The postcard was once a global obsession that reshaped how the world communicated.
In short: Before social media, the postcard was the original global network. From a 19th-century practical joke to a multi-billion-card industry, these simple slips of paper were the poor man's telephone. They survived wars, censorship, and shifting morals, leaving behind a legacy that still fascinates collectors and historians today.
The postcard’s origins are more complex than a simple invention. While the earliest known picture postcard was a hand-painted 1840 caricature by Theodore Hook, recent research suggests postcards may have been in use in Austria as early as 1828. By the late 19th century, the format exploded. In 1869, Austria-Hungary mailed 3 million cards in just three months, and by 1905, an estimated 7 billion postcards were sent worldwide. This 'golden age' was fueled by technological advances in printing and photography, alongside the expansion of services like Rural Free Delivery in the United States.
Beyond mere correspondence, postcards became a battleground for social norms. In the early 20th century, the United States government used the Comstock Act to restrict the mailing of obscene materials. While the law was later amended in 1908 to include materials inciting violence, the distribution of controversial items like lynching postcards persisted, often bypassed by using envelopes. Similarly, the UK government attempted to crack down on 'saucy' seaside postcards in the 1950s, targeting artists like Donald McGill for their bawdy humor. These cards, once considered a moral threat, are now studied as vital documents of social history.
The medium also evolved to meet specific cultural needs. Japan developed unique customs like New Year's Day postcards and return postcards, the latter of which are still used today for reservations at sites like the moss temple, Saihō-ji. As telephone usage rose, the postcard's dominance waned, yet it remained a staple of tourism. Modern 'chrome' cards, which gained momentum around 1950, eventually faced a sharp decline with the rise of social media. Today, the study of these items, known as deltiology, keeps the history of this once-ubiquitous medium alive, with rare examples fetching thousands of pounds at auction.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Postcard
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