Postcard Greetings

There was a time when we would have sent you a postcard to wish you a Happy Fourth of July. The history of picture postcards reveals that they were a popular way in the early 20^th Century to remember friends, family and colleagues. Just as it is now, the postcard was an efficient and inexpensive way to communicate.

At that time, many towns had mail delivery twice a day so a postcard could be received in the morning and a reply could be made to arrive the same day (almost as efficient as email!) And in an age before movies and television, these cards were often collected for their beautiful images or entertainment value and placed in an album on display in the parlor at home. In this fashion, they became a popular way to learn more about the world through images as well as to remember with fondness the goodwill of the sender.

The postcards here are part of our archive of vintage and antique ephemera and conversationals. Many of them have handwritten dates and inscriptions on the back and are from 1898 to 1918. WWI ended in November of 1918 and that is about the same time that sending postcards became less common.

In the tradition of recognizing those important to us during any holiday time, we wish you a very Happy Fourth of July and all the best that this summer holiday has to offer!