Great Britain Stamps & Postcards

For many years, the collection of postal history was a pastime for very few. After interest in postal history became popular, rare postcards became as prized as scarce stamps. Many sections of London's postal history are unrecorded. Great Britain heralded many firsts in their postal history and London was in the center of its evolution.

Great Britain has an interesting history of postcards. The term for collecting postcards is deltiology. In the early 1890s, British publishers were given permission by the Royal Mail to make and distribute postcards. The Stewarts of Edinburgh printing firm was the first to produce picture postcards. They were primarily pictures of scenic views, celebrities, famous landmarks, etc. With the new steam engines and trains, travel became more affordable and the seaside became a popular tourist destination. It became so popular that it started its own souvenir industry and the postcard was a big part of it. Donald McGill, a postcard artist, started drawing postcards that were somewhat dicey and made many innuendos. They also featured traditional characters such as vicars, large ladies, and put-upon husbands.

In the 1950s, Britain and its new government thought this was degrading their morals and decided to crack down on the postcards. Actually, they were cracking down on the postcard artist who was drawing them. In the 1960s, however, the dicey postcards were revived, but by the 1970s, the artform was becoming unimpressive and interest was lax. These originals are collector's items and can bring a large price at auctions and broker houses.