Birthdays, souvenir images, comic cards, and postcards to simply send well wishes are also prevalent. In addition, April Fool’s Day, Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are popular. Patrick’s Day, Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays. There were postcards for New Years, Valentine’s Day, St. Suddenly there were postcards for every holiday. Companies in Germany printed many of these brightly colored images. It was during this Golden Age that the most vibrant, memorable, imaginative and nostalgic images were produced.
Popular topics for series included: romance, fantasy, fashion, comedy, art, theatrical themes and anthropomorphism, especially with cats, dogs, bears, fowl, and rabbits. It was during this era that postcards in series of two or more were first printed. By this time postcards were so popular it is estimated that production doubled every six months. The majority of postcards produced during this time were from Europe, especially Germany, which was well known for rich chromolithography. This logo first appears during this postcard era. Perhaps the most famous and easily recognizable logo to the postcard collector is the Tuck lion and unicorn logo. They often bear the words “Souvenir Card” or “Mailing Card." Plus, there is no “Act of Congress” acknowledgement. The back of American pioneer cards are not divided. It wasn’t long before the American and British markets produced their own domestic multi-view cards with the words “Greetings from” on them.
The cards usually reveal several views on the front with the words “Gruss aus.” This translates to “Greetings from.” These were German postcards from the Pioneer Era. Those most prized by collectors are known as the “Gruss aus” cards. Yet, the Columbian Exposition was the first venue that introduced postcards to the masses.Ĭards from the Pioneer Era are scarce and easily identifiable by the presence of certain indicators. Pre-stamped postcards had been introduced decades earlier.
In May 1893 vendors exhibited and sold picture postcards to the public. This period's roots lie within the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Postcard Eras begin with the Pioneer Era (1889 to 1898). Columbian Expo Aids in Early Postcard Popularity