1848-1872  1873-1897  1898-1913  1914-1945  1946-1990  1991-2008

A not so Concise History
of the Evolution of Postcards
in the United States

INTRODUCTION

The evolution of postcards did not take place in a vacuum as some histories might suggest if only by omission. Events do not unfold as a series of pivotal moments strung together, but rather as part of a great dance where all things are interconnected. There were many influences on the design and output of cards. At times our government changed rules to aid the fledgling postcard industry, while at others it passed regulations without any regard to possible negative consequences. Many different art movements and advertising trends affected its imagery. Changing economic climates often steered its successes and failures. Worldwide events often brought about sudden and unexpected changes. Every technological adjustment to printing methods altered their appearance. Advancements in photography moved forward hand in hand with that of postcards. It is hard to discuss one of these points without referring to another. Over time developments in technology continued to make businesses more cost efficient, but mostly at the expense of ever diminishing returns in quality. To really understand picture postcards it must be remembered that they were not produced for collectors, nor were they made for correspondence, cards are commodities manufactured for profit. Despite this postcards often take on a life of their own apart from the intentions of those who produced them.

Understanding changing social concerns and attitudes are also key to understanding postcards. Even the most innocuous card that seems devoid of any cultural input is a sign of its times and the choice of any particular image is done so within a range of accepted values. If postcards do not always represent a true slice of life as it has been lived, they do represent a true state of mind as to what type of images should be produced. While ideas were often slow to circulate and styles fell behind current trends, the pictures found on cards often pressed the limits of socially accepted values and were sometimes ahead of their times. Postcards were ushered in during a turbulant age when many were looking for change, while fearing what they desired at the same time.

In the early years of postcard production there was usually a substantial time lag between a technological discovery and its first practical use. Because of this some of the processes listed on the following pages do not follow the order of a linear historical timeline, which can be somewhat confusing. Postcards were also very often out of date with current social and artistic movements. Events very often bypassed production before the publishing industry was able or in the mindset to catch up. The traditional way of dating of Postcard Eras are also troublesome; those shown here most likely disagree with those posted elsewhere as there is much room in this field to interpret events. We must applaud the early researchers of postcards and their attempts to give them meaning, but we should not be kept prisoner by notions that have been expanded upon over time. Please remember this is only a summary that is presented here. Much of the technology discussed on these pages is not explained beyond its effect on postcards. Many brilliant men who worked simultaneously toward creating the inventions mentioned below could not all be included. When a decade of history is compressed into four or five lines of print something will inevitably be left out. There are good books out there detailing many of the issues surrounding the subjects on these pages that one can follow up with. It must be remembered that history is not written in stone but is a fluid state of affairs whose complex interconnectivity's care little of our desires to classify them.

The history of postcards presented on the linked pages is broken into six periods; each representing a time influenced by a very particular set of surrounding circumstances that enabled it to produce its own distinguishable type of cards. This portion of the website only focuses on postcards and their surrounding influences within the United States. Some of the subjects covered may be explained in more detail in our Glossary section. Below is just a breif summary.

A Brief Postcard Timeline

1847   The United States issues its first postage stamp.
1848-1860  The first known postcard in the United States is mailed. There are no official regulations regarding cards in these years and they are treated as letters. These cards are basically aberrations and are now reffered to as Mailed Cards.
1861  The U.S. Congress authorizes privately printed cards under one ounce to be sent through the mail. Postage rates vary by distance sent. John P. Charlton copyrights the first postcard but none are known to be mailed.
1869  The world’s first official postal correspondence card is issued by the Austrian Government and quickly becomes popular.
1870  Hymen L. Lipman reissues Charlton’s card and it becomes the first privately authorized card known to be used in the United States.
1873  The United States issues its first official Postal Card. One side is reserved exclusively for the address, the other for a message, and it cost only a penny to mail regardless of distance sent. Privately printed cards were still allowed but they required two cents postage if they carried anything but advertising. This was the same as letter rate making these cards unpopular at this time. They continue to be produced today in a different format.
1874  The Universal Postal Union is formed to replace individual treaties between nations with an agreed to set of consistent regulations that will govern international mail. A standard postcard size of 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches is established.
1889  The first known color postcard is printed in Austria.
1893  Exposition Cards are issued on a large scale for the first time at Chicago’s Columbian Exposition. They are produced for souvenirs rather than for advertising and their success prompts many others to begin publishing cards.
1893-1897  While a number of publishers begin to print exposition, mail, and souvenir cards, an economic depression hits the United States forcing many printers out of business. Most cards are imported from Europe in these years where a postcard craze has already begun.
1897-1900  Postal regulations allowed for an 8 x 10 inch Businessman’s Card to be used for advertising. Many are die cut into shapes or are made with moving parts. These are forerunners to the novelty postcard.
1898-1901  The U.S. Congress authorized the use of the Private Mailing Card, which now passes the production of most cards into private hands. The postage rate for all messages is reduced to a penny, but it comes with many size, color, and printing requirements. These restrictions cause many established publishers to leave the market, but many others see an opportunity and begin to publish cards to meet the public demand created by the lower postage rate.
1899  The first Real Photo Postcard is sent through the U.S. mail.
1901  New postal regulations end many of the restrictions required by Private Mailing Cards. In its place the privately printed Post Card was now authorized. This brought even more publishers into the postcard business. The images on postcards now tended to become larger with only a small writing tab left behind on its front to provided room for a message. The first photo paper with a preprinted postcard back is put on the market enabling real photo postcards to be easily made.
1902  Rural Free Delivery service is introduced bringing the convenience of mail to the majority of Americans who live outside of cities. This greatly increased the market for postcards. The world’s first divided back postcard is issued in Great Britain.
1905-1911  The popularity of postcards grow into a craze as they are produced and sold in record amounts. Perhaps up to half their number are being purchased by collectors and many clubs are formed. Credit becomes widely available and all sorts of businesses begin publishing postcards. With a large number of publishers and printers now in the card business, postcards are produced in a wide variety of forms using many different printing techniques. This time is often referred to as postcard’s Golden Age.
1907  The United States issues its first Divided Back Postcard. This allows for the address and message to be placed on the same side of a card, leaving the other side entirely available for an image. A severe credit shortage forces many publishers speculating in postcards out of the market.
1909  The U.S. Congress places a tariff on imported postcards at the bequest of American printers. Since most cards sold in the U.S. were manufactured in Germany, jobbers began to stock up on as many cards as they could before the tariff went into effect. This produced a glut of postcards depressing prices.
1912  As tariffs effectively cut off the supply of most postcards from Germany, American printers failed to match their quality and quantity and demand quickly diminished ending the craze. Postcards were now dumped on the market depressing prices until they hit an all time low, forcing 25 percent of publishers out of business.
1913  The French fold greeting card is introduced replacing postcards in popularity.
1914-1918  The First World War restricts the use of materials for postcards curtailing production in Europe and further limiting imports to the United States. Cards are still produced to keep up morale and as instruments of propaganda, but many printers close due to shortages or war damage. The War also creates a worldwide shortage of printing ink as most colorants are manufactured in Germany.
1917-1919  Restrictions are placed on materials for postcard production in the United States as it enters the war in Europe. A penny war tax is also added to postcard postage driving down its use.
1920-1928  Post War material shortages initially plague the printing industry but postcard production picks up as the economy begins to grow. Many large publishers begin producing cards with a white border and it becomes a noticable style.
1925-1928  The postage rate for postcards is raised up to two cents. This dramatically cuts down on their use but rate hike is eventually repealed due to its unpopularity.
1928-1941  The Great Depression hits slowing postcard production and sales. This time is dominated by cards that were the least expensive to produce such as monochromes, hand colored cards, and the new Linens.
1931  Curt Teich is the first to begin producing postcards on linen textured stock allowing cards to be printed with brighter dye based inks on high speed presses. Many other publishers quickly follow his lead.
1939  The first Photochrome (Chrome) card is published based on the first practical color film, (Kodachrome) introduced just three years earlier. Color separations can now be made photo-mechanically instead of being dependent on the retoucher’s eye. Photochromes are initially seen as a fad and they are only produced in limited numbers.
1941-1945  Material restrictions are once again imposed on postcard production as the United States enters the Second World War, but cards are still produced to keep up moral and for propaganda purposes.
1946  Interest in older postcards start to rise as scholarly writings on them begin to appear. A new generation of postcard clubs begin to form, the first of which is the Metropolitan Post Card Collectors Club in New York City.
1952  The Penny Postcard reached its final days as the mailing rate is raised up to two cents once again. This time the price would continue to go up.
1956  Photochromes, which had steadily grown in number in the post War years, completely replace Linen postcards by this time to become the dominant format. Postcards would now be produced in offset lithography created wholly by photo-mechanical means without the need for retouchers. This begins to give all cards a uniform look.
1970  While 4 by 6 inch Continental sized cards could be found in Europe since the late 1920’s, they begin to become popular in the United States at this time and grow to become stiff competition with standard sized postcards.
1984  The first full week of May in the United States and the United Kingdom is officially declared National Postcard Week.
1993  Email is introduced and eCards begin to replace the traditional printed card. Coupled with growing cell phone use, printed postcards will begin to be purchased almost exclusively as souvenirs.
1995  Based on earlier forms of giveaway cards, the free Rack Card is introduced to promotes a variety of products and events. As they become popular they begin to be acquired by collectors.
2007  The Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City launches its website.

For a more comprehensive history of postcards go to the links at the top of this page.