive of Hidden Worlds
Below you will find anonymous postcards telling stories about and including drawings of childhood secret places. These postcards are part of the PhD research project “Hidden Worlds: A Geography of Childhood Multispecies Secret Places”, Kristina Vitek University of Oulu, Finland, and are not authorized for further use. The authorship remains with the writers of the postcards. Welcome to explore these secret worlds!
Treehouses, forests, and other plants
Postcard with drawing of building with smoke coming from chimney. Around the building are paths, trees, and flowers. Two people are on the parths, one is collecting berries.
Postcard with two drawings and Finnish text. Left side is a drawing with a girl facing a tree. English translation of text top to bottom:
Under a "wishing tree" at the edge of a field
Homemade Christmas gift for the tree
The tree listened to your worries and secrets, your wishes
Right side is a drawing of a bed with cassette player, notepad and drawing tools behind it. English translation of text, top to bottom, right to left:
cassette player with headphones, children's songs playing
A small corner behind the parents' bed
Pens and notebooks for drawing
I had to crawl out of a hole between the bed and the wall
Postcard with drawing of two trees and grass. In one tree sits a person with the words (in Finnish) screaming, I. On the ground next to this tree another person and the Finnish word for younger brother.
Postcard with two drawings and Finnish text. Drawing on left of mountain with two people on it and trees around it. Picture on the right of big rock in front of fence with two trees on each side. English Translation: A big mountain in the middle of a lush forest A small stone in the park As a parent back visiting my old home Everything is much smaller.
Postcard with drawing of mossy rock and trees. Finnish text. English Translation: A spruce forest with fallen, mossy tree trunks and mossy stones. There you can see a fairy or a leprechaun.
Postcard with drawing of house and Finnish text. English Translation: The secret place of my childhood was a small hut in the woods. Built from various types of wooden board.
Postcard with drawing of willowherb/fireweed plants and Finnish text. English Translation: A secret and special place in my childhood is my father's old homestead, where in an abandoned field grew a huge number of tall willowherbs/fireweeds. The willowherbs/fireweeds were so tall, and I was so small, that when I walked there, all that could be seen of me was the top of my head. It was a good place to play with my cousins!
English translation: As a child, I spent a lot of time on my own - although with my cousins in the countryside at my grandmother's house, we would get together as a group. Popular places were the roof/edge of the feed tower attached to the barn building. That's where you climbed up the “feed chute”. The top of the barn was also an obscure, dusty hiding place where the cats would have their kittens. But a very special hiding place was the currant bushes, where you could get fresh berries from the bushes and stare at the sky. I would often find myself in the middle of a large clump of bushes, huddled by a green mossy rock. Surrounding it was a lawn where lady's mantle was also growing. After the rain, it was nice to step out and smell the wet leaves in the dew. My childhood home in the church village was near the cemetery, which was higher than the surrounding area. It seems odd that the cemetery scared - I was only interested in the old, large headstones in particular. The pine forest was also a place where you could enjoy eating berries all by yourself in the autumn. So there was not just one place, but several
Postcard with drawing of sun and clouds, trees and a building. There are also flowers, a ball, and a person standing next to the building
Postcard with drawing of two trees. Between the trees are hung a hammock and a tent.
Postcard with drawing. There is a tree house, trees, a fence and at the front a log or animal.
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: When I was in primary school-aged, I often climbed the trees growing next to the road leading to my house. My favourite spot was a combination of aspen and pine trees growing close together, which were sturdy, well-branched, safe. I climbed very high, from where I could see my home’s yard, vegetable gardens and open fields. The aspen leaves’ rustling, and the scent of pine were wonderful, I had a safe hiding place there. Sometimes, when no one was in the yard, I would take a fast walk on the top of the aspen, project myself and sing. The feeling of freedom and independence was overwhelming. When I was older, my hiding place was in my grandmother's attic, behind the chimney. There I read my aunt's old Friday papers and marvelled at the deck my uncle, killed in the war, had made.
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: When summer came we took small trunks and twigs of birch and built a hut. The whole summer we spent in this hut after coming back from work. That's how our whole summer was spent, nicely.
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: When I was a kid, my way to school was 800m, which felt like a long way. On the way home, I often stopped under a big tree, about halfway, to daydream and take a nap. The tree was next to the footpath, at the top of the biggest hill of the trip. We lived close to the city, so passers-by would occasionally pass by.
At home
Postcard with attached paper. Text in Finnish. English translation:
The most special place in my childhood was on the top of the wood stove in the nursery. I shared the room with my sister, and with it, our hideaway. It took a bit of acrobatics to get there, so adults couldn't reach it. Above the wood stove, on the wall, are still the pictures my sister and I once hung there.
Once, when I was maybe about 10, I got sick in the middle of a school day, so I was sent home to an empty house. It's a big house, and it was being renovated at the time. I climbed into my shelter on top of the wood stove to wait for the others to come home. That's when I heard the repairmen coming, and I heard them discussing how our house is like a labyrinth and how you can still get lost in there. They even went into the nursery, but didn't notice me hunched over the stove, quietly hovering.
It was an exciting and ticklish feeling, but also a safe one. From my hiding place, I could watch the world almost invisibly, yet in full view and hearing.
-(Name) 41 years old
Postcard with English text and drawing of person lying and looking at stars. Text says "When I was a child my childhood secret it was a place in my house. I liked to go up to the roof of my house at night, I would lie down to look at the sky and observe the stars"
Postcard with text. Next to text is a drawing of second floor of house with labeling of rooms included the toilet hidden in. Text says: ."Actually, I didn't have specific place to hide or secret place because I'm not good at hiding something but one place that I always used (if I remember correctly) was a toilet especially when I was upset or wanted to cry, I would hide in toilet (my mom's bedroom toilet) because that toilet was rarely used. So I can hide to cry or calmed myself after I calm I would go out for something else I try serveral times to hiding my secret stuff, but my mom always find it so I gave up hiding stuff. I'm sorry my English is not that good and my story maybe not too specfic or long but I tried, hope this can help your study". Next to text is a drawing of second floor of house with labeling of rooms included the toilet hidden in.
Postcard with drawing of house with a smaller drawing of a house with trees and lawn to the left of it. Postcard also has text which reads "I used to spend all my time at home hidden in a little doll house in the garden of my house. There I would study, listen musics, create new doll's food recipes, and just have some time on my own.
Postcard with text. Text reads "A corner at the dining room of my home. There was a big glass-made table where a lamp with warm light is put on. I always would like to call it my road "home" and hide beneath the table while keeping the light on I would also hide some snacks of little toys at my "home"" Smiley at end.
Postcard with drawing of house and an arrow pointing to top floor of house. Text connected to arrow reads "My secret place was at cold roof above ceiling of my home. It included abonded stuff like old furnitures."
Postcard with drawing of house shaped tent with two windows and triangle shaped door. At top of tent is garland with leaves and a flower.
Postcard with drawing of stairs and girl hiding underneath them. Next to stairs are drawers and a rug. On top of draws are pictures. Bottom right of postcard is text which reas "under the stairs"
With animals
Postcard with Finnish text. Next to text is drawing of person with long hair, and two animals. English translation: The secret place of my childhood was at my grandparents' house under the stairs, I could even still go there because it was such a magical little nest/den, I would eat my packed lunch there and wonder what I would paint and that's where a lot of my art inspirations were born. I was happy in that moment, accompanied as a little one by my cat and my dog. Thank you
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: Secretly, I liked to go to the feeders if Dad didn't see me. A wonderful youth I got everything I wanted. Greetings, Kuusamo girl
Postcard with text and drawing of skull and insect. Text reads "I used to play with insects and do experiments with them. Sometimes fry them and then cool them, and vice versea. To see if they come alive"
Postcard with drawing of fenced area with cows and trees and a person playing. Finnish text. English translation: An exciting hut in the midst of a forest surrounded by big pine trees. Adding to the excitement were cows grazing in the area.
Books
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: As the eldest child in a big family, there was a lot to do, especially in the summer. There was always: Home now! To watch the little ones, while mum goes to the laundry, milking, going to the store...etc., etc.! A particularly good hiding place was the potato field’s furrow. There, lying in the middle of the field, you could read books in peace and quiet, even adult books, when no one would think that I was reading in the middle of the potato field, hiding.
Postcard with drawing of two flowers and an open book. Text at bottom right of postcard reads "As a child reading helped me create imaginations where I could escape to"
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: The secret place of childhood: a huge rock in my parents' nearby forest, covered with soft moss. I often went there with a book to read in good weather and sometimes took a nap there.
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: As a child, I escaped into books. At the age of 10, I fell in love with the books of the Bronten sisters. My most relaxing moments were spent in my imagination, hanging on the moor with my skirts wet. Even now, when I have nothing to do, I think of places I’ve never visited, but which feel so familiar.
Watery worlds
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: In Taivalkoski by the shores of the Jivio lakes
Postcard with Finnish text and drawing of pond, with trees around it and stream running into it.
English translation:
PYHÄNTÄ AHOKYLÄ Pond size about 300m x 400m
SWAMP - STREAM - MÖLÖKKÄ POND
Mölökkä was a pond refuge for me, where one can fish, swim and pick cloudberries from the swamp and pick lingonberries and blueberries from the ridge. The scents were 22m high measured from the pond. A pond with a very steep shore and deep.
With grandma, grandpa, and/or friends
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: Grandma's attic, interesting stuff, A big stone in other grandmother's yard, A little windbreak built in the woods with school friends
Postcard with drawing of house and path, with trees around it and an animal, perhaps a pig on the path. Finnish text. English translation: Grandma’s I spent my holidays there
Postcard with drawing of inside of barn. Text on left side reads "When I was ~10 I used to adventure in our grandma's old barn. There was a space under the roof with sawdust and darkness. so homey. Also planks to use as bridges. Did not fall"
Postcard with text. Text reads "They are of happy memory which I had in my childhood. I liked to go to my grandparents' home because back then she had a wonderful, big garden with lots of trees. We played when sad and mad. It was with lots of excitement. In fact, I'm from Sri Lanka. We had a beautiful greenary. When recalling negative emotions, I l literaly my, (difficult to read) when I was sad. It didn't have any specific place which I was allowed to.
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: Our siblings and other relatives' children had a "secret house" at a grandmother's house in Lapland. It was a play-place in a nearby forest, sheltered by large trees. Adults were never seen there. Toys for the secret house play were found in nature. We cooked play food and made 'traps' to see if anyone else had been in the hut. It was also fun to sing our own funny songs and tell jokes in the hut without the adults hearing everything. We listened to the rustling of the forest, and sometimes it was exciting not knowing where all the sounds were coming from. We are over 30 years old, and the hut still came back very vividly.
Postcard with Finnish text. English Translation: The secret place of my childhood was in my grandmother's old barn. The barn window was broken, and through the hole my siblings and cousins and I would peek out at the grown-up activities in the yard.
Postcard with Finnish text. English Translation: A playhouse, where we spent time and played with one another and with friends
Postcard with drawing of barn and field. In the bard are hay bales. Finnish text. English Translation: The secret place of my childhood was an old red hay barn with big round bales of hay inside. My friends and I used to build rooms and corridors in and between them. The most special place was the 'kitchen' in one corner where we often ate snacks and treats.
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: My childhood secret place was a hiding place with a barrel that my cousins would build together. If I want to be alone, I often go there and day dream there
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: The secret places of my childhood are connected to summers and holidays at my grandmother's house. Secret places in my grandmother's house in the countryside were for example an outdoor sauna in the nearby woods and a barn. These were places to play, hide and spy on adults. Lovely memories!
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: If I did something bad or pranked, I went into hiding high up in a rowan tree or underneath my grandma's big skirt. Mom told me off and the whip [vitsa = a thin branch or twig of birch] was hung over the door to warn me. When they looked for me, grandmom would say that there he is running down along a ditch with his white hair flickering! I was afraid of cars.
Imaginations big and small
Postcard with text. Text says: "I grew up as an only child with both of my parents and a very strict mother. I also have ADHD I always took my bike or my scooter any chance I go and rode it to a park near my home. In my mind my secret place was a treehouse somewhere in that park, but of course it was only in my mind. I had to make my dream come true somehow so I searched a hidden spot near the park and always sneaked in there. The spot was perfect as it was under a tree but a wall nearby made it extra cozy. Since the tree was so big it provided shade and a lot of privacy, sometimes I would even do my homework there"
Postcard with drawing of barn with door open. Fan over door. Inside person playing on piles of grain. Postcard has text to right of drawing which reads "When I was a child, I often visited my parents' workplace, which had several factories and many warehouses. Inside these warehouses, there were lots of bags of bran and grains piled up high. I often sneaked into the warehouses and climbed to the top of the piles. It was my secret kingdom, where I felt like the ruler of a vast "warehouse world" that no one could find or invade. The piles were so soft that I could lie down on them and even create a "secret hole" by arranging the bags, hiding inside. It felt so safe and full of funies.
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: Big open prairie. A place where you never got lost even if you travelled for days on end, you always found a way back home. Food was to be found in nature all the time, as long as you knew where to look. :) Animals were plenty and different kinds. People were scarce but when you met them they told stories, shared wisdoms and "gossip". I rode my horse bareback and without a bridle, my horse always knew where to go, when to escape beasts, when to rest. It was my best friend and the most amazing horse on Earth. People tried to buy it off me many times but I would not sell it. It fought against thieves till their bitter end.
Hiding
Postcard with text. Text reads "When I was a kid I used to hide inside the trunk of my dad's car. I learned how to open it from inside so I felt it was comfy and safe. I would lay down and listen to some music in my "walkman"... or hide in there when I didn't want to be found."
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation:
There was a sports field and a hill near our home. The hill wasn't as high as the courtyard but it was big so when you were at the top of it people walking down the hill couldn't see you. Many times I sat or napped in the hay to be even more hidden.
When we played hide and seek at home I climbed up the hill to hide.
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: Outside to hide
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: I put a blanket over the chairs and tables. I went under there to hide. I took a pillow and a blanket, toys and books.
Bed memories. A room of one's own
Postcard with text. Text says "As a child, I liked to stay under the bed. My bed was quite big The reason I liked it was because it was usually dark and I stayed by my self. I could also role play and talk to myself without interference. It was also easy to be forgotten there so it served as a good resting place where I can be by my self.
Postcard with drawing and the text INDOOR FORT. Drawing of bed with sheet going from top of bed to ground with a person underneath.
Postcard with drawing of room. In the room there is a window and a picture on the wall. Underneath the window in a tent. Next to the tent a bed.
Postcard with drawing of building and tree next to it. Finnish text.
English translation: The secret hiding place of my childhood was a storeroom in the sauna building, which was called "puoji" in the dialect of Meänkieli. In the summer we also slept there - Mum let us decorate it to our liking with lace curtains on the window and rag rugs on the floor.
The puoji were used for storing clothes and other things like Christmas decorations and it was nice to rummage through them from time to time.
Postcard with drawing of bed with teddy bear on it. Window above bed. Drawing hanging on wall next to bed. Under bed a person.
Postcard with drawing of closet and doll or person hanging on handel.
Postcard with drawing of desk with sheets hanging down and underneath a teddy bear and books. Text under drawing reads "Reading books under my desk tent".
Postcard with colorful drawing, unrecognizable what the drawing is of.
Postcard with drawing of closet with child playing with dolls in it and the bottom. Finnish text. English Translation: My secret hiding place was on the bottom shelf of my wardrobe, where I played with Bratz dolls.
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: To this day, at the age of 56, I remember my childhood hiding places were a dense grove of trees near my home where there were large rocks that we would often hide behind. When I was at home, my hiding place inside was a bedside drawer where I would lie down and pull the drawer under the bed.
Difficult memories
Postcard with Finnish text.
English translation: My home burnt down when I was 5 years old. (Germans burnt it) We were in evacuation. I liked playing hide and seek, and shout (Here I am).
Summers we swam in Kemijoki and winters we skiied when we had time off. Mom and dad were lovely and dear to me. We were not rich, but we had bread [i.e. means of income or sustenance] when we worked hard ourselves.
Postcard with Finnish text. English translation: Just a treehouse and one place I won’t tell you
Project supported by
Part of Research Council of Finland funded project HOMINGS
More than just human homes: Creating new storylines of co-habitation to drive everyday life sustainability transition
2024-2028
