Postcards − A Brief History
Plain postcards first appeared in Austria in 1869. The first British postcards, which appeared in October 1870, were known as postal stationery. Within a few years many other countries were issuing plain cards and it was not long before picture cards were available on the Continent. Picture cards appeared in Great Britain in the mid−1870´s but were not accepted by the British Post Office until October 1894. Early cards were known as Court Size and were smaller and squarer in shape than the later 5 ½ ins x 3 ½ ins standard size cards. Until 1902 Post Office regulations required the address to be on the back of the card and the message on the front, an arrangement which left little room for the picture. This type of card was known as a "vignette". In 1902 Britain became the first country to divide the back allowing the message and address on that side and a full size picture on the front. Postcards with an undivided back are sometimes referred to as "Early Cards".
The period from 1902 to 1918 is generally regarded as the "Golden Age". Postcards represented the cheapest, most reliable and in many cases the only form of communication and vast numbers were produced. Postcard collecting became a national hobby and most households owned a postcard album. Many people joined clubs and swapped cards with other collectors. Topographical cards were the most popular and the great demand for postcards in this category represented new business opportunities for enterprising local publishers and photographers and pictures of obscure rural locations began to appear. Manufacturers, particularly those in Europe, were also quick to recognise the demand for "glamour" postcards and artist drawn and real photographic cards were soon available in large numbers. Studios in France and Germany were the main source of nude and risqué photographs and whilst these could not be displayed for sale openly they still found their way into many Edwardian collections. Postcards of this type would be regarded as fairly innocent today but in the Edwardian era were much less acceptable. Many thousands of French "Glamour" and "Romantic" cards were collected by our troops during the First World War.
Many early British postcards had been printed in Germany but the outbreak of war in 1914 quickly brought an end to this arrangement. During the Great War, Military and Patriotic cards were produced but topographical cards were in short supply. By the end of the war many things had combined to bring about a virtual end to the hobby. The inland postage rate had doubled to 1 penny, telephones were becoming more widely accepted as an alternative means of communication and many printing firms had gone out of business. During the Second World War, for reasons of national security, topographical cards were discouraged but a number of Military, Aviation and War Related cards were produced.
There are hundreds of postcard dealers today and many thousands of serious collectors, many of whom belong to a postcard club. The advent of on−line auctions like Ebay, Delcampe and Ebid have also led to a revival of postcard collecting as a hobby making it one of the top three collecting hobbies in the country. |
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Some Postcard Terms |
APPLIQUE |
A card which has silk, foil or other embellishment attached |
ART DECO |
1920´s artistic style having straight lines and symmetrical designs |
ART NOUVEAU |
Artistic style of the late 1800´s ⁄ early 1900´s. More impressionist than representational and often with swirling, flowing lines
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BAS RELIEF |
A card with a heavily raised surface − much more so than an embossed card |
CHROMO−LITHO |
A fine colour−printing method resembling a real photograph as opposed to screen printing where "dots" are produced. Quite often found on "Early" cards |
COMPOSITE |
A number of cards which, together, form a large picture |
COURT CARD |
British card produced (usually) from 1894 to 1900 and measuring approx 4 ½ x 3 ½ |
DIVIDED BACK |
A card with the back divided into two sections − one for the message and one for the address |
EMBOSSED |
A card with a raised surface (often found on Greetings and Heraldic types) |
GRUSS AUS |
German for "Greetings from" Describes a pictorial, continental Greetings card |
HOLD TO LIGHT |
Also referred to as "HTL", these cards have small cut−outs through which different colours appear when held to the light. Often found on pictures of Churches where coloured windows are highlighted |
KALEIDOSCOPE |
When rotated, a disc reveals many colours |
NOVELTY |
A card which does something, has attachments, is an unusual size or is printed on unusual material |
OFFICIAL |
A card printed by an official body such as the Government or Railway company |
OILETTE |
Raphael Tuck´s trade name for cards reproduced from original paintings |
PANEL CARD |
A card which is printed on heavy board |
POSTER CARD |
A reproduction of an advertising poster or a card in that style |
PULLOUT |
A card containing a strip view insert |
REAL PHOTOGRAPHIC |
"RP" A card which has been reproduced by a photographic rather than a printing process |
REWARD CARD |
A day school or Sunday school reward card for good attendance or good work |
STANDARD SIZE |
A card measuring approx. 5 ½ x 3 ½ ins. This size of card was introduced in Britain about 1900 |
TOPOGRAPHICAL |
A card which shows a general view or street scene where the view is the prominent feature. If a close−up of a Railway Station or Post Office is shown the card would probably be classified under that heading |
TRANSPARENCY |
A card which changes colour or reveals a hidden object when held to the light |
UNDIVIDED BACK |
A card with a plain back where the address occupies the complete area and the message is written on the front beside the picture (see Vignette) Early Cards were often described this way although cards with undivided backs were in common use until about 1910 |
VIGNETTE |
A design or picture which does not occupy the whole of the front of the card. Usually, but not always, found on undivided back postcards where the reverse of the card could only be used the address. The message could be written on the front, beside the picture |
WRITE−AWAY |
A term used to describe a card bearing the opening line of a message which the sender could complete. Often found on Comic and Novelty cards |
