SubscribePostcards in the U.S. have had a number of distinct “eras” in their 150 year history. For over a century, postcards were the principal means of quick communication, and postcard printing was a major industry. Major changes to postcards happened over time.
The first era was the Post Office era, when the U.S. Postal Service was the exclusive printer of postcards. This era lasted from the beginning of the Civil War to about 1898, when private companies finally were allowed to print their own postcards.
Next came the strange souvenir era. This period continued from 1898 to 1901. It was a time when private companies were able to print their own postcards, but they were not allowed to call them postcards. Instead, postcards that companies printed were called souvenir cards, and the U.S. government required companies to label their cards as “Private Mailing Cards.”
Concurrent to all this, there was the “undivided back” era, which began with the first postcard and continued until 1907. During this period, private citizens were not allowed to write on both sides of the postcard.
The divided back era followed, and has continued to this day. Concurrently, there was the white border era from 1916 to 1930 when postcards sported a white border. Next came the linen era, lasting from 1930 to the 1950′s, when postcards were printed on paper backed by linen cloth. In the years during the two world wars, the Korean War, and the early stages of the Vietnam War, this was a good strategy; postcards sent between soldiers and the U.S. had to travel the battlefield and survive any number of hazards before they were delivered.
The current postcard era is the chrome era when postcards have colored images on them. The cards are usually glossy, and their quality is much better than in years past.
Comments are closed