Petercsák Tivadar: A képes levelezőlap története (Miskolc, 1994)

HISTORY OF PICTURE POSTCARDS

HISTORY OF PICTURE POSTCARDS The post card together with the picture postcard is a practical way of sending short pieces of information, greetings. At the same time it brings back memories, it is a symbol of happiness and love, travel and leisure. The picture post card is so widespread around the world that is has become a part of our everyday life. On holiday it is now considered natural to send post cards to friends and relations whilst good wishes are sent at the time of family celebrations and seasonal festivities. The picture post card is a mass produced copy made by typographical or photographical means, containing an illustration, and it can be used to send messages within the frame work of the postal services post-paid. The history of the modern picture post card began when the picture became as important as the text itself, or rather when the illustrations were reproduced. Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in old postcards. In Hungary there is a postcard collection at the Zemplén Múzeum, comprising of about one million pieces - that provides a good overview of the history of postcard, particularly its technical and thematical variety. The present book reveals the cultural and historical role of the picture postcard making constant reference to the material of the museum as well as the postcard exhibition. An illustrated thematical and historical survey is given with picture postcards from the last hundred years - in particular Hungarian cards - giving a reflection of the events, customs and the attitudes of the period. Special attention is paid to the decades around the turn of the century. Hundred years of the picture postcard The real predecessors of the picture postcard were the greeting cards and visiting cards decorated with flowers, landscapes and mythological motives that spread throughout Europe in the XVIIIth and XlXth centuries. Illustrated letter paper and envelopes also appeared in the XlXth century. The cheap open postcard that is suitable for short messages was first produced by the Austro-Hungarian Postal Service based upon the idea of dr. Emmanuel Hermann on October 1, 1869. On the cards made for Austria and Hungary there were different arms and texts, but the printed stamp was the same. The postcard was a complete success. In 1873, 6,5 million were delivered by the Hungarian Mail. In 1874, at the international postal conference held in Bern the representatives of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) agreed that the postcards send abroad should be half the price of sealed letters. After the appearence of the postcard senders having an artistic bent often decorated the text side of the cards with drawings. Illustrated postcards reproduced by typographical methods and circulated by mail without an envelope appeared in Europe in 1870. On July 16, 1870 a Prussian bookseller, August Schwartz printed a battle-scene of post-stamp size on the address-side of the postcard. Later Schwartz illustrated the other side of the postcard too. The French picture postcard was born on September 18, 1870 at a time when Paris was completely blocked off by the Prussian army. Leon Besnardeau made picture postcards for the French Army concentrated in Britany in November 1870. These postcards were illustrated with patriotic war symbols. In 1871 he produced several picture cards for the army, their theme related to the Franco-German war. On the order of the Slavophil Serbian literary periodical Zmaj (Dragon) in Vienna a postcard was produced based on the plans of the