The History Of The Postcard

Everything has its own history. This is even true for postcards. Postcards grew in popularity because of their ability to cover a variety of subjects. Today, postcards continue to be a popular souvenir for travelers as well as a means of advertisement to a vast number of customers.

As a result of government regulations in the postal system, the history of the postcard is quite long. A postcard is a rectangular piece of thick paper intended for writing on and then mailing without an envelope. The cost of sending one is usually less than a letter to send. In the United States, the first postal type card was a privately printed card by John P. Carlton in 1861. His copyright was later turned over to H.L. Lipman, where these cards were completed with a decorative boarder and later became known as Lipman’s postal cards. The U.S. Post Office started issuing pre-stamped postal cards in 1873 and remained the only authorities allowed to print these cards. Then, in 1898, Congress passed the Private Mailing Card Act, which allowed private vendors to print and sell cards, which later were known as souvenir cards.

Postcards were made to offer people an easier way to write and send quick messages. In 1893, government postal cards and privately printed souvenir cards became popular as a result of the Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago, as the postcards featuring buildings were handed out at the fair.

Through the years we have seen many changes in the postcard. These changes range from decorative boarders to picture content and even paper texture. Today, postcard collecting has become a favorite among young and old alike.