Dating postcards

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This page provides a few general methods for determining a time period or date for postcards.

The Message on My Oldest Postcard - Dated 1877

Postcard producers printed cards that followed the current trends of postcards. Dates can be approximated by the material and design of a postcard. Our Postcard History page provides information about these general trends. For example, a card printed on linen was most likely produced between and However, it is important to remember that these dates and time periods are not concrete—they are only generalizations of trends in the postcard industry.

The rate of postage for postcards has changed throughout time and can be used to find an approximate date for postcards. Not all postcards have the required postage amount printed on them, so this method can only be used in instances when the postage is known. The following list is postage for postcards mailed within the United States.

In the early stages of postcard production, government-produced postcards varied in size, depending on the type of postcard. On June 1, , the General Postal Union , an international postal organization, signed a new treaty, changing its name to the Universal Postal Union. This treaty set the maximum size for postcards produced by governments of member nations at 3. After , postcards typically measured 3.

The First Picture Postcards

In the s, some printers began producing 4 x 6 inch postcards. Britain had already pioneered this in The address was to be written on the right side; the left side was for writing messages.

Dating Postcards

Many millions of cards were published in this era -- it was the golden age of postcards. Up to this point, most postcards were printed in Germany, which was far ahead of the United States in the use of lithographic processes.

The relatively high cost of labor, along with inexperience and changes in public taste, resulted in the production of poor quality cards during this period. Furthermore, strong competition in a narrowing market caused many publishers to go out of business.

Linen Era New printing processes allowed printing on post cards with high rag content that caused a linen -like finish. These cheap cards allowed the use of gaudy dyes for coloring. Many important events and scenes in history are documented only by these cards.

Three-dimensional postcards also appeared in this era. By s, the standard size of cards had grown to 4 x 6 inches. Photochromes are not real photos but rather, printed cards done by a photochrome process.

To distinguish a printed postcard from a real photo postcard, examine it under a magnifying glass and you will see the dot pattern that is characteristic of printed cards. They are difficult to discern from real photos but usually don't have the glossy finish of photographs.

The Laura Gilpin cards of Mesa Verde and Silverton are excellent examples of the photogravure process. One easy way to approximate when a postcard was mailed if the cancellation date is unreadable is to know the changes in rates for mailing postcards. The following table comes from Historical statistics of the United States: When World War I ended at the end of , the rate was lowered to its pre-War level of one cent.

How to Estimate the Age of a Postcard

Commission Rate Board over-estimated revenue needs in and was forced to reduce postage rate in Two major postcard publishers, Curt Teich and Detroit Publishing Company, used numbering schemes that can be helpful in dating a card. In the beginning, Teich apparently made no attempt to define when a card was printed. Research has revealed some consistencies however, such as these: The company used code numbers and letters to indicate the date the card was published. The codes appear either on the scenic side or in the postage box.

The number and letter before the dash in the code stand for the date. The number indicates the last figure in the date and the letter indicates the decade. The letters and figures after the dash pertain to the printing process used and the number of issues that year. Code number 3A-H is therefore translated to be printed in the year The "H" refers to the printing method called Art Colortone.

For more information, visit the Curt Teich Postcard Archives web site. The Detroit Publishing Company b egan numbering its cards with Number 1. Some of these same cards were later reproduced in the series. Detroit postcards are easy to manage by the number, regardless of subject.

Inherent content of the picture may be helpful in dating assuming that the postcard used a recent view. What style of clothes are the people wearing? Look at the modes of transportation.

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