Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #159: Postcards
...If you have some real postcards it would be great if you would like to share them with us, I’m sure they have a nice story behind them…
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Postcards? I still have every postcard I ever received. Musty, faded & bent corners …no matter. The connection forged with the actual written word is unique because it is so very personal. I also have postcards passed down to me – as the family archivist for better or worse (someday they will be passed down again). Such a fascinating peek into the past…both for the images on the front and messages on the back.
The “postal card” was used in 1913 as a form of advertising; probably because it was a cheaper way to communicate via the US mail. It seems similar to the junk mail of today, but it also doubles as a fascinating snapshot of history over 100 years later. I discovered this postcard in a box of photographs & letters from my grandparents. I looked closely at the photo for the first time. Hamilton Ave…1913…boats in the street?!? A few mouse clicks later, I solved the mystery: March 26th, 1913 – the “Great Miami River Flood” in Hamilton, Ohio (as well as other towns in the Miami Valley). The river crested at 44 feet, resulting in 467 deaths.
The Stanley L. Dornseifer Company used an image of the devastation 6 months later to let customers know they were still in business…their sign prominent in the photo… Postage? 1 cent.
Postcards were apparently also used to share class photos – in addition to advertising a photographer’s services. I found this example featuring my grandmother’s grammar school class in Cincinnati, Ohio. Not sure which grade…circa 1914 -1915.
My grandmother (Oma) always labeled everything (for which I am eternally grateful)…so here’s the back…
Fast forward 50 years or so and I began collecting postcards…mostly from my grandparents. They often sent me newsy notes when I was at Girl Scout camp (...I suppose you are having a good time playing games, singing and dancing…Do they play baseball? We both miss you very much...Love, Oma and Opa.). Or when they went on trips to let me know they were thinking of me. The handwritten cards are so precious to me, but I have to admit I wonder at the interesting (?) choice of images…
At the time I’m sure I was more focused on the messages…I was never a big fan of cats anyway.
Over the years, I’ve always checked out the postcard section in card or souvenir shops – both when traveling and shopping locally – and I have amassed quite the collection of humorous postcards. Some were mailed off to friends and some I have kept. Below is a tiny sample.
Memes before there were memes…
I hope postcards never go completely out of style.
one letter UP ~ diary 2.0 
If there is an award for best postcards, you win. These are treasures.
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Thank you V.J.! So glad you like them. It was fun to go through my collection again.
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So welcome
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Wow, all of these cards are fabulous! The cat cards made me laugh! Thanks for sharing these, great!
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So glad you enjoyed them. They made me laugh too!
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Excellent post, OLU. The “postal cards” are truly fascinating. I would wager that the artist who painted those cat pictures is not a big fan of cats, either. Thanks for letting us see some of your collection!
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Thanks so much! The story behind the cat card design is a mystery.
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Fabulous OLU, loved every card and think your GPs must have been VERY special! What a treasure trove of memories.
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Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed my cards. Yes, my grandparents were a very special part of my life and I’m so grateful for them.
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Wow. Great selections and history! Per https://www.usinflationcalculator.com 1 cent in 1913 is equal to $0.2744 today.
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Thank you. The history was fascinating to me as well. Interesting calculation on the postage – still less than the current 36 cents for a postcard.
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Beautiful and precious postcards! Thank you for sharing!
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Thanks, Amy. It was a fun challenge to put together. 🙂
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Wow! That’s an interesting collection of postcards and I never considered that postcards would be used to document to share class photos.
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Thank you. I hadn’t considered that before either, but I imagine it had as much to do with the advertising potential as anything else. Clever idea.
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Really nice to learn more about postcards from your post – and that card from the 1913 flood has the year 1898 on the too and so I wonder if that was when the post office set up something formal for the post card
Anyhow – you are blessed to have so many postcards
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Thank you! I think you’re right about the 1898 marking. A bit of a history lesson 🙂 and I am glad I saved all those postcards!
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They are Treasures.
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Yes they are!
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Sorry for the delay, I’ve been on vacation and I’ve been disconnected. I love your postcard collection, I find it lovely, thanks for sharing.
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Vacations can do that! I’m glad you like the postcards. It was fun re-discovering them.
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Ahh, what a treasure you have gathered and showed us a glimpse! 🙂 I also never throw any postcard away, and yet eight years ago when I moved to Italy, I left them all at my parents’. When I now visit, I’m afraid to go and search them out. Nostalgia is not a thing to have when you live far away.
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I’m so glad you liked this. You obviously understand why we save such things. 🙂 Going through them can bring back memories and that wave of nostalgia is sometimes too sad. Maybe someday you’ll want to find them.
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