|A word about post card history:
Private postcards are a mode of communication that does not, in this
country, preceed the twentieth century. When reviewing these
cards, it it helpful to remember that:
- It was not until December 24, 1901 that the government
permitted privately printed cards (prior to this, the postal service
printed post cards, but they were bland affairs, without photographs).
The reverse side of these newly-authorized cards was reserved for
the address, and consequently there was usually a blank area on the
front of the card for a hand-written message.
- On March 1, 1907, the government first permitted 'divided
back' cards; that is, post cards in the format we know today: a front
entirely devoted to a scene, while the back was divided in half -- the
left for a message, and the right for the address.
After this date, there were no more statuary limititions that defined
postcards' layouts, but there are some stylistic characteristics that
can help date cards that bear no postmark:
- Cards which have a divided back and which have a
photograph that covers the entire front of the card (with perhaps a
title band at the bottom) probably date from 1907 to about 1915.
- After 1915, card publishers increasingly printed cards with a white border around the photo.
Of these types, this collection contains examples of
all except linen cards. For an example of a linen card, click
on the image in the upper left corner on the
Military/Moultrie Civil War Participants page.
- Beginning about 1930, cards appear that were printed on
high rag content paper in bright colors, commonly known as 'linen