For example, a card printed on linen was most likely produced between and However, it is important to remember that these dates and time periods are not concrete—they are only generalizations of trends in the postcard industry. The rate of postage for postcards has changed throughout time and can be used to find an approximate date for postcards.
Not all postcards have the required postage amount printed on them, so this method can only be used in instances when the postage is known.
The following list is postage for postcards mailed within the United States. In the early stages of postcard production, government-produced postcards varied in size, depending on the type of postcard. On June 1, , the General Postal Union , an international postal organization, signed a new treaty, changing its name to the Universal Postal Union. This treaty set the maximum size for postcards produced by governments of member nations at 3. After , postcards typically measured 3.
Romanesque statues and other masonry Hastingues, A Postcard from Chicago with an undivided back and a small space available messages on the card front. Postcard with an unusual divided back showing logging in Vancouver, Canada. From , this was a U. This allowed brighter colour printing that was also aided by the woven fabric texture. The linen texture enlivened the image by reflecting the light in multiple directions.
Chicago Postcard Museum - How to Age a Postcard
At first, these postcards included a white border: But this gradually disappeared as printing extended to the edges of the card: Introduced in , the modern chrome postcard, with richly coloured photographic images and no border on one side. Most linen and black and white postcard publishers either shut down or converted to producing Chrome postcards.
French black and white postcard. Same French black and white postcard that is now coloured. The first UK postcards introduced by the Post Office. They were plain cards and had a pre-printed stamp. The sender wrote the address on one side of the card and a brief message on the other.
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There was no picture. A halfpenny adhesive stamp was added to these cards before posting. Not having to print a stamp onto the card freed the postcard publishers to use any printing method, this freedom allowing publishers to produce photographic images.
By selling postcards without a printed stamp, the price was reduced. The address was written on one side. On the reverse was a small picture with sufficient space for a written message. The address and stamp were on one side, while the other side held an image and any written image. Because the image often occupied a good deal of the space, the message would be crammed in around the edges of the photograph side of the postcard.
Britain was the first country to adopt this format. Post cards with a divided back were permitted in the U. The address was to be written on the right side; the left side was for writing messages. Many millions of cards were published in this era -- it was the golden age of postcards. Up to this point, most postcards were printed in Germany, which was far ahead of the United States in the use of lithographic processes. White Border Era Most post cards produced in the United States were printed during this period.
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Due to the relatively high cost of labor, along with inexperience and changes in public taste, the quality of the mass produced cards in this era began to decline. Furthermore, strong competition in a narrowing market caused many publishers to go out of business. New printing processes allowed printing on post cards with high rag content that caused a linen-like finish. These cheaply produced cards allowed the use of gaudy dyes for coloring. Tichenor Brothers in Cambridge, Massachusetts also produced many cards in this era.
Many important events and scenes in history are documented by these cards. Photochrome Era to present. Three-dimensional post cards also appeared in this era. By the s, the standard size of cards had grown to 4 x 6 inches. Photochromes are not real photos but rather, lithographed cards done by a photochrome process.
To distinguish a printed post card from a real photo post card, examine it under a magnifying glass and you will see the dot pattern that is characteristic of lithographed cards. The best printed cards were produced by the photogravure process.
Determining Postcard Age
They are difficult to discern from real photos but usually don't have the glossy finish of photographs. Does the card include postal mailing codes? Does it list a phone number with area code? The first unassisted coast-to-coast direct dialing with a three-digit area code began on November 10, The size of the post card can also give a clue: Clues can also be found in the printing process: This was suitable for making contact prints, rather than enlargements for which the source of light would be much weaker.
The style of these boxes varied over time. Four triangles, one in each corner, pointing up.