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When the picture postcard fad hit America nearly a century ago, publishers found a ready market for special greeting cards for every holiday including New Year’s. The public eagerly purchased seasonal postcards to exchange with relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers. They were also lovingly saved in keepsake albums.
New Year’s Day items were especially attractive because of their superior artistic designs and the fascinating array of seasonal features found on them. Nearly every theme and topic associated with New Year throughout the centuries found its way onto the different postcards crafted by countless artists in the earliest years of the century which would be from 1900 to about 1916. Both domestic and imported cards featured grandfather clocks, watches, father time and lovely women and radiant angels.

Though they often relied on traditional symbols and motifs, American illustrators did drawings in a more modern style than did their counterparts in Europe. Holiday revelers in autos were heavily favored by International Art Pub. Co. (New York City). Funny scenes of tipsy gentlemen and other portrayals of holiday celebrating are characteristic of American made New Year’s Day postcards. Artists such as Ellen Clapsaddle, Frances Brundage, and H. B. Griggs (“HBG”) have always commanded a great amount of attention from collectors.

So intense was the competition that many companies resorted to adding extra attractions to their cards. Nearly all quality cards automatically came embossed and many were embellished with gelatin coatings, gold and silver etchings, and gold backgrounds. Tinsel was added and edges scalloped. Also marketed were blank check postcards in which the recipient received a “check” good for “a million joys in the coming year,” or something similarly whimsical attachment of every kind were applied. The list includes die-cuts of flowers, horseshoes, doves and little notes in tiny envelopes. A number of “magic light” varieties such as hold-to lights and transparencies enjoyed brisk sales.

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Quite often, especially after 1910, many publishers and distributors took old stocks of other postcard topics including scenes of animals, children and lovely ladies then overprinted them with all sorts of New Year’s greetings.
Among foreign publishers, none was more prolific or produced better cards than Raphael Tuck & Sons. The London firm exported huge numbers of holiday postcards to this country. Their artists favored charming children, beautiful women and Father Time. However, floral designs were also used extensively.

The modern day folded greeting card and envelope came into prominence in the 1920s and has remained the standard ever since. Very little modern activity has ever occurred in regard to New Year’s Day postcards.
Today’s collectors are very lucky in that a vast amount of New Year’s Day postcards is still available. Prices, except for about 10% of the very best and most beautiful cards tend to be a bit lower than those for other holidays. It is still possible to put together a very good collection of the New Year holiday.

It never hurts to be well-informed with the latest on Post Card. Compare what you’ve learned here to future articles so that you can stay alert to changes in the area of Post Card.

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So what is Post Card really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about Post Card–info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.

The tradition to send Easter postcards to relatives and friends developed in the end of the 19th century. During the year 1898 there were only a few Easter cards sent but the amount of sent Easter cards raised in the following years worldwide. Soon it was courteous and polite to send Easter postcards. In the beginning, monochrome as well as colored cards were printed. Most of the time in the center of the cards was an oversized colored egg. In the first years of the Easter postcards often a part of the front side was empty. This was the space for the greetings of the sender because the post-order only allowed the address and the stamp on the back side. Because of that, the artist creativity was hindered and precious illustrations were deformed. In 1905 the post in Austria and Germany separated the back side of the cards in two halves. The right half served as before for the address and the stamp and the other one was the new space for the message. 1906 this was officially allowed by the world-post-congress in Rome.

In the years around 1910 on the cards were mainly monochrome pictures which were sometimes colored with children in the context with lambs, chickens, ducks and eggs. Young girls were a symbol for luck and hope. The Easter bunny which was a personified symbol of fruitfulness was often portrayed with eggs. German publishers were leading in the production of Easter postcards before the first world war.

So far, we’ve uncovered some interesting facts about Post Card. You may decide that the following information is even more interesting.

During the time of the first world war the children were replaced through soldiers and a military appearance of the Easter bunny was quite common. After the first world war, photos were not the foundation for Easter postcards anymore but drawn colorful Easter sketches. At this time a very popular motive was Jesus in the open countryside surrounded by sheep. Also cards with flowers were sent very often too such as the Easter lily. In the time of prosperity during 1898 and 1918 the basis of the cards was chromolithography. There reveal very impressive cards with silver, gold and relief-stamping.

A huge reduction of sent Easter postcards occurred through the second world war. After the war, the amount of sent cards raised slowly but in the last ten years it fell rapidly because of the competition with telephony and e-mail. Easter postcards are still sent today but not with the fervor of the greeting card. The collection of the Easter postcard is quite collectible and not so easy to find.

Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what’s important about Post Card.

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The tradition to send Easter postcards to relatives and friends developed in the end of the 19th century. During the year 1898 there were only a few Easter cards sent but the amount of sent Easter cards raised in the following years worldwide. Soon it was courteous and polite to send Easter postcards. In the beginning, monochrome as well as colored cards were printed. Most of the time in the center of the cards was an oversized colored egg. In the first years of the Easter postcards often a part of the front side was empty. This was the space for the greetings of the sender because the post-order only allowed the address and the stamp on the back side. Because of that, the artist creativity was hindered and precious illustrations were deformed. In 1905 the post in Austria and Germany separated the back side of the cards in two halves. The right half served as before for the address and the stamp and the other one was the new space for the message. 1906 this was officially allowed by the world-post-congress in Rome.

In the years around 1910 on the cards were mainly monochrome pictures which were sometimes colored with children in the context with lambs, chickens, ducks and eggs. Young girls were a symbol for luck and hope. The Easter bunny which was a personified symbol of fruitfulness was often portrayed with eggs. German publishers were leading in the production of Easter postcards before the first world war.

If you don’t have accurate details regarding Post Card, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don’t let that happen: keep reading.

During the time of the first world war the children were replaced through soldiers and a military appearance of the Easter bunny was quite common. After the first world war, photos were not the foundation for Easter postcards anymore but drawn colorful Easter sketches. At this time a very popular motive was Jesus in the open countryside surrounded by sheep. Also cards with flowers were sent very often too such as the Easter lily. In the time of prosperity during 1898 and 1918 the basis of the cards was chromolithography. There reveal very impressive cards with silver, gold and relief-stamping.

A huge reduction of sent Easter postcards occurred through the second world war. After the war, the amount of sent cards raised slowly but in the last ten years it fell rapidly because of the competition with telephony and e-mail. Easter postcards are still sent today but not with the fervor of the greeting card. The collection of the Easter postcard is quite collectible and not so easy to find.

Don’t limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about Post Card. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what’s important.

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By Ted Ellis, who highly recommends a Club Albufeira Portugal holiday apartment which sleeps 6.

The tradition to send Easter postcards to relatives and friends developed in the end of the 19th century. During the year 1898 there were only a few Easter cards sent but the amount of sent Easter cards raised in the following years worldwide. Soon it was courteous and polite to send Easter postcards. In the beginning, monochrome as well as colored cards were printed. Most of the time in the center of the cards was an oversized colored egg. In the first years of the Easter postcards often a part of the front side was empty. This was the space for the greetings of the sender because the post-order only allowed the address and the stamp on the back side. Because of that, the artist creativity was hindered and precious illustrations were deformed. In 1905 the post in Austria and Germany separated the back side of the cards in two halves. The right half served as before for the address and the stamp and the other one was the new space for the message. 1906 this was officially allowed by the world-post-congress in Rome.

In the years around 1910 on the cards were mainly monochrome pictures which were sometimes colored with children in the context with lambs, chickens, ducks and eggs. Young girls were a symbol for luck and hope. The Easter bunny which was a personified symbol of fruitfulness was often portrayed with eggs. German publishers were leading in the production of Easter postcards before the first world war.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Post Card now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

During the time of the first world war the children were replaced through soldiers and a military appearance of the Easter bunny was quite common. After the first world war, photos were not the foundation for Easter postcards anymore but drawn colorful Easter sketches. At this time a very popular motive was Jesus in the open countryside surrounded by sheep. Also cards with flowers were sent very often too such as the Easter lily. In the time of prosperity during 1898 and 1918 the basis of the cards was chromolithography. There reveal very impressive cards with silver, gold and relief-stamping.

A huge reduction of sent Easter postcards occurred through the second world war. After the war, the amount of sent cards raised slowly but in the last ten years it fell rapidly because of the competition with telephony and e-mail. Easter postcards are still sent today but not with the fervor of the greeting card. The collection of the Easter postcard is quite collectible and not so easy to find.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in Post Card. When people start looking for more information about Post Card, you’ll be in a position to meet their needs.

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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his soon to be top ranked Perpetual20 training site: Perpetual 20

When most people think of Post Card, what comes to mind is usually basic information that’s not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there’s a lot more to Post Card than just the basics.

In 1894, British publishers were given permission by the Royal Mail to manufacture and distribute picture postcards which could be sent through the mail. Early postcards were pictures of famous landmarks, scenic views, photographs, lighthouses, animals or drawings of celebrities and so on. With steam locomotives providing fast and affordable travel the seaside became a popular tourist destination. The steam locomotives generated its own souvenir industry. The picture postcard was, and is, an essential staple of this industry.

In the early 1930′s cartoon style saucy postcards became widespread and at the peak of their popularity the sale of saucy postcards reached a massive 16 million a year. They were often tacky in nature making use of innuendo and traditionally featured stereotypical characters such as priests, large ladies and put-upon husbands in the same vein as the Carry On films. In the early 1950′s, the newly elected Conservative government were concerned at the apparent deterioration of morals in Britain and decided on a crackdown on these postcards. The main target on their hit list was the renowned postcard artist Donald McGill. In the more liberal 1960′s the saucy postcard was revived and became to be considered, by some, as an art form. This helped its popularity and once again they became an institution.

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However, during the 1970′s and 1980′s, the quality of the artwork and humor started to deteriorate with changing attitudes towards the cards content. The demise of the saucy postcard occurred due to the moral climate and lack of consumer purchase. Original postcards are now highly sought after and rare examples can command very high prices at auction. The best known saucy seaside postcards were created by a publishing company called Bamforths, based in the town of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England.

Despite the decline in popularity of postcards that are overtly saucy, postcards continue to be a significant economic and cultural aspect of British seaside tourism. Sold by newsagents and street vendors as well as by specialist souvenir shops. Modern seaside postcards often feature multiple depiction’s of the resort in unusually favorable weather conditions. These continuously draw tourist to the seaside. The use of saturated color and a general departure from realism have made the postcards of the later twentieth century become collected and desired by undiscriminating taste. Such cards are also respected as important documents of social history and have been influential on the work of Martin Parr.

Is there really any information about Post Card that is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to another.

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Early 20th-century postcards manufactured for the Fourth of July were very popular. Thousands of colorful cards featured such themes as Uncle Sam, the Goddess of Liberty, eagles, cannons, flags, liberty bell, fireworks, Statue of Liberty, Native Americans, Revolutionary War figures, nautical subjects, and the nation’s founders. From the early 1900s the production of postcards neatly coincided with the Safe and Sane movement that was initiated in a number of major cities to get dangerous fireworks away from the public. Many cards demonstrated the seriousness of this issue but interestingly did so in a humorous vein. One popular card included the message: How to prevent your boy being killed on the Fourth of July-kill him on the third.

Cards, for the most part, were typically sold in sets of six. Illustrators such as Ellen Clapsaddle and E. Nash were household names to those who collected these cards. Ellen H. Clapsaddle (1865-1934) was active in New York and later in Germany in the early 20th century creating illustrations for thousands of postcards. Her focus was mostly children. She worked for the International Art Company and produced an imaginative series of Fourth of July cards.

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“Greeting” cards often included verse that was similar to Fourth of July poetry published in newspapers at that time. The quality was mediocre at best. Examples include: “Day of flags and cannon and jubilee! Guarded well, gloried in, so may it ever be” and “Oh spirit of honor of freedom of peace! Guard well with a vigil that never shall cease.” The sense of guarding the nation’s freedom and the idea of stewardship was a common notion that all shared and continue to share today. Still the 4th of July Postcards were the favorite of their day and are quite collectible in our times. The brilliant colors and the obvious patriotism that was prevalent in our nation during these periods shined through.

Patriotism is the heartbeat of America and even though times get turbulent the Americana postcards of the past and present still hold dear to the hearts of Americans and reminders of past 4th of Julys where our nation celebrated her birth. Despite wars, social issues and political differences Americans celebrate the birth of their country with honor and respect for the nation they love and are proud to be a part of. The history alone of the 4th of July postcards and the careful thought taken to the words of the cards shows the reverence that we hold past present and future of our nation. The cards are great ways to remember past celebrations and to share present ones.

Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about Post Card into just one article. But you can’t deny that you’ve just added to your understanding about Post Card, and that’s time well spent.

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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his Perpetual20 affiliate site for great bonuses: Perpetual 20

When most people think of Post Card, what comes to mind is usually basic information that’s not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there’s a lot more to Post Card than just the basics.

In 1939 the Union Oil Co. of California began publishing postcard views of Southwestern scenes which were given away as premiums in the company’s service stations. The Union Oil cards introduced new printing technology. Cards were printed in four-color half-tone process with a varnish overcoat called photochrome probably because of their link to Kodak’s newly introduced Kodachrome color reversal slide film. Kodachrome slides were the cornerstone for most of these new photochrome cards. This name soon was shortened by collectors to chrome. This new technology yielded a high-quality, detailed image with a shiny surface that was close to photographic quality and in realistic color. World War II slowed their spread but in the early 1950′s chrome cards took over the postcard market replacing both linens and black-and-white real-photo views.

Postcards to this day are still almost entirely chromes. The computer has changed the look of view cards in the last few years as designers working with digital image-editing software have turned blue skies into blazing sunsets with expanse of color not seen since the linen cards of the 1930s. In addition they added larger and larger type effects reflecting the public’s preoccupation with logos and brand names.

The most noticeable change in postcards since the beginning of the chrome era has been their size:

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- “Standard.” For almost a century the standard size for a postcard was 5 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches. The first postal cards issued by the Post Office were roughly the same size as a standard mailing envelope in the middle of the 19th Century. Private manufacturers of postcards quickly began to experiment with the size of cards — small ones and fold-outs and double-wide panoramas for example. Throughout the golden age of postcards though from the pioneer era through white borders and real-photos and linens and chromes, the vast majority of postcards were this standard 5 1/2-by-3 1/2 size.

- “Continental.” In the last two or three decades it seems everything in America has been supersized, from french fries to toilet paper. Postcards are no exception. The “standard” size for postcards has increased from 5 1/2-by-3 12 to 4-by-6. Collectors call these larger cards “continentals,” because presumably the larger size first became common on the Continent.

- “Supercontinental.” The latest development in the never-ending battle to create something that will catch the public’s eye and pry open its wallet are postcards that are even larger than “continental” — 7 by 4.5 inches and up. These are too big to mail at the postcard rate (currently 23 cents): the Postal Service requires letter-rate postage, 37 cents. Probably few of them are actually mailed, anyway. These megacards seem to be marketed as souvenirs, mini-posters to be taken home and put on a mirror or a refrigerator for your own enjoyment or memories.

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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his Perpetual20 affiliate site for great bonuses: Perpetual 20

DIVIDED BACK ERA (1907-1915)

As of March 1, 1907, the divided back postcard came into circulation. They quickly became more popular because they allowed senders to write the address and the message on the back of the card. The address had to be written on the right side of the back of the postcard while the left side was reserved for writing messages. Postcards from this period are most collectible when they do not have writing on the front. At this time in American history the postcard hobby became a huge public addiction. Publishers printed millions of cards in this era. Most postcards were printed in Germany which was the world leader in lithographic processes. At the height of the countrywide postcard hunger, WWI caused a crash in the hobby. The advent of WWI caused the supply of postcards from Germany to end. Poorer quality postcards came from English and U.S. publishers. The lower quality of printed postcards, recurrent influenza epidemics, and WWI war shortages killed the American postcard hobby. During the war years, the telephone replaced the postcard as a fast, reliable, means to keep in touch.

WHITE BORDER ERA (1915-1930)

When imports from Germany ceased in the first World War, the U.S. began printing postcards to fill the void. Unfortunately, this also ended the “Golden Age” of postcards. After WWI, the German publishing industry was never rebuilt. Other European publishers were forced out of the U.S. market by high tariff rates. Most locally available postcards were printed by U.S. publishers during this period. On view postcards, to save ink, a white border was left around the view, and that is why we call them “White Border” postcards. The higher costs of post-war publishing combined with inexperienced labor caused production of poorer quality cards. Movies, as they were, replaced postcards as a visual experience. Higher competition in a rapidly narrowing market caused many publishers to go out of business. On the other hand, real photo postcard publishers enjoyed great success. Various types of rotary drum negative imprints allowed runs of thousands of postcards of a particular image. Roadside postcard racks contained a great variety of these images.

LINEN ERA (1930-1945)

Most of this information comes straight from the Post Card pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

In the 1930s, postcard printing in the United States improved. Publishers began using linen-like paper with a high rag content. These types of cards are very popular with collectors today. Of particular interest are Roadside America, Blacks, Comics and Advertising genres.

New American printing processes allowed printing on postcards with a high rag content. This was a marked improvement over the White Border postcard. The rag content also gave these postcards a textured feel to them. They were also cheaper to produce and allowed the use of bright dyes for image coloring. They proved to be extremely popular with raodside establishments seeking cheap advertising. Linen postcards document every step along the way of the building of America’s highway infra-structure. Most notable among the early linen publishers was the firm of Curt Teich. The majority of linen postcard production ended around 1939 with the advent of the color chrome postcard. However, a few linen firms, mainly southern, published well into the late 1950s. Real photo publishers of black & white images continued to have success.

Faster reproducing equipment and lowering costs led to an explosion of real photo mass produced postcards. Once again a war interfered with the postcard industry (WWII). During the war, shortages and a need for military personnel forced many postcard companies to reprint older views when printing material was available.

I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. Your learning process should be ongoing–the more you understand about any subject, the more you will be able to share with others.

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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Besides communicating quick notes or vacation greetings, postcards also served as greeting cards for all occasions. These can be priceless for the genealogist. For example, Emily Rule, Tennessee, has been looking for clues in two scrapbooks full of early 19th century postcards that belonged to her great grandmother and great grandfather. To her amazement she has found out much she didn’t know about her family and her roots.

Emily is now using postcards to locate descendants of her great grandmothers who married and settled in Virginia before 1893. “From the postcards relatives sent her great grandparents we know where her family was before marriage and other little details about their life at that time,” she says.

Another favorite motif for postcards was transportation, which includes ship advertising, railroad stations and trains. You might be able to find a card of the ship that brought your ancestors to America. American Line, Anchor Line, Cunard, Hamburg-Amerika, Holland-America, Norddeutscher Lloyd, Red Star, White Star and many other smaller lines issued advertising cards that featured views of their ships accompanied by some size and tonnage facts. It is fun to trace the footsteps of your ancestors from different shores. Railroad depot postcards were very popular and still are today. It would be fantastic to find a real photo card of your ancestors standing in front of an old depot. All the different trains throughout our history and how they were used to transport in early America are quite collectible as well.

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

Town and city views, another popular postcard subject, show courthouses, schools, streets and post offices. They’re available for both US and European localities, and can be a way of connecting with your ancestors even if they didn’t send the postcards themselves. People have researched and found churches where ancestors have married, schools they attended and places they visited. These items are priceless!

It is amazing to see how many photo cards were developed from your own hometown even showing individual streets. You can buy them fairly cheaply too. Most are from shortly after the turn of the century, following the 1900 introduction of “Real Photo Cards”.

Similarly, roadside cards depicted diners and restaurants, gas stations, hotels and motels and shops. Perhaps your ancestors frequented a particular eatery or stayed at a certain hotel during their travels. The ideas of tracing your family is endless and can be a great way to share with your family your history. What a legacy to pass down to your children and grandchildren. These type items are interesting even to people outside the family. You will be quite surprised at the amount of information you can find and postcards on line concerning your family history. Small towns your ancestors have come from or cities far away are just a click away. Get started with a new pastime of postcard collecting from the past and engage in the history of your ancestors.

As your knowledge about Post Card continues to grow, you will begin to see how Post Card fits into the overall scheme of things. Knowing how something relates to the rest of the world is important too.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

With Netpost Services of the United States Postal Service you can create and mail your own postcards. Cards can be sent from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the world.

Although stock card designs are offered, the real advantage of using the Netpost Service is the ability to use your own photos and designs. The applications are limited only by your creativity. Anything that can be captured in a JPEG digital image can be put on a postcard.

Premium Postcards can be ordered for 84¢ each which includes postage and mailing. The Premium Postcards are 4.25 inches by 6 inches, are printed in full-color on thick cardstock and have a glossy scuff resistant coating. When ordering you simply upload or choose an image for the front of the card then write a message online for the back. The back of the card can also have an image in place of the text.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Post Card now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

To get started go to the www.usps.com website and sign in. Look for a link for Netpost Services or sending cards. You may need to have an account before you can access all the instructions needed to create your cards. Since the instructions may change this will just give some basic information about what is required.

You will need a digital image in JPEG format and some sort of photo-editing software to conform to the image requirements. Your image should be sized to print at 5.50 inches by 3.75 inches with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (maximum 600 dpi). Actually this is the ideal….larger images will be resized proportionally and you can probably get by with any resolution over 200 dpi. You can include type in the image you upload or add it during the online creation process. The online feature for adding text to the image is very limited in choice of fonts and positioning, so it is best to add the text before you upload the image.

A really fun project in creating postcards is a project you can do with small kids. It is quite simple and they will have a blast doing it. All is needed is a photo, index card and some glue. Just glue you picture to the index card and let your child create his or her own message. Be creative with your postcards and not limit yourself to just the pictures. Have your child color a small picture for the grandparents or add some holiday glitter. Another idea is to use cloth to create your own postcards. Start stamping, painting, adding other fabrics, beads, yarn, hand or machine sewing. Whatever you think you need to create a wonderful postcard. The ideas are limitless in creating your own postcards so stretch your imagination and makes someone’s day special.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in Post Card. When people start looking for more information about Post Card, you’ll be in a position to meet their needs.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO