Postcard History - The Short Version!Postcard history...really? Don't worry! We try to give you guys the short version. Check it out. It won't take long to read. If you enjoy postcard collecting and old postcards in general, then take a quick look at this page.
Postcard History - Prior to the early 1800's, it was still common to write a handwritten letter or note, and have it delivered by messenger.
One, was a modern printing press - there were none at the time! The other is rather obvious in hindsight! They were also missing a postal system! Both were yet to be developed. Postal development, for many nations, was still a half of a century away! A New Postal System Opens the Door to Postcard History!So, it wasn't until the mid 1800's that postal development began to take shape...in many nations! That's when postal cards were first developed.
Postal cards, (not postcards) were issued by the government with a fixed postage amount stamped in the upper right hand corner of the card. They were cheap and quick! For many people, they chose to use a postal card over writing a letter by hand and having it delivered. But, they were also quite plain in appearance, with very little graphics.
Finally, Modern Postcard Printing Methods Were Invented!In the late 1800's, it was the Germans who were credited with making a more modern method of printing, capable of mass production and (very important!) in color! Talk about a "WOW FACTOR!" of the times. This new printing process would enable the post card publisher's to expand their horizons to no ends! Postcard history was just beginning!
A flurry of competition evolved! Artist, designers, and publisher's flooded the market with colorful postcard designs. Landscapes, historic events, exhibitions, advertising, souvenirs, famous people, (and many more); these were all topics of postcards in the early 1900's. Scrapbook albums, like the two on the right, became a very popular way proudly display your postcard collection. Many people wanted a place to store and proudly display their new post card collection! This "modern" postcard quickly established itself as the favorable, and often preferred, method of communication! At the same time, they also became quite collectible, as it was a new trend of the times. Sending postcards was a fun, fast, and relatively inexpensive way of sending someone a personal message. And, if you were lucky, they sent you one back in return! The Rise and Fall of PostcardsEarly postcard popularity was at it's peak from around the mid 1890's to the 1920's. Then, it suddenly fell sharply and kept falling, more or less, all the way until the 1960's. Why?The are two reasons that many people believe to be related to the cause of this rapid decline of postcard popularity. One, (again in hindsight, is rather obvious)was the oncoming popularity of the telephone!
More and more people were putting telephones in their own homes...can you imagine! Chatting on the phone took precedence over sending someone a postcard with the same message! Oh, and don't forget about the radio! It too, was growing rapidly and the news was now at your fingertips! Another, less obvious reason, was believed to be WWI. During the war, many people used postcards to communicate, including the soldiers themselves. They oftentimes sent back souvenir cards to their loved ones. Sentimental and patriotic cards flourished! But, after the war was over, the mood of the country, and no doubt the entire world, shifted to a more serious level. Adding to this was the stock market crash and the depressing times of the coming years ahead. The fun, cheap, and quick postcard was no longer needed! A Postcard Renewal!Postcard history during the 1930's, 1940's & 1950's floundered. Publisher's played around with different styles in an attempt to remain in business. The Art Deco style was popular for a while along with cinema cards (with real photo's of the actors)! Advertising, scenery, and comic cards remained steady.It really wasn't until the 1960-70's that postcard production (and collecting) started to make a come back, of sorts. Once again, the are a couple of reasons for this renewal. Printing methods were making advances in leaps and bounds! Slick, glossy photos made postcards new and fresh all over again! The old "painted image" of the Grand Canyon was now replaced with a fantastic panoramic view on a doublewide card. Now, that was pretty cool! But something else was going on as well! People of the early 1900's were getting older and nostalgic, as they aged. They began to crave those old postcards of their youth. Vintage postcards were rapidly becoming (and remain to this day!) a hot new collectible! The Future of Postcard History?The future...ha! Who knows what will happen to the postcard history of the future? Modern communication today, is developing at light speeds! E-mail's have become the new method of communication!As our society continues to age, the hand written letter and postcard, (delivered by your friendly postal worker), has almost become nonexistent. It's sad, but true! Today, postcards are primarily considered souvenirs and are rarely even sent! They are still collected, but usually end up as scrapbook memories from a family vacation. Maybe someday, the postal system, set up back in the mid 1800's will become nonexistent too! But until that happens, why not surprise a friend by sending them a postcard!
Random Notes...Now wasn't that interesting? We tried to keep this topic as short as possible. But, quite frankly, we couldn't! Postcard collecting is enormously popular...and a great way to increase your paper ephemera collection! Our Advice? There are a ton of books out there devoted solely to the postcard! Whether you are a novice collector or even a serious professional collector, go buy yourself a good book or two, on postcards! Enjoy the view... Return from Postcard History to Vintage Postcards |
