Our members are interested in postcards from all over the world. Some links are below and we’re happy to include others as we learn about them. For links to Canadian sites, click here!
POSTCARD CLUBS in other Countries
Australia & New Zealand
U.S.A. Clubs – from Postcard History, an online magazine
Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York – an important institution in the postcard world
Wichita Postcard Club YouTube channel – highly recommended for its many excellent presentations
U.K. Clubs
Postcrossing – A postcard exchange association.
POSTCARD WEBSITES of TPC Members (click this link)
HISTORICAL PUBLISHERS
Bamforth & Co. – Britain’s beloved purveyor of cheeky seaside postcards is still licensing its images. See a related story from the BBC here.
Curt Teich – All about the company that “invented” the “linen” postcard and gave mid-century U.S. cards their unmistakable appearance.
Curt Teich Postcard Dating Index and Geographical Index from the Newberry Library, Chicago, Curt Teich Archives
Curt Teich Story presented by The Newberry Library on YouTube to the Western New York Postcard Club
Detroit Publishing Company – The “How did they do it?” section is especially interesting.
Detroit Publishing Company – Nearly 6,000 images are available from the 14,000 Detroit Photo cards donated by Leonard Lauder to the New York Public Library in 1986.
Rotograph Co. – A blog devoted to this iconic New York City publisher.
Raphael Tuck – Extensive database of the postcards of England’s most famous postcard manufacturer.
Tichnor Brothers – Database of approximately 25,000 U.S. linen cards produced between approximately 1930 and 1945 by this important Boston-based publisher. Unfortunately, Canadian cards do not appear to be included.
For the most comprehensive list (which includes many Canadian companies) see the “Metropostcard” postcard history section (via Archive.org). For selected Canadian publishers, see also the TPC’s own in-depth publisher biographies. For U.K. publishers, see the “About Postcards” and “Postcard Pages” sites listed below under “General and Topical Sites”.
GENERAL AND TOPICAL SITES
About Postcards – A terrific resource with articles about many important early English postcard publishers, plus a useful glossary of the unique language of deltiology, from “Advertising Postcard” to “Write Away”.
Edwardian Actress Postcards – Andy Goodall’s checklists of postcards of leading ladies of the Edwardian stage, from Marie Studholme to Gabrielle Ray and … Fanny Dango? A Geocities (!) site (from the “Hollywood Hills” neighbourhood) last updated in 2001 but thankfully preserved in an Internet archive.
Map Postcards – From U.K. and European publishers. Gallery includes many examples of Canadian map cards published by John Walker & Co.
Photographers’ Identities Catalog – New York Public Library’s meta-catalogue of information pertaining to photographers, including many in Canada.
The Postcard Album – A valuable site with vast amounts of information about German postcard printers and how to identify their work.
Postcard Pages – A U.K. site sponsored by the Postcard Traders Association with general information on the hobby, U.K. club listings and a U.K. postcard fair calendar.
Postcard Production 1920-1950 – A thorough review of postcard production methods following the ‘Golden Age’ as modern technologies were invented.
Postcard Views of Old New York – James Lileks’ commentary on postcard views of pre-Modernist New York City.
Postcards Ireland – Linen Hall Library’s collection of over 7,000 postcards with Irish scenes and themes (including Northern Ireland).
Postcards of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe – by the Rhodesian Study Circle, a philatelic group.
Sports Postcards (see under “Related Collecting Areas”).
Stereoscopic Views – A catalogue of stereoscopic views with information about their history and a guide to dating them.
POSTCARD ARTISTS
Ellen Clapsaddle Postcards – The iconic postcard images of U.S. artist Ellen Clapsaddle.
W. H. “Dad” Martin Exaggeration Postcards – The originator of postcards featuring giant tomatoes, rabbits and the like hailed from Ottawa, Kansas. Many of these views were sold in Canada, with Canadian captions, by the Canadian Post Card Co. of Toronto (which, despite its grand name, is little-known otherwise). This summary of his work comes from the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC. [NEW]
Donald McGill Museum – Featuring the works of the cartoonist whose name is synonymous with England’s seaside postcards.
MUSEUMS AND ARCHIVES of Postcards
Chicago Postcard Museum
Donald McGill Museum (see under “Postcard Artists”).
Metropolitan Museum, New York – Walker Evans and the Picture Postcard Exhibit, Spring 2009
Newberry Library, Chicago – Curt Teich Collection, Leonard Lauder Oilette Collection and others formerly housed at the Lake County Discovery Museum.
The Institute of American Deltiology, Myerstown, PA. A library, gallery and research center for the study of postcards. Containing over one million postcards, this collection also includes secondary resources such as a library of books, periodicals, slides, and news bulletins.
POSTCARD HISTORY
History of the Postcard – A concise and useful guide to the stages in U.S. postcard history, from “Pioneer” to “Photochrom”.
Indian Postcards – Omar Khan, author of Paper Jewels: Postcards from the Raj, discusses the history of postcards in the subcontinent and his passion for collecting them.
The Very First Postcard (BBC)
Postcard History (Smithsonian Institution)
Postcard History (Posts about postcards from collectors)
The Story of the Golden Age of Picture Postcards in the United States (New York State Library)
BUYING AND SELLING POSTCARDS
International Federation of Postcard Dealers (IFPD), founded 1979.
Valuable and Rare Postcards – A blog with a monthly summary of high prices obtained for postcards.
RELATED COLLECTING AREAS
Pre-War Cards – An interesting site about collecting early sports cards, including some references to postcards.
