traditional postcard

A Traditional Postcard

Evolution of Postcards

The evolution of postcards is an interesting story of a popular hobby that grew out of one way of human communication and interaction. Did you know that sending postcards is considered a pastime by many people? Apparently, there are even frequent travelers who take time to send postcards to themselves from the places they visit.  In this way, they get to collect authentic postcards with post markings from different foreign lands.  The markings are important in postcard collection since it can provide a timeline of one’s travels without necessarily making a narrative story which is often cumbersome to do.

Deltiology

The study and collection of postcards is referred to as deltiology.  It took more than twenty years after being coined by Professor Randall Rhodes for the term to be included in the dictionary. It ranks as the third most popular hobby in the world after stamp collecting and coin collecting.

Postcards trace its roots to hand-delivered lithograph prints and envelopes with printed pictures.  Before the issuance of the first government postal card in 1873, private postcards were already being used.  The idea was originally copyrighted by John P. Charlton but was later transferred to H.L. Lipman.  Prior to this however, there were already plain postcards bearing stamps from originating countries which allowed the distribution of such.  The very first postcard made by a private company which was introduced in 1869 came from Austria.  Government-issued cards with pre-printed postage are called postal cards while cards printed by private companies which require postage stamps are the ones particulary referred to as postcards.

Picture Postcards

The year 1870 saw the big change in post cards with the introduction of photos and color.  Eastman Kodak facilitated the printing of black and white photographs on postcard backs. This was the time that postcard collecting experienced a great surge in popularity.  Postcards printed in Germany were known to be the most excellent. Word War I ended this with the destruction of its publishing industry.

Black and White Photo Postcard

US tried to approximate the quality of German-made postcards but found it difficult.  France and Belgium introduced the hand-tinted cards to provide color only to discontinue it because of the health risk to workers who were greatly exposed to the lead content of paint.  Eventually, photocrome postcards were introduced showcasing bright living colors. The most common images used are attractions and special places of interest.

Early Colored Postcard Featuring a Known Attraction

Physical Features of Postcards

A postcard is a rectangular piece of cardboard or thick paper which usually bears an image in front and provides space at the back for messages.  The intention is similar to that of sending a letter except that messages are typically short because of the limited space available.  It is also mailed without an envelope and the postage stamp is adhered directly to it.

The early postcards had undivided backs but that changed with the shift to divided backs.  Divided backs simply mean dividing the back of the postcard in half with one side containing the message and the other side bearing the address and the postage.  Great Britain was the first country to adopt this followed by France and Germany. It is interesting to note that prior to this, messages were written across the image in front because the back portion was reserved for the address and postage only.

Modern Postcards

There is still great interest in postcard collecting even with the existence of more modern hobbies.  Historical and vintage postcards both have a great market.  This should not prevent people from collecting more current postcards that can easily be purchased from commercial stores worldwide.

One of the latest innovations in postcard making is personalizing.  This is usually offered by post offices.  In this option, senders of postcards can have a specific preferred image and message printed in the postcard.  Now, it can even be made through an app in an Android or iOS smartphone which swiftly converts stored images into personalized postcards.

Post-a-Card

My Own Postcard from Post-a-Card

My Say

While the evolution of postcards is in itself an interesting story, the story that each postcard brings will probably provide more interesting angles of the development of this hobby. Even with the decreased popularity of traditional mail in favor of electronic mail, postcards still maintain its own attraction especially for collectors. There are just some things that must stay in spite of technological advances. One of which is personalized communication.