#39 Postcard Trivia 12.4.18
Raphael Tuck & Sons Postcard. Printed in England, circa 1910. Oilette Remarque titled “The Gentle Art of Fishing.” From the collection of J Garner.
Have you got a worm, Sir? I’m not sure how the hunter will respond to this cute little guy! This is a fun postcard from the early 20th century. It was published in England by Raphael Tuck & Sons. During the Golden Age of Postcards from 1898 - 1915, commercial artists were in high demand. Publishing companies paid them a nominal fee for their work and some produced thousands of illustrations over their career using a variety of mediums - paint, watercolor, pencil sketch, etc. Original illustrations were copied to create images on postcards. Many times artists did not sign their work and did not receive any profit from their original designs other than the standard company pay. This postcard includes the artist’s signature. You may have also noticed the interesting message written on the card by the sender- “Excuse the bad writting (writing) as it is done in prayer meeting and I am very tired.” Maybe he/she was praying for energy to make it through the meeting!
Trivia Question:
Why did postcard production and use decrease significantly after 1915?
A. telephone communication became more popular B. publishing companies in Germany were affected by WWI
Answer to Trivia Question:
B. Publishing companies in Germany were affected by WWI. Germany supplied most of the world’s postcards before 1915. During WWI, many German factories were destroyed and the postcard supply came to a halt. Many US publishing companies went out of business due to lack of available supply.
Source Link:
Ellen Clapsaddle, Postcard Artist - Wikipedia