Sometimes considered ephemera, postcards are printed and collected in such numbers I consider them a class of their own. Everywhere I go I look for postcards to take home as reminders of my travels. At home, I look for postcards that represent my home town well, and collect those. I also buy a few duplicates and send thank-you notes on them. One year there was a really great postcard with a longhorn on it, and the top was cut parallel to the horns. I added Christmas stickers and used it for my Christmas cards that year. Look for postcards when you are on vacation and use them for Christmas cards. Remember to keep a copy of each for your collection. Consider sending postcards to nieces or nephews and start them on a collection (although most of them will throw the cards out).

Add a Santa hat and this postcard becomes a Christmas card.

Late in the 2oth century, the photography used on postcards improved to such an extent that they were better than any pictures I could take, even if I rented a helicopter. The only problem is that postcards are usually not available for all the things I want to remember, like the dolphin bases of the streetlights on the promenade along the Thames in London. Architectural features and the “mundane” things of life, like trash cans and grates, now given the attention of designers and artists, are not always available on postcards. Oh well, postcards are better than they used to be, so there is hope for continued improvement.

Beautiful view for a postcard.

Enough of that.

Portraits were printed on heavy cards for sending to friends and relatives far away.

At the beginning of photography, postcards were made of studio portraits so the portrayed could send their image to family far away. Postcards were also made by enterprising studio photographers of streets and building of interest in the town where the studio was located. These postcards had very low numbers of copies and are highly individualistic. They will be available from dealers in ephemera, and also from antique dealers. There is no way of knowing what is available. Only a rummage through the stock at hand will show whether there is anything of interest to you.

Old postcards are usually black and white, although modern photographers use blank and white as well.

Later, printers got involved in “linen” postcards. These are drawings of famous landmarks, natural and man-made, that were printed with color included. These are actually very nice postcards to collect. More artistic than most photographic postcards, they usually have fairly delicate coloring. Over time the colors got stronger and some linen postcards are rather garish.

Nice aerial view of the countryside.

The modern photographic postcard is usually in color. Buildings are a popular subject, and postcards can be used to show the general development of architecture. Some close-ups of details are occasionally available. The postcards of 60′s architecture reflect the modern aesthetic of the time even more by showing the building in as much isolation as possible.

Very little of Paris shows in this image of the Eiffel Tower.

Postcards of natural scenes and native flora made a great leap forward when some of the best photographers entered the field. Their photographs, used for coffee table books and calendars, were also reproduced as postcards and were as accessible as the usually tourist postcard. The Meunch family are three such photographers, and there are a number of others. Look at the attribution of photographs you like and you will begin to recognize the names of photographers you like. Postcards from their area of interest will show up on postcards.

Humor is frequently a part of postcards, both old and new.

Then there are funny postcards and the “Wish you were here” postcards. Also postcards on which the attractions for the city or state are portrayed in the big letters spelling out the name of the city or state. And postcards of animals, fish, birds, bugs, trees, plants, famous people, famous art…

The list goes on.

Look for the postcards already around the house, and see if one or two don’t inspire you to look for others of their kind. Voila! A collection is born.

* * * For something completely different, read about sleigh beds. * * *

* * * Consider collecting beanie kids for fun (and maybe profit someday). * * *

The images on this post are from Stock Xchnge.

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