Old Postcard

Old Postcard

Old Postcard

Postcards are still a grate way to say wish you were here', but early cards carry historical images of society, events, and places. They are treasured for the nostalgia they evoke and for their occasional flashes of artistic brilliance.

Old Postcard

Up to the early 20th century, postcards were plain, as the Post Office required that the address be on one side and the message on the other. From 1902, postcards with a message and address on one side, known as divided backs', were allowed, and the reverse carried photographs and illustrations of considerable artistry. Today, pre-1900 cards are especially sought after.

Old Postcard

Town and country

Cards that offer a snapshot of daily life, such as a townscape, were commonly produced

Old Postcard

But it is the detail — such as how people dressed and the forms of transport of the time - that creates interest. These cards can fetch from £3 to £40, depending on the location, with pre-1950s railway stations being a good buy. Postcards of one-off events, such as village fairs, social gatherings, and even disasters, are rarer, as fewer would have been printed; they can lie worth £10-40.

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Old Postcard

Landscapes, castles, and churches are usually less popular, as they tend not to change as much over time. Values are often less than SOp and rarely more than £1-2. Alfred Robert Quinton, known as ARQ', painted British landscapes and was publishedin the early 20th century. His cards are numbered, so are easy to collect. They fetch from around £1.50 up to ,£50.

Old Postcard

A military message

During World War I, many propaganda and patriotic cards were printed.

Values are around £3-10 or less, because of the number produced.

Old Postcard

Look out for those showing military subjects, especially Zeppelins, as these usually go for between £5 and £30. Cards showing one-off events are desirable too, with an image of a German U-boat aground often worthup to £15. Patriotic cards with the Union flag and a quote from Burns can cost about £1, while embroidered silk cards may be worth about £4—6.

Old Postcard

The tourist trade

Scenes of holiday resorts were sold in large numbers, so their value is usually low. Often more collectable are the typically British saucy seaside' cards, in particular those by Donald McGill. Because of the popularity of this genre fromthe 1910s to the 1930s, there are many to choose from, with values ranging from 50p to more than £5.

Stylish designs

Old Postcard

Advertising and artistic cards are popular, particularly if they show the styles of the period - such as the sinuous lines of Art Nouveau around 1900-10, or the clean forms of An Deco from the late 1920s and 30s. Designs by the An Deco poster artist Adolphe Mouron (known as 'Cassandre') can be worth £30-50.

Original Louis Wain postcards featuring his cat illustrations can range from £30-60. Mabel Lucie Attwell, with her images of chubby children, is another popular name, and her cards may be worth £3-30.

Old Postcard

Although postcards are not usually collected because of their manufacturer, there are some notable exceptions, such as Raphael Tuck of London, and Valentine of Dundee, which are known for the quality of their printing. Avoid buying modern reproductions.