Postcard
From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids
- For the computer diagnostic tool, see
A postcard or post card is typically a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope and at a lower rate than a letter. It is distinguished by
In the art world the postcard can also be translated into an art object. The art form is called
The study and collecting of postcards is termed
Some activists create oversized postcards on poster boards urging action on a particular issue and mail them to public officials' offices. The idea is that it stands out and cannot be filed away in a folder somewhere.
[edit] Brief history of postcards in the United States
John P. Charlton of Philadelphia patented the postcard in 1861, selling the rights to H. L. Lipman, whose postcards, complete with a decorated border, were labeled "Lipman's postal card." Nine years later, European countries were also producing postcards.
Initially, the United States government prohibited private companies from calling their cards “postcards,” so they were known as “souvenir cards.” Although, in 1901, this prohibition was rescinded, not until 1908 could people write on the address side of a postcard.
The first postcard in the United States was created in 1893 to advertise the
Postcards, in the form of government postal cards and privately printed souvenir cards, became very popular as a result 1893’s Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago, after postcards featuring buildings were distributed. In 1908, more than 677 million postcards were mailed.
1901 brought cards with the word "Post Card" printed on the reverse (the side without the picture). Written messages were still restricted to the front side, with the entire back dedicated to the address. This "undivided back" is what gives this postcard era its name.
The "divided back" card, with space for a message on the address side, came into use in the United States in 1907. Thus began the Golden Age of American postcards, which lasted until about 1915, when World War I blocked the import of the fine German-printed cards.
The "white border" era, named for obvious reasons, lasted from about 1916 to 1930. The "linen card" era lasted from about 1930 to 1945, when cards were primarily printed on papers with a high rag content. The last and current postcard era, which began about 1939, is the "photochrome" or "chrome" era. The images on these cards are generally based on colored photographs, and are readily identified by the glossy appearance given by the paper's coating.
In France, erotic postcards appeared in 1910.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Postcard Related Bibliography
- Smithsonian: Chronology of the Picture Postcard
- Postcard Pages (UK)
- Postcard Pages (Italy)
- Old Postcards
- History of Postcard Rates
- Postcard dimensions
- "The World in a Postcard" by Roderick Eime
- Archive of Mailed Postcards
- Postcrossing - Community of people trading of cards all over the world
- Historic Florida Postcards Over 5,000 images from the State Library & Archives of Florida
- Old postcards from historic Bussum (Netherlands)
- Old postcards from historic Kampen (Netherlands)
- Over 1200 Old Postcards from Europe and North America
- Old Postcards from Brazil Vintage Postcards From Around the World