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It started with a Penny Postcard...by Sandra smith, CA Though it may be hard to believe, some Inky Trail subscribers actually do remember when postcards could be bought (postage included) for a penny. Maybe you are one of them! (Often, you could send your name and address on a penny postcard to get something free by return mail). The first officially released postcard was in Austria in 1869. The concept quickly caught on and the US Postal service began issuing pre-stamped postcards in 1873. The public wanted an easier way to send quick notes, but the US Post Office was the only agency allowed to print postcards, and it held onto its monopoly until 1898, when Congress passed the Private Mailing Card Act which allowed private publishers to produce postcards. These also could be mailed for a penny each (the letter rate was two cents!). Initially, however, privately printed cards did not allow messages on the backs of the cards; there was just a small space left on the front for your messages. In 1907, a major change took place; the left side of the back of the card was allowed for messages while the right side provided space for an address. During this period, the blank space on the front of post cards, left previously for messages, disappeared. Post cards continued to evolve over the years; you can find any number of fascinating websites through Google.com which explain how these changes took place. Modern photochrome-style postcards first appeared in 1939 with the Union Oil Copmany carrying them in their western service stations. The photochrome cards were in color and are the closest to real photographs. They're the ones most familiar to us today. Since 1952 post card rates have changes from 2 cents to the current rate of 23 cents. Some collectors choose to collect only "vintage", or very old postcards. A Swedish gentleman whose name I found online was initially a stamp collector-and then he found a boxful of very old postcards, dating from the early 1900s....and a new collection was born. (He wrote that he is thankful that he never attempted to remove the stamps from the old cards). He also says most of his cards are of places in Sweden. If you are looking for a hobby that is relatively inexpensive, think postcards! No hobby quite compares with collecting postcards, which caters to all interests. Even vintage cards can often be found in antique stores, starting at about $1.00 each. Some of the world's best known serious and comic artists of the early 20th century had their work featured on postcards. And, you can find beautiful cards in the airport gift shops of almost any city you may travel to. New scenic cards displaying the beauty of various cities can be found in almost any gift shop, often for as little as twenty-five cents each. It can be fun to buy and send cards to your pen-pals (and receive cards from them in return.) I'll leave you with a poem about postcards, submitted to Inky Trail News by one of our subscribers. She says this was published in a newsletter called "Deltiology" in 1971. I've seen canyons splashed with streaks There are postcard clubs throughout the United States and in many foreign countries.
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