The Written And Printed Word



Postcard ~ 4th of July

1900s - 1950s

     Greeting cards became popular during the Victorian Age, beginning in Great Britain and spreading to the Continent and the United States of America. Greeting cards were often enclosed in a paper envelope to make the trip from sender to receiver. At some point, certain greeting cards were printed on heavy card stock and sent through the mail without being enclosed in a separate paper envelope. Known as a Post Card, this form of greeting card had an illustrated design on one side and on the other were two spaces separated by a simple vertical line. One of the spaces was used for the receiver's name and address, while the other was used by the sender to write a short message.

The first set of cards exhibited below were printed in the early 1900s. One is dated 1908. This set was printed by Raphael Tuck & Sons "Art Publishers To Their Majesties The King & Queen."

     The next two cards from the early 1910s were produced by other companies, but celebrated the 4th of July with images indicative of the holiday.