EMAIL ADDRESS - markspostcardchat@gmail.com

 

07/06/2020

 

BY POST SPACE INITIATIVE

An Initiative to send the first postcard from space

Project initiated by, and postcard published by

LUKE HERON

(BY POST SPACE INITIATIVE)

 

What is the longest period you have waited to receive a postcard, having paid for it? Well, how about 1,742 days, that’s very nearly five years! Some explanation may be required here, so let me explain. Around five years (and for me, three houses and two house moves) I saw an unusual advert for a project that was going to send a rocket into space with a camera onboard which was going to take pictures of the earth. Then a single photograph would be sent back to Earth and printed as postcards and sent out to people. The project was to be financed by people paying in advance to receive their postcard, if I remember correctly, they were £2 each. Well, what’s £2 I thought, so I paid my two pound and sat back and waited, and to be honest eventually completely forgot about the whole project until in early 2020 I got a new email asking for confirmation of my address – good job really having moved twice! Then on the 22nd May (or there abouts) I received this postcard through the post… as they say, better late than never.

I also got another email message saying that their project to “send the first postcard from space” was now ‘Mission Complete’. The postcard was proof that they had managed to make their launch and take a high-resolution image and upload this from 20 miles above the Earth’s surface. They, Luke Heron, hoped that any disappointment in the execution of this project would be offset by its final completion. Luke also said that “I see the almost 5 years it took to complete this project as a badge of honour rather than 5 years of failure”.

Lots of people like me had paid just the £2 for a single postcard (there was an option to receive more, but I suspect many of us just requested the one), but because of the delay and as a bonus to all of us who had stayed with the project (or like me had just forgotten about it) Luke decided to produce a folded strip of extra postcards (he called it an A6 sized booklet, but it’s a folded strip within two loose cardboard covers held together with two elastic bands). These extra postcards would depict other images taken at the same time as the main single postcard image. Even better, we would receive two copies of this postcard strip. This was described as a reward in addition to our ordered card. I received my two folded strips within a couple days and each contains 9 postcards and two multi-view information postcard sized cards – see photographs below – so, I think my £2, paid just under 5 years ago, was an investment and I am glad I took up the offer way back then… what do you think?

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

(my address has been covered over but this did come through the post to me)

 

 PHOTOGRAPH

Images from the two extra folded strips of postcards I received

 

 PHOTOGRAPH

Images from the two extra folded strips of postcards I received

 

 PHOTOGRAPH

Images from the two extra folded strips of postcards I received

 

 PHOTOGRAPH

Images from the two extra folded strips of postcards I received

 

 PHOTOGRAPH

Images from the two extra folded strips of postcards I received

 

 PHOTOGRAPH

Images from the two extra folded strips of postcards I received

 

 PHOTOGRAPH

Images from the two extra folded strips of postcards I received

 

06/06/2020

 

 MOMA

 

MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

NEW YORK

Printed in China

Published by the

MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

Ref: 802028

 

This is a lovely postcard and one which I picked up from the museum when I was there in February, although that seems like an age ago now, especially after the last three months, but looking at this card reminds me of better times before the virus took hold.

 

06/06/2020

 

FIRST ANNUAL

GREAT CANADIAN POST CARD EXPOSITION

Presented by

THE TORONTO POSTCARD CLUB

Sunday 28th February 1982

Published by

TORONTO POST CARD CLUB

 

A nice Canadian postcard event postcard. I only have a handful of Canadian postcards, a mixture of scenes and some thematic cards, but this might be the only Canadian post card club card that I have.

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

06/06/2020

 

WISH YOU WERE HERE…..

HOLMFIRTH POSTCARD MUSEUM

NATIONAL POSTCARD WEEK

1ST – 8TH MAY 1988

Printed by

BERIC TEMPEST & Co. Ltd

Published by

KIRKLEES MUSEUMS

 

This postcard was available at the original Holmfirth Postcard Museum, which sadly closed-down many years ago now (although I believe a new one has opened-up since nearby). Fortunately, I got to visit the original museum before it closed. We were on a tour of different locations and I had always wanted to visit Holmfirth because it is where ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ was filmed, the postcard museum was a bonus.

This postcard can be found with and without the ‘National Postcard Week’ added black text, although the cards without this are harder to find and in smaller numbers.

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

05/06/2020

 

4 NOVEMBRE 1966

FIRENZE

PIAZZA POGGI E LUNGARNI

Published by

NOVA LUX

Casa Editrice G. Giusti – DI BECOCCI, FIRENZE

Ref: 69 A

 

Remember, things can always be worse! Firenze is Florence in Italy and this photograph is of the flood that occurred that year, 1966. 101 people were killed during the flood, which is called the ‘1966 flood of the Arno’. The flood also damaged and destroyed millions of masterpieces of art and rare books (some of which still require preservation work to commence even today). It was the worse flood in the city’s history since 1557. So, as I say, Remember, that things can always be worse.

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

05/06/2020

 

WESTPEX

AMERICAN STAMP SHOW

SAN FRANCISCO

April 24th – 26th 2020

Official event promotional postcard

Published by the organisers

 

A great postcard for an event which was unfortunately not held. This US annual stamp show was due to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year, but the show was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The cancellation was announced towards the end of March (officially on the 23rd of March but I believe the rumour of the shows cancellation had been circulating before this date). When I saw this postcard, I had to have it as an unusual addition to my ‘Covid-19’ themed collection (I have a section on events cancelled due to coronavirus) 

 

03/06/2020

 

WE’VE BEEN SO QUIET

I HAD NO NEWS

Unknown Publisher

(but there is a logo on the reverse side with either a ‘BS’ in it or a ‘SB’)

Ref: C.S. 461

 

A nice early American postcard featuring children. This card was bought whilst I was in Florida last year. The design appealed to me and it was priced at just $1 which I thought was a bargain.

 

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

Unfortunately, the year is difficult to make out on the cancellation, but it is going to be an early usage. I think it is 1913, mainly because of the stamps issue period, 1912 – 1914 (although I accept that a latter use is not out of the question) and I believe the stamp was bought to post this postcard, which to me indicates the possible year of usage as I can clearly see the bottom of a 1 and what could be the bottom of a 3. The card was posted from Grand Rapids in Michigan.

 

03/06/2020

 

PIERCE BROSNAN

As

JAMES BOND

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH

Published by

BOOMERANG CINEMA CARDS

Free Rack Postcard

 

Our lockdown is coming to a gradual end, but in the last couple of weeks I have been watching the Brosnan era James Bond films including The World is Not Enough. I am a big fan of the Bond feature films and I have always though that Brosnan was a particularly good Bond, and one most suitable to the era he was playing the part through. This is not my favourite of his films, but it is still a good one.

 

DENISE RICHARDS

As

CHRISTMAS JONES

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH

Published by

BOOMERANG CINEMA CARDS

Free Rack Postcard

 

Another of those truly atrocious female character names from the Bond films. Some of the ‘Christmas’ jokes that ensued were terrible.

 

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

03/06/2020

 

MEET KIRK’S

CHILDHOOD HERO

TV Series “ENTERPRISE”

Published by

BOOMERANG (CINEMA)

 

This free rack postcard is interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is one of only a handful of postcards related to the Star Trek television series called ‘Enterprise’ which first appeared way back now in 2001 (I was genuinely surprised at how long ago this was). The series was set in the mid-22nd century, so over 100 years before the times of Captain Kirk and the setting for the original Star Trek TV series. Because of this obvious connection television connection, it is also a cracking addition to my television collection. Lastly, this is an advert postcard for a ‘Video’ release of the pilot from the series. Remember these? Video’s? Once so important video tapes are now a thing of the past, a bygone collectible these days.

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

01/06/2020

 

MODERN PETS

DQUICK 852

DQUICK.JP

Published by

ADCARD

(Japanese Free Rack Card Company)

 

It is really nice for once to admit that I know absolutely nothing about this postcard. I picked it up from a cheap box (15p I think), and at that sort of price how could you resist this.

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

01/06/2020

 

UNTITLED

DOG ART

By Canadian Artist

MAGDALENA WOJCICKA

Privately Published by

MAGDALENA WOJCICKA

 

Earlier in the year I received some Covid-19 themed postcards from Magdalena, which I have since posted on the website. With that set I also received this lovely art postcard because Magdalena wanted me to have an example of her more normal type of postcard issue.

 

 

31/05/2020

 

LEGO – BATMAN 3

BEYOND GOTHAM

BATMAN

Published by

THE LEGO GROUP

Official Computer Game Promotion postcard set

Copyright 2014

 

It’s been a busy couple of days, and I have been working on my display sheets, so no posting yesterday and just a quick one on Friday when I heard about the sad death of some well known postcard dealers. So, I thought I had better put something on today, and a set seemed to be a good idea.

This set was issued to promote the release of the computer video game LEGO BATMAN 3: BEYOND GOTHAM, which was released on 11th November 2014. Each card is a separate character card as depicted in lego.   

 

LEGO – BATMAN 3

BEYOND GOTHAM

SUPERMAN

Published by

THE LEGO GROUP

Official Computer Game Promotion postcard set

Copyright 2014

 

LEGO – BATMAN 3

BEYOND GOTHAM

GREEN LANTERN  

Published by

THE LEGO GROUP

Official Computer Game Promotion postcard set

Copyright 2014

 

LEGO – BATMAN 3

BEYOND GOTHAM

CYBORG

Published by

THE LEGO GROUP

Official Computer Game Promotion postcard set

Copyright 2014

 

LEGO – BATMAN 3

BEYOND GOTHAM

WONDER WOMAN

Published by

THE LEGO GROUP

Official Computer Game Promotion postcard set

Copyright 2014

 

LEGO – BATMAN 3

BEYOND GOTHAM

FLASH

Published by

THE LEGO GROUP

Official Computer Game Promotion postcard set

Copyright 2014

 

STANDARD REVERSE SIDE FOR ALL THE ABOVE POSTCARDS

 

29/05/2020

 

RIP ….. Roy Allen and his wife Cheryl

 

MAYFAIR CARDS & Vintage Postcards International

 

 

CHARLIE CHAPLIN

CITY LIGHTS (1931)

Published by

MAYFAIR CARDS

Ref: ‘MAGIC OF THE MOVIES SERIES’ - FP 860

 

There will not be many modern postcard collectors who will not have heard of ‘Mayfair Cards’, especially so for any collector in and around the London area, but also across most of the south east of the country. Roy and his wife Cheryl were the people behind ‘Mayfair Cards’. I had the pleasure to meet both on various occasions, and I have a large collection of their postcards, all published with their distinctive reverse layout. I was saddened to hear today that both Roy and Cheryl have passed away as a result of Covid-19. Their passing is a great loss to the hobby and particularly so to the moderns publishing aspect. Thankfully, their publishing output was substantial, and they will be remembered as their cards circulate amongst collectors for many years to come. My condolences go out to their family and friends.

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

That distinctive MAYFAIR CARDS layout

 

27/05/2020

 

CAMBRIDGE

A Series of modern postcards reproducing images of old used Cambridge view postcards

Copyright

EMMANUEL GILL

Published by and Distributed by

STAR EDITIONS LTD

Ref: EGCAMB002PC

 

When I visited Cambridge on my last visit, towards the end of last summer, I came across this series of postcards which looked extremely attractive on the postcard spinners of more than one shop. It is probably clear why they appealed to me, the use of original old Cambridge view postcards was always going to attract someone like me. I also think these are very clever as they appeal to the current fascination in nostalgia.

 

QUEEN’S BRIDGE AND COLLEGE

CAMBRIDGE

A Series of modern postcards reproducing images of old used Cambridge view postcards

Copyright

EMMANUEL GILL

Published by and Distributed by

STAR EDITIONS LTD

Ref: EGCAMB009PC

 

ST JOHN’S COLLEGE

CAMBRIDGE

A Series of modern postcards reproducing images of old used Cambridge view postcards

Copyright

EMMANUEL GILL

Published by and Distributed by

STAR EDITIONS LTD

Ref: EGCAMB013PC

 

TRINITY COLLEGE

CAMBRIDGE

A Series of modern postcards reproducing images of old used Cambridge view postcards

Copyright

EMMANUEL GILL

Published by and Distributed by

STAR EDITIONS LTD

Ref: EGCAMB015PC

 

27/05/2020

 

NORTH CORNWALL

By

EMMA BALL

Published by

EMMA BALL

Ref: UKPOST40

 

What a lovely postcard design. If you were a tourist in North Cornwall how could you possibly resist this one. My son and his family bought this one for me when they were on holiday in Cornwall a couple of years ago. I really like this one.

 

27/05/2020

 

WOODEN AERIAL TOWERS FOR

CHAIN HOME RADAR AT

RENSCOMBE FARM, WORTH MATRAVERS

CIRCA 1941

Published by

PURBECK RADAR MUSEUM TRUST

 

I have interest in the UK radar story besides its obvious connection with military history and this is because there is a small, but essential part of the story connected to the history of television. The inventor of radar was struggling with distance and power issues because of the capability of radio valves at the time. Fortunately, a component of television sets was found to be much better and eventually lead to the initial success of radar.

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

I do like it when postcard publishers and printers take some time to also work on the layouts of the reverse sides. This one has the use of different coloured inks and a printed little stamp like label in the stamp box position. With a nice little bit of informative text as well this is a near perfect reverse side layout.

 

 

27/05/2020

 

2020

STAY SAFE – STAY WELL

Lockdown themed postcard design

Designed by and issued by

CLAIRE HOLSTEAD

 

I came across this delightful postcard design, and the one depicted below on eBay. I am putting together a collection of Covid-19, pandemic and ‘lockdown’ themed postcards, stamps and philatelic material so could not resist these. They are well made, which sometimes is not the case with eBay sold items, and although simple in context are very well designed.

 

POEM POSTCARD

STAY SAFE – STAY WELL

Lockdown themed postcard design

Designed by and issued by

CLAIRE HOLSTEAD

 

26/05/2020

 

IPA

INTERNATIONAL POSTCARD ASSOCIATION, INC

USA

A nonprofit private organisation founded December 29th, 1987

Painting by

JOHN STOREY

Published by the

International Postcard Association, Inc (IPA)

Ref: Series 3 – Card No. 1 – 1990

 

John Storey is a British artist who specialised in painting trains, especially steam trains and he published a series of these paintings himself on postcards. He issued quite a few in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. His postcards were popular which is probably why he was asked to produce this painting for exclusive use by the IPA (they commissioned a number of well known postcard artists to produce images for their postcards, including Patrick Hamm in France).

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

26/05/2020

 

LONDON LIFE

THE BUS DRIVER

TUCKS POSTCARDS

ALWAYS JOLLY AND UP-TO-TIME

Published by

RAPHAEL TUCK & SONS

OILETTE type

Ref: “LONDON LIFE” Postcard 9057

 

This postcard was printed with additional text on the front to turn it into an advert postcard for the postcard publisher Raphael Tuck & Sons, who were the publishers of this card without their advert. This is a great postcard with loads of postcard history incorporated with it. Raphael Tuck & Sons is probably one of the UK’s greatest postcard publishers.

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

If the front of this postcard was not interesting enough you also have this side with its printed advert and all its information.

 

25/05/2020

 

JOIN HANDS

IN COVID-19 PREVENTION AND CONTROL

VIETNAM MAXI-CARD SET

CHUNG TAY PHONG CHONG DICH COVID-19

(4000d Value Stamp – Cancelled first day of issue: 31st March 2020)

Design

PHONGDX

Published by

VIETNAM POST

 

Vietnam Post appear to have been the first to issue a Covid-19 themed maxi-card, someone else (Iran) beat them to issuing a stamp related to the theme, but Vietnam definitely got there first on the maxi-card front, and they produced two cracking cards as well.

 

JOIN HANDS

IN COVID-19 PREVENTION AND CONTROL

VIETNAM MAXI-CARD SET

CHUNG TAY PHONG CHONG DICH COVID-19

(15000d Value Stamp – Cancelled first day of issue: 31st March 2020)

Design

PHONGDX

Published by

VIETNAM POST

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE TWO MAXI-CARDS

(Both cards have the same reverse design)

 

24/05/2020

 

STONE AND SOIL

(TRANS PENNINE TRAIL)

Reproduced from a Millennium stamp featuring a photograph by

John Parker

Published by

ROYAL MAIL

Ref: PHQ 221 (b) 7.00

 

This is one of the PHQ cards for the millennium series of stamp designs issued throughout 2000. Not a particularly popular series, in fact one quite derided at the time and for many years after, especially the photographic ones which were released in 2000. I had some spare ones of these, and I saw advance information of a special hand stamp which immediately appealed, and I thought this was the perfect postcard to have it applied to.

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

I thought this was a great handstamp and as it is horse related, I thought this card with the horse’s legs on it was ideal and I had a spare copy of the stamp as well. Because of an increase in the postal rates between the issue of this card/stamp and the special hand stamp I needed to add an extra 1p to make the correct rate, fortunately this also meant I got an extra strike of the special cancellation:

 

LUFTHANSA OLYMPIC FLIGHT

LH 8612 B747F

LONDON – SYDNEY

23 – 08 – 2000

 

Of course, there will be no Olympics this year as the games have been cancelled for this year and re-scheduled for next year.

 

23/05/2020

 

WHAT’S BETTER THAN

A BRUCE LEE MOVIE?

TWO BRUCE LEE MOVIES.

FIST OF FURY.

THE CHINESE CONNECTION.

Unknown Publisher

(although the reverse layout is ‘very’ similar to that used by the, ironically named, modern company called ‘VINTAGE POSTCARD COMPANY’)

 

I used to know someone in the 1990’s who collected Bruce Lee memorabilia. He would have loved this one. Back in the 1990’s there was a shop down Charring Cross Road called ‘The Vintage Postcard Co’ where they had two walls of postcards which were mainly film and television related, postcards just like this one in fact. I suspect, having seen the reverse layout of this card, that this card could well have been on the wall in this shop.

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

23/05/2020

 

HOW TO LIVE ON

TEN QUID A WEEK!

Published by

BAMFORTH & CO., LTD (Holmfirth, Yorkshire)

Ref: “COMIC” Series No. 1430

 

This is one of the television themed saucy seaside postcards in my television themed collection. I do like the fact that there are only two items which seem to cost more than the weekly television allowance, and that’s Beer and Cigarettes!

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

 

23/05/2020

 

RUGBY

By

PAMELA RHODES

HEADINGLEY WOMEN’S RUGBY UNION TEAM, FORMED IN 1988, CURRENTLY TOP OF DIVISION 2 NORTH, AMD PLAYING IN LEEDS, ENGLAND

This card is produced for

WOMEN’S SPORTS FOUNDATION

Printed by

WILDCAT CARDS

Ref: SPORTING WOMEN 91 postcard series

P47

 

One of the things that people are missing at this moment is sport, of just about any type. All the major events have been cancelled, including Wimbledon which my wife really enjoys. Sport is also a popular theme amongst postcard collectors, with the top three probably being Football, Ruby and Cricket (no real surprise there considering all three are major UK sports). The women’s championships for all three of these sports have become popular on television over the past few years and I am sure this trend will continue once these sports are allowed to recommence.

 

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

EMAIL ADDRESS - markspostcardchat@gmail.com

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