SET CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

(AT BOTTOM OF PAGE)

Details about this King Kong poster postcard set appear on the next page

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

27/03/2020

HYSTERICAL KENT

Collage 2015

By

MICHAEL LEIGH

Published by the artist

MICHAEL LEIGH – LAUGHING SHED

This is such a clever idea, and I love it. The artist Michael Leigh takes common standard styled multi-view postcards and adapts them by sticking other little pictures on them and, sometimes, adapting the cards text to match the new additions, as has been done here with the change from ‘HISTORICAL’ to ‘HYSTERICAL’ which matches the grinning, smiling people added to the card. So far, I have only found three of these cards, but I think they are great.

CORN SUNSETS

2014

By

MICHAEL LEIGH

Published by the artist

MICHAEL LEIGH – LAUGHING SHED

Here the artist has taken a badly folded, so therefore damaged, postcard and has covered over the WALL part of CORNWALL thus changing the entire meaning of the card. This is technically a piece of art I suppose, but to me it is comic postcard

DEVON THATCHES

Collage 2016

By

MICHAEL LEIGH

Published by the artist

MICHAEL LEIGH

This might possibly be my favourite of the three designs. Here there was no need to change the cards title text in any way as the artist was clearly inspired by it. The simple addition of some wig like hair pieces to each cottage changes the entire meaning of this postcard (imagine an emoji laughing face inserted here).

REVERSE SIDE OF THE LEFT-HAND SIDE CARD ABOVE

This has quite a long hand-written message on it, but it has no stamp or signs which indicates this was probably posted inside an envelope, something which was far more common then you might expect. Unfortunately, I don’t read French, so I do not know what this message is about, and it is just too long for me to attempt a Google – Translate. But, by-all-means give it a go if your intrigued (if you read French, or are French then it will of course be much easier)

REVERSE SIDE OF THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE ABOVE

It seems possible, after looking at these two reverse sides, that they were written by the same person as aspects of the lettering are similar, especially with the capital letter ‘P’ on ‘Pelle’. I did buy these two from the same little antique postcard shop in France, so they may have come from a single collection.

26/03/2020

MILLE BAISERS LES PLUS DOUX

A Thousand Sweeter Kisses

(A Thousand Sweet Kisses)

Unknown French Publisher

Ref: 5065

A nice message on an early French issued postcard. As often mentioned here on the webpage, the French were very adept at producing romantic themed postcard designs.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

26/03/2020

MIDTOWN

Photo by

KONSTANTINO HATZISARROS

2019

Published by

PSARIS PRODUCTIONS

Ref: #200N

“POSTCARD FROM NEW YORK CITY”

Timing wise we were ‘really’ lucky with our trip to New York last month. The area is now in a coronavirus lockdown and has been since the 22^nd March. There has also sadly been a number of deaths across New York State, 385 as I write this. How things can change across such a short period of time. I enjoyed New York a lot and hope to travel back to the city at some future point, so I hope, like the rest of the world, the city and state recovers soon.

25/03/2020

KOLN 1945

Cologne 1945

Published by

CITY SIGHTS

Ref: WPKK033

When we were doing a train tour of parts of Europe last year, we had to change trains at Cologne Railway station, which is the large covered area you can see bottom left in this photograph. We had only a brief period between trains, but it meant that we could at least get a look at the outside of the famous Cologne Cathedral which dominates the skyline from the railway station, and which also dominates this postcards image.

Cologne was bombed on 262 separate occasions during WW2, all by the RAF and 20,000 civilians died in these air raids. Cologne was the target for the RAF’s first 1,000 bomber raid overnight between 30^th and 31^st May 1942.

So, the fact that by the end of the war much of the city was badly damaged should come as no surprise. Many of the photographs taken of the damaged city have been issued as postcards, and these can still be found on sale around the city, and in at least one souvenir shop within the city’s railway station. I know this because this is where I found this selection depicted here.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

With one exception (the card immediately below) this is the standard reverse layout for these cards, with just the reference number changing. Note that this one has a double barcode top right. Most of these cards only have a single barcode.  

KOLN 1945

Cologne 1945

Published by

CITY SIGHTS

Ref: K 28

This photograph is taken from the other side of the river and shows one of the collapsed bridges (not the railway bridge - see further down).

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This particular postcard does not have the greyed-out photograph on the reverse side (which all the others have), and has a different styled reference number, which is located under the barcode top right.

KOLN 1945

Cologne 1945

Published by

CITY SIGHTS

Ref: K61-WPK

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Here the greyed-out image is much clearer. Also note the single barcode

KOLN 1945

Cologne 1945

Published by

CITY SIGHTS

Ref: K60-WPK

Single Barcode reverse

KOLN 1945

Cologne 1945

Published by

CITY SIGHTS

Ref: K30-WPK

This photograph depicts the collapsed railway bridge which has now been rebuilt, which is a good thing really as we crossed this as we left the city on our train.

This has a single barcode reverse.

KOLN 1945

Cologne 1945

Published by

CITY SIGHTS

Ref: K55-WPK

You can see the railways station building much better on this picture, it is located on the right side in the centre. You can see the railway lines coming out and then bending towards one end of the bridge, with this section still up and not down in the river like much of the bridge was (see previous postcard)

This has a single barcode reverse.

KOLN 1945

Cologne 1945

Published by

CITY SIGHTS

Ref: WPKK032

You get a far greater idea of the damage caused from this wider view of this part of the city. Again, the railway station and the Cathedral can be seen.

This card has the double barcode reverse side format.

25/03/2020

THE AMERICAN THEATRE WING STAGE DOOR CANTEEN.

STARS OF STAGE, SCREEN, RADIO, VAUDEVILLE AND MUSIC WORLDS

PROVIDE FOOD, DANCING AND ENTERTAINMENT TO SERVICE MEN

-  ALL FREE NIGHTLY

By

BERNEY TOBEY

‘TUNE IN! STAGE DOOR CANTEEN’

COLUMBIA NETWORK EVERY THURSDAY EVENING.

9:30 TO 10:00 EASTERN WAR TIME

Sponsored by DEXTROSE, food-energy sugar

Official Columbia Network Postcard

Second World War American postcard which has a nice front cartoon like image. This one fits nicely into my ‘Entertainment’ collection with its obvious radio connection. This is one of those rare cards where I cannot remember where I obtained it from, it was definitely somewhere here in the UK, possibly in a bundle of cards I bought somewhere.

      REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

24/03/2020

COUNTY BOROUGH OF

SOUTHEND-ON-SEA

AND DISTRICT BOY SCOUTS’

LOCAL ASSOCIATION

Official local scout association overprinted postcard

This simple postcard is of interest to me because it relates directly to my hometown and to an organisation that I have been a member of for many years. As you can see from the written message this is from 1932, that’s seven years before the start of world war II. A great piece of local scouting ephemera.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This was posted from London (for some reason) to Stanford-Le-Hope in Essex. The stamp has been cancelled with a LONDON E.1 machine slogan cancellation dated 18^th October 1932; ‘THE BEST INVESTMENT – A TELEPHONE’.

Maybe this card was taken to London by a local scout officer and posted whilst either serving under some scouting position in London or whilst he was to or from a London based place of work.

24/03/2020

THE JOHN F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL,

RUNNYMEDE

Published by

COLOURMASTER INTERNATIONAL

Ref: PT5274

This British memorial for the assassinated US President John F. Kennedy was dedicated on the 14^th May 1965 by both Queen Elizabeth II and Jacqueline Kennedy. The quote engraved on the stone is taken from the president’s inaugural address. The monument is reached by climbing 50 steps which are made of irregular granite pieces with 60,000 hand cut sets making up the 50 steps.

The ground upon which the monument is stood was given as a gift to the United States by the people of the United Kingdom. The garden area around the monument was designed by landscape architect Geoffrey Jellicoe whilst the monument itself was designed and carved by Alan Collins.

These two postcards look almost identical, and they do depict the same photograph although slightly cut in different positions.

REVERSE SIDES OF THE ABOVE TWO POSTCARDS

This is one of the aspects of postcard study which fascinates me, the way one design is re-issued over time but with a different reverse layout. Many companies changed their reverse layout designs over time, some more regularly than others. When you know the order in which these layouts were used you can partially date a card. For example, the top reverse layout depicted here came before the one depicted below it. I believe the top card is from the 1960’s (probably late) and the bottom card is from the 1970’s.

24/03/2020

HISTORIC HOUSES OF LONDON

By

FAGA

Printed by

S. E. DEVENISH LTD

Published by

FAGA

Ref: ‘GREETINGS FROM LONDON’

THE ‘FAGA’ SERIES

No. 47

One of the many FAGA large sized map themed postcards which were published by FAGA (Frederick Foley) during the 1960’s and 1970’s) Although these were often re-printed many times they are often quite hard to source and can also, where people know what they are, be quite expensive as well. I have always liked the FAGA postcards and have put together one of the top largest collections of his postcard issues.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Top right you will see the details ‘16P/172’ and something similar will be found on the reverse side of most, if not all FAGA’s early map postcards. These can be very useful to postcard historian as the line is full of details and can be decoded as follows

16P/ - sixteenth printing (obviously earlier printings will have a lower number)

1 – the month of the printing, i.e, January in this case

72 – the year of re-print, so 1972 in this case  

When you know how these lines of numbers work then it opens-up all sorts of information.

24/03/2020

EVOLUTION

EINDHOVEN HOLLAND –

PHILIPS

PERMANENT INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION CENTRE

SPECIAL JUBILEE FLIGHT

PHILIPS FRIENDSHIP PH-LIP

SEPT 24^TH 1966

Official Philips 75^th Anniversary release

The front picture appears to be a model, possible for the above-mentioned industrial exhibition centre. The front image is nice, but as is often the case with the philatelic postcards in my collection it is the reverse side which is more intriguing.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Top left we have a specially printed and applied ‘PHILIPS 1891 – 1966, LUCHTPOST PAR AVION’ air mail etiquette (which is the official name for these, but most people just call them ‘Air Mail Labels’), produced for the 75^th anniversary of the company.

The 25 cent ‘special flights’ Nederland postage stamp has been cancelled with a special handstamp:

EINDHOVEN

24 SEPT 1966

EUROPESE RONDVLUCHT PER PH-LP

[European scenic flight by PH-LP]

1891 - 1966

The combination of special air-mail etiquette, stamp and special handstamp makes for a nice combination.

24/03/2020

IT’S HERE!

“MATCHBOX” MOTORISED MOTORWAY

1960’S BOXED GAME

Published by

ROBERT OPIE COLLECTION

Ref: DIE-CAST MODELS SERIES

Ref: 01DM06

I suspect with everything being as it is and everyone being stuck in their homes for so much of the day (in some countries for all of the day, near enough) something like this would currently be very popular. I am sure there is something like this still available, maybe Scalextric, which is what we had as kids.

24/03/2020

ALBERT UDERZO ….. RIP

Alberti Aleandro Uderzo – 25^th April 1927 –

24^th March 2020

French comic book artist and writer who is perhaps best known as the co-founder and illustrator of the comic book character Asterix, and his many Gaul friends.

SIN DIE JECK, DIE KOLSCHE!

DAM ASTERIX SINGE JUNG

Published by

EDGAR GRATIS POSTKARTEN SERVICE

Ref: # 1.317

This image depicts the character Obelix who is Asterix’s best friend and companion on all his adventures and travels. The cartoon book being advertised here is ASTERIX AND SON, which was the 27^th volume of the Asterix comic book series collection. This book was released in 1983, although I think this postcard is from a much later decade. I have also struggled to translate the title of this card (Google Translate did not like this at all for some reason!), so I am not sure what exactly being promoted here.

PHOTOGRAPH

ALBERT UDERZO

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

23/03/2020

IS YOUR OLD MAN IN JOE?

Published by

BAMFORTH COMPANY LTD 2013

Ref: C-42203

This one is from when a large selection of the Bamforth comic designs were re-released in and around 2013, but on larger modern sized postcard stock. They were also printed with a nice colourful reverse layout. This is another of the cards I bought because a television appears in the design.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

23/03/2020

IT’S A FREE COUNTRY

LICENCE FOR THIS – LICENCE FOR THAT

THERE’S A HECK OF A LOT TO REMEMBER THAT’S FLAT,

LICENCE TO DRINK, LICENCE TO WED,

LICENCE TO SHOOT OR TO BURY THE DEAD,

LICENCE FOR DOGS, LICENCE TO FISH,

FOR WIRELESS, FOR CARS, AND THE OLD TELEVISH,

THIS WORRY’S ENOUGH TO MAKE US ALL GRIEVE,

PRETTY SOON WE’LL BE NEEDING A LICENCE TO BREATH!

Published by

BAMFORTH & CO., LTD., Holmfirth, Yorkshire

Ref: “COMIC” Series No. 1212

I thought the face mask was quite topical! Another of the Bamforth comic postcard releases. I bought this one because of the mention of television, which is referred to here as ‘Tevevish’.  

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

23/03/2020

“THE RECORD YOU HAVE JUST HEARD IS –

‘I’M FEELING BLUE’ ON THE FRONTSIDE,

AND ‘KISS ME AGAIN’ ON THE BACK….!

By

ARNOLD TAYLOR

Published by

BAMFORTH & CO., LTD., Holmfirth, Yorkshire

Ref: “COMIC” Series No. 802

I am sure we can all do with a little more humour in our lives in these currently horrible times, so, I shall do my bit and picture some comic cards for you.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

23/03/2020

WHO FARTED?

By

PERT

(JEFF PERT)

Printed by

ENTERTAINYAMANIA

Tonight it has been announced that we should only go out for the essentials of food and once a day for exercise, keeping the required distance apart of course, so, I thought this postcard could be amusing and is posted for those people shut up at home with their families… remember it could always be worse…  

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

23/03/2020

KING LEAR

From Shakespeare’s Globe

LIVE IN CINEMAS

THURS 21 SEPTEMBER

(KEVIN McNALLY)

Advert Postcard Published for

CINEMALIVE.COM

This was a free postcard which was in Odeon cinemas (and possibly other cinema branches) some years ago. It is one of those cards which fits into several themes, theatre, Shakespeare, Cinema and television (the depicted actor, Kevin McNally appeared in I’ Claudius, The Duchess of Duke Street, Poldark, Doctor Who, Z-Cars, Casualty, Midsomer Murders, Spooks, Life on Mars, Law & Order: UK, Downton Abbey and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, amongst many others). It is always nice when a free postcard fits into one of your main themes.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

23/03/2020

L’ACTUALITE

POITOU – CHARENTES

EXPLORATEURS ET GRANDS VOYAGEURS

‘News

Poitou-Charentes

Explorers and Great Travellers’

Published as a free advertising postcard for this exhibition

I loved the image on this postcard, which was a free postcard advertising a 2006 exhibition. I like history, especially our own human history and how native people dressed and acted, before others invaded their countries. The costumes depicted here are unusual and make this an attractive postcard. I picked this one up whilst in France in 2006 visiting my in-laws. Poitou-Charentes is a region of France which I have visited often, as it is where my in-laws house is located. I suspect this exhibition would have been interesting.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

23/03/2020

ELLIS ISLAND

Published by

IMPACT PHOTOGRAPHICS

Printed in China

Ref: 57872

This is another of my souvenir postcards from my personal visit to the famous New York Ellis Island. What I like about this card is that its printed in the linen style format that is so well known in older modern US postcards. I thought it was nice that you can still find these.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

I am genuinely intrigued as to what ‘Soy Ink’ is. Also, its nice to see that beside s the old linen style of card stock being used, they have also used that old, and once popular, deckle-edging.

23/03/2020

GERTRUD’S BEAR

ELLIS ISLAND

STATUE OF LIBERTY NATIONAL MONUMENT

Printed by

PIGMENT & HUE, INC

Copyright 2016

For the

ELLIS ISLAND GIFT SHOP

This is one of the display items at the Ellis Island museum. Text on the reverse side gives a little potted history of the ‘Teddy Bear’ and explains that this ‘particular’ teddy bear is in the Ellis Island museum collection because it was brought through Ellis Island by Gertrud when she was a child. When I saw this postcard, I had to have a copy.  

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

I like it when publishers put stuff on the reverse side, photographs, informative text or just a greyed-out image. I think it makes a postcard far more interesting and appealing.