Archive for the ‘Post Card’ Category

PostHeaderIcon History Of Erotic Postcards

You should be able to find several indispensable facts about Post Card in the following paragraphs. If there’s at least one fact you didn’t know before, imagine the difference it might make.

History of erotic postcards refers to the history of the art and process of taking pictures of unclothed subjects. In the United States all portraits from prior to January 1, 1923 have passed into the public domain. Most are in black-and-white, since they predate the 1953 invention of Kodachrome.

Early beginnings

Nude pictures prior to 1835 generally consisted of paintings and drawings. That year, Louis-Jacques-Mende’Deguerre’invented the first practical process of photography. Unlike earlier photographs, his daguerreotypes had stunning quality and did not fade with time. The new technology did not go unnoticed by artists eager for new ways to depict the undraped feminine form. Many of the surviving examples of daguerreotypes clearly have a sensuality that implies they were designed as erotic or pornographic images.

The daguerreotypes were not without drawbacks, however. The main difficulty was that they could only be reproduced by photographing the original picture. In addition, the earliest daguerreotypes had exposure times ranging from three to fifteen minutes making them somewhat impractical for portraiture. Since one picture could cost a week’s salary, the audience for nudes mostly consisted of artists and the upper class of society. Nude stereoscopy began in 1838 and became extremely popular. In 1841, William Fox Talbot patented the calotype process which was the first negative-positive process making possible multiple copies. The technology was immediately used to reproduce nude portraits.

French influence

The French pioneered erotic photography producing nude postcards that became the subject of an officers letter to President Abraham Lincoln after they were found in the possession of US troops according to An Underground Education by Richard Zacks. A Brief History of Postcards explains, “A majority of the French nude postcards were called postcards because of the size. They were never meant to be postally sent. It was illegal at that time.” Instead, nudes were marketed in a monthly magazine called the “La Beaute” that targeted artists looking for poses. Each issue contained 75 nude images which could be ordered by mail in the form of postcards hand-tinted or sepia toned. Street dealers, tobacco shops and a variety of other vendors bought the photographs for resale to American tourists.

The more authentic information about Post Card you know, the more likely people are to consider you a Post Card expert. Read on for even more Post Card facts that you can share.

Early 20th century

The early 1900s saw several important improvements in camera design, including the 1913 invention of the 35-mm or “candid” camera by Oskar Barnack of the Ernst Leitz company. The Ur-Leica was a compact camera based on the idea of reducing the format of negatives and enlarging them later after they had been exposed. This small portable device made nude photography in secluded parks and other semi-public places easier. It was a plus for amateur erotica. Artists were enamored with their new ability to take impromptu photos without carrying around a clunky apparatus.

Early 20th century artist E.J. Bollocq is best remembered for his down-to-earth pictures of French prostitutes in domestic settings in the red light district of New Orleans. In contrast to the usual pictures of women awkwardly posed amid drapery, veils, flowers, fruit, classical columns and oriental braziers, Bellocq’s sitters appear relaxed and comfortable.
Julian Mandel became known in the 1920s and 1930s for his exceptional photographs of the female form. Participating in the German “new age outdoor movement,” A John Hopkins University scholarship was named in his honor.
Another noteworthy nude photographer of the first two decades of the 20th century was Arundel Holmes Nicholls. His work, featured in the archives of the Kinsey Institute, is artistically composed often giving an iridescent glow to his figures. Following in Mandel’s footsteps, Nicholls favored outdoor shots.

Many photographs from this era are damaged; Bellocq, for instance, frequently scratched out the faces of his sitters to obscure their identities. Some of his other sitters were photographed wearing masks as well to hide who they were.

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.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest acquisition: Adsense Sites and make sure to download the free adsense sites package!

PostHeaderIcon Postcards That Are Worth A Pretty Penny

In today’s world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

While the vast majority of all postcards made are not very valuable some are considered to be rare and desirable by collectors and these can be worth quite a bit of money.

For rare examples prices can go into the low thousands of dollars and it is certainly not all that uncommon to find a $50 postcard hiding in a pile of ordinary cards. Combing through 175 cards it would not be surprising to find one or two that are worth $5 to $10 or even more.

The classic postcard era was from 1898 to 1918 and the cards that fall in this time frame are the most collectible to collectors as a rule. It is usually the topic or the image or the artist who created the image that establishes its value. Serious postcard collectors are interested in a wide variety of subjects.

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

Holiday cards are very popular. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter and Valentine’s Day postcards are rather common, but cards sent for Halloween, Labor Day, and Ground Hog Day aren’t. Halloween cards are particularly popular right now and some of the most desired ones were created by artist Ellen Clapsaddle. Three of her mechanical Halloween cards with moving parts sold for a little less than $1,500. Artist-signed cards are another focus of strong collector interest. Pieces signed by Rose O’Neil (particularly her Kewpie cards), Philip Boileau, Arpad Basch (in the Art Nouveau style), Grace Drayton, Raphael Kirchner, Alphonse Mucha (look for his card advertising “Waverly Cycles”), Louis Wain (cats and paper dolls) and Florence Upton, to name just a few, are extremely popular.

We said earlier that Christmas cards were common but there are certain types of Christmas cards that are valuable. There are vast quantities featuring a white Santa Claus in a red suit but find a Santa in a different color of suit or come across a black Santa and you have something of a treasure. Find one in purple robes and the value might shoot up to around $200. One in blue robes trimmed in brown fur and the value can top $400. Postcard collectors look for what they call hold-to-light cards which have elements such as windows and fireplaces that seem to light up when the back of the card is held to a light. A New Year’s hold-to-light card might be worth between $75 and $100 while a regular New Year’s card might be worth very little.

Other cards to look for include the real photo cards of small towns or actual events. These can be rather expensive because there may have been only a few specimens of each view printed. Real photo cards that collectors find interesting can go up to the $5,000 dollars and such images as golfers playing a famous course can bring $350 or more.
To be valuable, postcards must be in good condition with no creases or folds. They should not have corners that are dog eared. Fronts that are not written on is the best (backs are ok) and no discoloration. Keep hunting for your treasured postcard and who’s to say yours won’t be worth a pretty penny.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to learn more about Post Card.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest acquisition: Adsense Sites and make sure to download the free adsense sites package!

PostHeaderIcon Chrome Era — 1939 to Present

If you’re seriously interested in knowing about Post Card, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about Post Card.

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:

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there’s more to Post Card than you may have first thought.

- “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.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
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PostHeaderIcon Postcards And Genealogy

For ancestors who lived during the 20th century, postcards are a delightful way to learn more about their lives and communities. Picture postcards were very popular worldwide by the dawn of the 20th century due to their novelty and the fact that postage was cheap. From automobiles to street scenes and hairstyles to people, postcards provide intriguing glimpses into the past.

If you are lucky enough to have postcards sent or received by your ancestors you may learn unknown information about the family, gain handwriting samples and even find addresses to help you track family movements and history. Even if you aren’t fortunate enough to have access to a family postcard collection, you can often find postcards depicting your ancestor’s hometown, clothing styles of the time period, types of employment etc. A good place to start is with the local historical society or library in the area in which your ancestor lived or at local antique stores. Many postcard collections are also beginning to spring up on the internet. Look to postcards as a wonderful alternative to photographs for illuminating the lives of your ancestors and of days gone by.

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

Turning yesterdays mail Into genealogy treasures is becoming a sought after collection!
How awesome would it be to find a hand written letter from a grandparent forty years after they have passed away. Think about the anticipation at your family reunion when you and all your relatives open the letters your ancestors wrote one hundred years earlier. That would be incredible information and exciting too. Did your ancestor write down and pass on stories that were otherwise lost or distorted by failing memories and word-of-mouth recollections? The written word survives long beyond man’s ability to recall. Imagine the enjoyment you will get learning thoughts and wisdom of someone you never got the chance to know as a child. Heart warming to say the least. Your ancestors words are the most precious gift of all especially for a surviving loved one or generations yet to come.

These postcards and letters also provide wonderful factual information that is helpful to your genealogy research. You won’t have to go into the daunting task blindsighted. On the items it’s possible to find dates and places of important events, names of other family members, and of course addresses. Postcards play an important part in everyone’s genealogy if only from the standpoint of America or the immigration of our ancestors. There is a place in all of us that wants to know our roots so to speak and postcard genealogy is one of the many ways to bring our ancestors back to life.

When word gets around about your command of Post Card facts, others who need to know about Post Card will start to actively seek you out.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
- Do you want to make Your PDF files viral? Use This Secret Viral PDF Rebrander: Viral PDF

PostHeaderIcon British Seaside Postcards

Imagine the next time you join a discussion about Post Card. When you start sharing the fascinating Post Card facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

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.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Post Card, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

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.

When word gets around about your command of Post Card facts, others who need to know about Post Card will start to actively seek you out.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

PostHeaderIcon Wooden Postcards and Other Vintage Designs

The best course of action to take sometimes isn’t clear until you’ve listed and considered your alternatives. The following paragraphs should help clue you in to what the experts think is significant.

Wooden postcards tend to fall within three eras: early, vintage (1930s to 1950s) and modern. Several different designs of wooden cards were issued for the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Most of these cards consisted mainly of puns on various words associated with wood.

For example:
Exposition is more than oak-a, it is ash-tonishing, you cedar sights of your life…More fun than the beech. I wood spruce up and come. You walnut regret it. Butternut delay.

The Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1905 and the Jamestown Exposition of 1907 also had wooden souvenir postcards. Some of the earliest cards that look like wood and are advertised as wooden probably are cardboard imitations of wood.
The hobby of woodburning or pyrography, was very popular during the same years as the golden age of postcard collecting. The burnt wood postcards are similar in design to leather postcards but the designs were hand burned by the postcard buyer. The wooden cards are also much harder to get than the leather cards.
Most of the burnt wood postcards were burned over printed designs. Some designs may have been copied or traced from patterns although possibly the artist’s design was reversed or altered by the manufacturer. Flemish Art was the largest and best-known pyrographic manufacturer.

leather cards

Leather postcards sometimes had a printed design. This was used to show buildings and other precision details. The brown ink used was difficult to tell from an actual burned design. Not being of card stock, the postcard was mailed at the 2¢ letter rate.

Letter Card

The Letter Card was a product used exclusively in Canada by the Folkard Company of Canada Limited, Montreal. It comprised a pre-printed letter sheet that when folded and glued closed could be mailed as a postcard. To open and read the message you would tear off a perforated and gummed margin.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

Moonlight Effect

In the era when photographing by moonlight was a great technical achievement, postcard publishers came up with a means of faking such views. You had to be very meticulous trying to simulate accurate moonlight conditions. A day scene was selected with no people or shadows in sight. The view was then retouched by darkening the sky. Painting a disc in the sky represented the moon and brightly lighting the windows gave the impression of a night scene.

Multiple-Fold Panoramic

The multiple-fold panoramic postcard was a long horizontal format card usually with a panoramic view of a city that was folded for mailing.

Sunken Centre Photographs

Sunken centre real photograph postcards have a wide white border slightly raised by embossing so that the picture or pictures seem to be framed.

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.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

PostHeaderIcon Prospecting With Postcards

The best course of action to take sometimes isn’t clear until you’ve listed and considered your alternatives. The following paragraphs should help clue you in to what the experts think is significant.

Postcards are a handy and often inexpensive way to get your name out there and stay in touch. You can use them for a variety of things such as a first contact vehicle, announcing a move or a new service. Some folks like to use them as a leave behind or a follow up after a meeting.

You can use a postcard campaign as an introduction to prospects. Like adding to the old client roster. You can use oversized - 8.5″ x 5.5″ and printed full color on one side and black & white on the reverse side. The campaign consists of four postcards. It is good to trade services if you can. People love to barter their services especially a printer plus bartering can be a lot of fun. A barter deal like this might be just the ticket for you.

With the postcards all there is to do is gain some name recognition like top of mind awareness. Coming up with quirky catch phrases, slick picture or just a photo of something that expresses what you or your company is all about will make an image in the clients mind.

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.

A good thing to do is to gather your prospect contact info and mail out one card each week for four weeks. Timeing the mailing so they’ll receive them midweek. Mondays and Fridays are bad since folks are getting over the weekend or looking forward to it. During the fifth week it is good to make a phone call to follow up and ask for an appointment to see if there’s a fit for both of you.

The trick here is to first prequalify the prospects as best you can. You’ll do more qualifying when you follow up. Next, keep the mailing small for this type of campaign. Doing these in groups of twenty to twenty-five. Anymore than that can be overwhelming for follow up calls. Announcements and such can be larger, wide net mailings. For this type of campaign it’s important to remember that if you don’t follow up you’re potentially wasting your time and money.

This technique will work well for you if you work it. Even in todays high tech e-mail world the touch of a personal note is well received. It’s good to ask though if you can add them to your contact list for e-mailed news releases and little “infos” to send out periodically like links to articles, useful sites I find etc. just to stay in touch.

Knowing enough about Post Card to make solid, informed choices cuts down on the fear factor. If you apply what you’ve just learned about Post Card, you should have nothing to worry about.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, still having the Free Adsense Templates available for instant download

PostHeaderIcon Why Use A Postcard

Have you ever wondered if what you know about Post Card is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on Post Card.

Why use a postcard? Why not a regular size piece of paper? You can certainly fit more information on it! Postcards have many uses and they are not only used to write to a loved one or a friend from their vacation destination. They can also be used to see a distant place that someone would desire to go to. Postcards, can be used as advertisement or just to stick on your fridge and dream!.Postcards can be a means to simply say Hi to personalize and simplify life in our hectic sms and e-mail world.

With the invention of the automobile tourism soared. People used postcards to show where all they had been on their travels. With cars, people began to vacation in numbers like never before using new streets that were developed. Postcards of an early-developed street and what many streets of the time looked like were quite popular especially for those that couldn’t afford the luxury of a car. Before postcards were developed, many tourists would have used a gazetteer. A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary containing any landmarks or specific attractions of the place a person is going. People would tend to look at a gazetteer before of after they went on vacation to see what they were going to see or what they missed.

Postcards also serve as advertising functions. As stated before, a tropical island can be shown on a postcard, and automatically anyone who looks at it usually wants to go. Advertising could have been as simple as just putting pictures of beaches to attract tourists. Even if one’s vacation was dreary and filled with disappointment, postcards still portray the beauty of the vacation spot. Postcards at one time were quite posh and reserved “bragging rights” at the local get together.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Post Card is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Post Card.

Architecture is another aspect of why people collect postcards. Buildings today have changed from those of the past which you could see using these architectural postcards. Also, you could use architectural postcards to see if any important people of the day lived in a certain town Historical buildings are an important factor to find out about different jobs or businesses of the time.

Improvement of education is another aspect where postcards can be used. You can take a postcard of a school from fifty years ago and compare it to a picture of a school and see the major improvements to show your students. Postcards are a great source for any historical information needed.
Postcards have been used as propaganda during war times. For instance Uncle Sam may have been used trying to persuade people to get involved in the war efforts. As for politics, postcards were used to show who was running and to tell people who to vote for.

Many people think that postcards are just something that gets sent to friends when they go on vacation and although this is true, one can see there are a number of other reasons. The most common people who would use postcards today would be historians and postcard collectors. Historians would use postcards to learn more about cultures and lifestyles of the past. For example, comparing the dress of people or the crowded streets of a certain city. Individuals who collect postcards may do it as a pastime or they may be interested in social history as well..

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.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, still having the Free Adsense Sites available for instant download

PostHeaderIcon Design Your Own Postcard

The following article presents the very latest information on Post Card. If you have a particular interest in Post Card, then this informative article is required reading.

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.

If your Post Card facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important Post Card information slip by you.

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.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, still letting you get Free Adsense Websites - every month!

PostHeaderIcon Postcards And Memories Of Traveling The USA

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of Post Card, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of Post Card.

Are we there yet? Everyone remembers those long family vacations which inadvertently someone asked that question. Family after family has stumbled across the unexpected treasures and comical gems that comprise America’s tourist traps. Decade after decade families have used souvenir postcards to share their discoveries with friends and family. Destinations like national parks, world’s fairs and scenic wonders, along with side attractions from Indian teepees to alligator farms. They have all been commemorated on postcards now beloved by collectors.

Many of the cards reflect on travel and tourism in this country and are especially intriguing if the travelers who bought them had a flexible schedule and allowed themselves to be drawn off the road to see something special.
The attraction could have been a cave, a wood carver, a dinosaur park or maple syrup farm where they have the opportunity to watch the making of the sap to the syrup.

Or maybe it was cars driving through tunnels cut in big trees in the West Coast forests. These postcards may indicate an environmental unawareness on the part of the average motorist of the time but some of them give a glimpse into the evolution of American cars. They show the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s models going through the same tree. The earliest card is dated 1915.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Post Card story from informed sources.

Of course states, towns and cities have long used postcards to advertise themselves. A lot of the time in the most creative, colorful and amusing ways. An entire genre of cards featuring gigantic produce, fish and animals to boast of a region’s greatness has augmented the nations store of folk humor since the beginning of the century.
Years ago, magazines and newspapers used few illustrations and small town publications did not use any before about 1915. There was no radio or TV and few telephones so postcards filled that void. The album of postcards was the mainstay of the parlor. A great find for any collector today would be to uncover someone’s grandma’s postcard album in a trunk up in the attic.

Major disasters such as the 1906 San Francisco earthquake were popular subjects for postcards. Tourists collected and sent them to the folks back home to let them know what had happened.

While traveling it was easy for you to get a card and a one-cent stamp and then write a note to your family to let them know you had arrived safely and that would put your loved ones at ease. A picture was worth the a thousand words and postcards were popular with people who were not particularly literate. The diversity of the postcards found along the journey proves traveling the roads of America was quite an adventure which still brings much delight today to the beginner and most advid collectors.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson (Click on the link to learn more about me)