The development of both the postcard
and the picture postcard

Extracts from publications by Professor Herbert Schwarzwälder, Bremen

The exchange of written communication as a substitute for alternative personal conversation has always been of great importance to those people who were able to read and write, regardless of whether they were official documents or private messages, malicious threats or passionate lovers' vows, reminders or declaration letters of gratitude. It was also a problem as to how one could deliver these letters/messages to the addressee - all the more so as many of them included official
or private secrets.
Thus, letters were not only sealed, but also secret language was used so that they were only to be understood by the recipient, or they were even written in codes. Trustworthy deliverers were looked for among friends, travelling merchants or paid messengers. As from the 16th/17th century private postal services developed whose riding messengers travelled around on behalf of princely or municipal administrations. After the postal services had been assumed by state management which guaranteed discretion, letters of any content had to be enclosed in envelopes. The introduction of the stamp in England in 1840 did not change this.

With increasing mobility, among the middle classes in particular, there were more and more occasions for short messages which everybody was allowed to read and which were not worthwhile writing long letters: regardless of whether one was lying on the beach or had climbed a mountain; whether one was feeling well or not; or whether the sun was shining or rain occupied the heavens - soldiers used to write to their sweethearts at home, and the travelling journeyman to his parents. Flourishing trade and industry demanded the ability to send brief, inexpensive messages.

The Prussian privy post councillor Heinrich Stephan (who later attained nobility status) presented his proposal for a "post sheet" to be sent openly and sold by postal offices or postmen at a uniform postage price of one silver groschen - regardless of distance - on the occasion of the 5th German Post Conference in Karlsruhe on 13th November, 1865. However, his proposal met with rejection, the main objection being the lack of confidentiality.Following the recommendation of Emanuel Herman, a Military Academy Professor in Vienna, the Austrian Postal Administration introduced a "Correspondence Card" on 1st October, 1869, which had certain space for the address and an imprinted stamp on one side, whereas the other side was left blank for messages. This novelty proved successful from the beginning.

The postal administration of the North German Confederation followed suit. On 6th lune, 1870, Bismarck signed the "Ordinance concernng the Introduction of the Correspondence Card", which became effective as from the 1st of July, 1870. With regard to the card's appearance, the ordinance decreed to a great extent that the same characteristics as its Austrian precursor be adhered to: one side for the addresss, the other side for messages. The postage amounted to one groschen or three Kreutzers. There was a reduced fee for mail within one town.The card itself was free of charge.The German postcard came into being. During the Franco-Prussian War from 1870 - 71, thousands of postcards were sent, particularly as the postage was half the price of a letter. As from 1st July, 1872, privately printed cards were also admitted into the system upon which stamps had to be affixed.

Other countries followed:
1870 Switzerland, Luxembourg and Great Britain
1871 Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark and Finland
1872 Sweden, Norway and Russia
1873 USA, France, Serbia, Romania and Spain
1874 Italy

Initial objections as to violation of postal secrecy proved to be unfounded. As early as 1879, the Imperial German Post transported more than 122 million postcards. At first, the postcard was not a medium for illustrations, although this was not explicitly forbidden. The birth of the picture postcard cannot be stated exactly. It was probably between 1872 and 1874. A correspondence card sent on the 16th July, 1870 by the book purveyor to the Court by the name of Schwarz from Oldenburg to his parents-in-law who lived in Magdeburg is regarded to be the precursor within this genre. He had had the picture of an artilleryman printed using a stereotype plate on its address side.
This card was not put on the market but it served a model function.The lithographer Miesler is reported to have created picture postcards showing views of Berlin at the beginning of the 70s. In 1871, the student Ludolf Parisius from Göttingen drew motifs for greeting cards which were sold by the stationer called Lange. In 1872, the engraver Rorich printed a view of the town of Zurich using a steel-plate engraving for the Zurich publisher Locher. In 1874, picture postcards of the "Rudelsburg" were made using wood engravings.
All these early picture postcards were printed in one colour and showed the picture on the message side. The sender had to use the free space for his message or write across the picture. As from 1878, a publishing house manufactured picture postcards based
on photographs using phototypic techniques. The great epoch of the picture postcard did not start until 1895. The multi-colour picture postcard, produced mainly using lithographic printing techniques, became fashionable. Painting postcards became a vocational option, and watercolour paintings predominantly served as models.
In addition to views of towns etc. other motifs of human life soon appeared on the cards. A great collecting enthusiasm developed; "philocartist" associations were founded, postcard albums and other means for preserving the postcards were sold.

 

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