17/11/2019

THEIR MAJESTIES’ ROYAL SALOONS

BUILT 1903

LONDON & NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY

Official London & North Western Railway Company Postcard

Most, if not all, railway companies had their own postcards published. Some are quite common, which is the case with this issue, but I thought this one was interesting due to the royalty theme (although this probably does not help the value because the card was a common issue).

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

The stamp has been cancelled with a nice clear ‘KENSINGTON. W’ double ring cancellation dated 30^th November 1904 (that’s very nearly 115 years ago).

17/11/2019

UNTITLED

PIGEONS

No artist named

Published by

SCRIBBLER

(The Stationery Chain)

I bought this one a few months ago in a London branch of this chain store. I have always had a thing for pigeons because my Grandfather bred and raced homing pigeons, which look the same as the pigeons you see on the street, but better groomed, but perhaps not as cool as these pigeons depicted here!

17/11/2019

CHILDREN IN NEED 2019

By

JOHN PULHAM

Published by

REFLECTIONS OF A BYGONE AGE

I obviously missed this as Friday was my first full day in the US, but before I had left I had bought my 2019 Children in Need postcard. Reflections of a Bygone Age have been annually issuing a new card for this event for many years now, and all the proceeds raised by the sale of these cards goes directly to the charity. I believe I have a full collection with a range of artist-signed copies as well.

I do not know how the day and evening went, but I hope it was a successful fund raiser.

Copies of this postcard, and some previous years postcards, are available from the publisher - see address on reverse side of below reverse side image - they are normally 50p each (some older year cards are a bit more and signed copies of earlier cards are around £1.50, but they make a great addition to any collection, especially a TV themed one). Great cards for a great cause.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

I liked the addition of the little colour Pudsey Bear

CHILDREN IN NEED 201

By

MICHAEL O’BRIEN

Published by

REFLECTIONS OF A BYGONE AGE

An earlier issue with a design by an artist I like a lot and have met

 CHILDREN IN NEED 2014

Inset Picture By

RUPERT BESLEY

Main picture is a 1914 postcard by

ADRIENNE NASH

(published by the Inter-Art Co., London)

Published by

REFLECTIONS OF A BYGONE AGE

17/11/2019

MOUNT DORA

(part two)

I really enjoyed my day at the antiques fair yesterday – images of some of my buys have been placed on facebook, and they will appear here on the webpage once I return home and can scan them in for depiction.

To coincide with yesterdays posting I show the last two cards from the Mount Dora ones I picked up last year.

MOUNT DORA

Watercolour by local artist

D. J. MAURO

Unnamed Publisher

Local Postcard only available in Mount Dora

“Downtown Mount Dora is a quaint touch of New England. Known for its shopping, restaurants and its National Art Festival”

MOUNT DORA FAMOUS LAKESIDE INN 1886

Watercolour by local artist

D. J. MAURO

Unnamed Publisher

Local Postcard only available in Mount Dora

“Mount Dora’s Lakeside Inn is the oldest continuously operated Hotel in the state of Florida. President Calvin Coolidge and his wife spent a month long vacation in 1930”

This is possibly my favourite of the five cards I have shown you over the last two days. I think it is the image of the car that appealed most. These cards are the type of cards which make unusual, but great holiday souvenirs and I may have bought them even if I was not a postcard collector.

16/11/2019

MOUNT DORA

I am visiting here today as there is a massive antiques fair being held outside the town – I have been before and love it both at the large fair and the smaller regular ones held here. I also like the small town as well and have seen all the sights which are depicted on these postcards depicted here, which I bought last year on my trip.

Check out facebook today for possible pictures taken at the fair.

MOUNT DORA LIGHTHOUSE

Watercolour by local artist

D. J. MAURO

Unnamed Publisher

Local Postcard only available in Mount Dora

“The Mount Dora Lighthouse is the only Freshwater Lighthouse in Florida”

MT DORA, TAVARES & EUSTIS – RAILWAY CO.

MOUNT DORA, FLORIDA

Watercolour by local artist

D. J. MAURO

Unnamed Publisher

Local Postcard only available in Mount Dora

THE DONNELLY HOUSE

Built in 1893

Queen Anne distinction

Mount Dora’s most impressive landmark

Watercolour by local artist

D. J. MAURO

Unnamed Publisher

Local Postcard only available in Mount Dora

15/11/2019

LOEWS PORTOFINO BAY HOTEL

AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

Official Universal Studios Portofino Bay Hotel Postcard

Printed by

THE POSTCARD FACTORY

Ref: PC57-CST-8786

I have never stayed here, it is the next hotel area along from the Hard Rock Hotel, but I love the Hard Rock so much that I always stay here, and it is quite a bit nearer the theme parks, but I have walked down to this hotel area and I will admit that it is set in a beautiful fake Italian lakeside setting. It is as beautiful as this artist representation promises. I bought this postcard last year when my grandson and I walked around this hotel area.

I apologise, but I am going to be a bit fixated on Florida and the Universal Studio theme parks this week as I find this webpage is intrinsically linked to what I am doing here in the real world. I love Florida and travel here often and as a result have many related postcards. Don’t worry too much though as I will post some other themed cards as well, just to break up the Florida run.

Mind you, you think this is bad! Next week we move to Walt Disney World so expect an influx of Disney themed postcards then…… yea!

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

15/11/2019

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

FLORIDA

Official Theme Park Postcard

Ref: USF 001

Copyright 1990

I am in my room at the Hard Rock Hotel for my first morning of the holiday in Florida. Today I will be going into Universal Studios. The ET ride here is my daughter’s favourite (she bought an ET lanyard last night). This is a fairly-early(ish) postcard, but it is a cracker.

13/11/2019

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE

Official Universal Studios Theme Park Postcard

Ref: PCP4-IOA001-6

I am typing this whilst in a hotel room just across from the North Terminal at Gatwick Airport. Tomorrow morning, we will walk across and fly out from here to Florida where for the first week of our break we will be staying at the Hard Rock Hotel next door to the Universal Studios theme park. In 24hrs, give or take a bit, I will be looking for real at what you are looking at here on this postcard… I love a holiday.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

12/11/2019

FISHING COBLE

Painting by

MEL WHITTAKER

Of Filey, North Yorkshire

Published by

E. T. W. DENNIS & SONS LTD., SCARBOROUGH

(DENNIS PRINT & PUBLISHING)

Ref: G032115L

12/11/2019

IL VOUS RESTE BIEN UNE PLACE…

UNE TOUTE PETITE PLACE

The literal translation is:

‘You are well a place…

Any small place’

(I assume this is some sort of joke on the size of the woman in the red bathing costume)

French Published postcard

(because of the poor reverse printing it is hard to read the printing details)

Ref: 50334

A French saucy, or, to be honest, quite rude, which is not saying that some of the British ones were not just as bad, seaside styled cartoon postcard. The quality of the artwork here is better than many of the UK designs, but perhaps not so iconic.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

12/11/2019

FLORALIES

INTERNATIONALES

1967

‘Flower

International

1967’

April to October 1967

STATUE OF JOAN OF ARC

Printed by

PHOTO EDITIONS J. BOULAS, ORLEANS

Ref: No 11

Official Flower International Postcard

At first sight this card looks like your basic tourist multi-view issue, but the addition of the year date, 1967, makes this a card with a limited period of release. Issued for a flower international event this appears to only have been one card in a series.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This postcard was posted from the area of the flower event, Orleans in France, and posted whilst the event was running, in May 1967. This has two common French stamps applied which have been cancelled with a nice slogan cancellation. I think this nice clean postal usage adds interest and some small amount of extra value to the card.  

12/11/2019

LES PROVINCES FRANCAISES

26. EN POITOU

‘French Provinces – In Poitou’

Published by

COLLECTION IRIS

Ref: 26 [as stated above]

A nice photograph of a doll dressed in the provincial costume for the province of Poitou. The doll is placed in front of a painting of a bridge. I have an interest in toys and any postcard that depicts any type of doll fits nicely into this theme. This one is from the 1960’s

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

12/11/2019

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,

WASHINGTON, D. C.

Published by

B. S. REYNOLDS CO.,

WASHINGTON, D. C.

Ref: 2722

I bought this card last year in Flagstaff, Arizona from an antiques shop. I had to have it because just a week before Jo and I had been walking along the very road depicted here, although this is now a more modern road. As I walked along here, I was fascinated with the architecture of this building and I stopped and had a good look. It is still pretty much as it looks on this old postcard. What a wonderful building. This is also an example of how someone’s collection can be so wrapped around the collector’s own experiences. If I had not walked by this building, I would not have bought this postcard just a week or so later, but I am glad I did both.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

12/11/2019

ARE WE DOWN-HEARTED?

NO!!!

‘THE WEDDING DAY’

Published by

DAVIDSON BROS. PICTORIAL POST CARDS, LONDON

Ref: Series 6190

This is a lovely early cat postcard. Its not a louis Wain, but it is from the same period and the style is not dissimilar, although the artist here has captured that humorous cat style which was so popular at this time.

I bought this postcard last year when I was in Florida visiting a large antiques centre. I have posted it here today because on Saturday, in just four days-time, I will be back at this antique’s centre for a ‘large’ antique’s meet. I fly out Thursday morning and I can’t wait for the fair to come around. I hope I can pick up some more cracking postcards like this one.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

One of the wonders of collecting is how you find postcards used from all sorts of locations but on sale in unexpected places. This postcard here was posted from BRENWOOD, here in my home county of Essex, to Surry, also in the UK in 1908. So, you can imagine my surprise when I came across this postcard for sale in Florida! So now the card is back in Essex. That’s quite a round journey. This is what I love about collecting.

12/11/2019

LAZE THE CITY DAYS AWAY –

IN BEAUTIFUL LONDON

SO ENCHANTING,

LET YOURSELF GO!

LONDON CALLING… A POSTCARD…

Published by

CHIC PIX STUDIOS

1983

Ref: R44

This company were responsible for some interesting designs during the early 1980’s which used a mix of old black and white photographs cut down and mounted on colourful backgrounds matched with interesting text titles and headlines. The style was ‘definitely’ theirs and their designs can be often identified as theirs without having to turn the cards over, which would be a shame as often there is also something interesting on the reverse side, as is the case here.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

I like the addition of the Queen’s head bottom right.

12/11/2019

HOMEMAKER

THE PRACTICAL HOW-TO-DO-IT MONTHLY

No. 1

MARCH 1959  

‘ENJOY YOUR NEW HOME’

Published by

ROBERT OPIE

Ref: Occasion Series – 01OC08

Not a magazine I have ever been aware of, but what a crisp and colourful piece of magazine cover artwork. The thing with Robert Opie is that although his cards are just about everywhere these days (and I often joke about his onwards march towards postcard sales domination), they also have images which just do not appear on other postcards anywhere, like this one (but then he does have an amazing collection of advertising packaging and literature and paper material).

12/11/2019

TESCO.

NOW OPEN FROM

8am TO 10pm

“Mmm, that’s a nice round figure”

Official TESCO postcard for the store located at:

SHRIPNEY ROAD, BOGNOR REGIS

No Printer named

Official TESCO’s promotional postcard.

This postcard design, and the one below, mimic the iconic ‘saucy seaside postcard’ style. I thought it was nice to see that this type of postcard was so ingrained in the British psyche that it could be used as a promotional product that the company knew would catch the eye and bring back nostalgia.   

TESCO.

NOW OPEN FROM

8am TO 10pm

“Ooh! That’s rather long”

Official TESCO postcard for the store located at:

SHRIPNEY ROAD, BOGNOR REGIS

No Printer named

Official TESCO’s promotional postcard.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARDS

12/11/2019

WOMEN IN AMERICA EARN ONLY 2/3 OF WHAT MEN DO.

WOMEN ARTISTS EARN ONLY 1/3 OF WHAT MEN ARTISTS DO.

A Public Service Message From

GUERRILLA GIRLS

Conscience of the Art World

Screenprint on Paper

1985

Published by the

TATE GALLERY

(Bought at the TATE MODERN, London)

This piece of artwork was purchased by the Tate in 2003. I suppose this could be described as political art, or perhaps modern feminist art. I have a friend who collects coins and bank notes on postcard, and he loves this one.

12/11/2019

THE SCENERY HERE IS…

SMASHING

At BLACKPOOL

Published by

BAMFORTH & CO., LTD

Ref: N 5 ‘COLOR GLOSS’ NOVELTY SERIES [the spelling of colour is as shown]

During the late 1960’s and 1970’s the depiction of a bikini clad female on a coastal town souvenir postcard was a common place thing. It could even be classed as a specific postcard trend. This example here is a good example of this type of postcard.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

Nice ‘Blackpool’ advert slogan

12/11/2019

PRAHA

‘Prague’

Novelty thick card postcards

Unique designs to a single shop

Published exclusively by

WORLD SOUVENIRS

‘With Heart in Prague’

Handmade using Recycled Paper

I am going to depict here two postcards which are exclusive to one single little souvenir shop located at one end of the bridge that appears on both the designs, the shop is located just the other side of the side of this bridge shown here. I liked because of the thickness of the card and that the designs appear to be reproductions of artwork used on much older golden age postcards. These were great souvenirs of my trip to Prague earlier this year.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

PRAHA

‘Prague’

Novelty thick card postcards

Unique designs to a single shop

Published exclusively by

WORLD SOUVENIRS

‘With Heart in Prague’

          Handmade using Recycled Paper

                                                   NON-POSTCARD ITEM

EXCLUSIVE SHOP PAPER BAG

I like to keep unusual things together, so I have kept the paper bag that the above two postcards were placed in at the shop in Prague. These things have little value, but they change a collection from being just a postcard collection into a personal souvenir of my trip.

11/11/2019

POST-A-PHOTO

A SPECIAL ROYAL MAIL SERVICE

Photograph by

ROSALIND WICKS

1992

Limited Edition of 20

Individually numbered cards

‘POST-A-PHOTO’ was a service that Royal Mail ran in the early 1990’s where anyone could submit a photograph, and have it returned depicted on 20 postcards (I believe the service was just for 20 cards to be made, I am not sure that there was an option for more than this). Many people took up this offer and used it to have favourite photographs turned into postcards. Most are family photos and holiday snaps, but I have seen some landscape photos and what you would describe as the normal type of photographs found in most people’s photograph collections.

This card here is an exception as it depicts the original artwork by Rosalind Wicks which she turned into some of the excellent postcards in her long running series. Rosalind was fascinated in postal items and clearly took advantage here of this Royal Mail service. I suspect this could be considered one of her rarer postcards, and I think they were mainly sent out to her friends and contacts. Sadly, as reported on this webpage, Rosalind passed away earlier this year, but at least we have her many unique art styled and photographic postcards.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This is the standard POST-A-PHOTO reverse side layout, printed in the normal blue colour that was used. As you can see from the message, Rosalind sent this card out as a National Postcard Week commemorative. The bonus for any collector with this card is that Rosalind has also signed it. A very collectible, and unusual postcard.  

11/11/2019

ROSALIND JILL WICKS

Photograph by

COLIN WICKS

Printed by

THOUGHT FACTORY

Published by

ROSALIND WICKS

1999

By the time this postcard came out Rosalind had been publishing postcards for ten years. This was a nice issue because it shows various views of Rosalind throughout her life, with the large bottom image depicting Rosalind working on one of her postcard designs. This copy of the postcard is nice because it has an additional autograph on the front dated 2002, which adds interest and a little value to the individual card.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This side also has been signed by Rosalind Wicks, another nice little addition to this card.

11/11/2019

“THEY SHALL GROW NOT OLD

AS WE THAT ARE LEFT GROW OLD:

AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM,

NOR THE YEARS CONDEMN.

AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN

AND IN THE MORNING

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.”

WEEPING WINDOW

From the installation

‘BLOOD SWEPT LANDS AND SEAS OF RED’

Poppies and original concept by artist

PAUL CUMMINS

Originally at the HM Tower of London

2014

Photograph by

ANDREW TUNNARD

Published by the

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

Ref: PP02005  

10/11/2019

TIME

THE WEEKLY MAGAZINE

Cover from 2^nd February 1948

VOL. LI NO 5

WORLDWIDE SPONSOR 1988

OLYMPIC GAMES

Official ‘TIME’ postcard

There is no descriptive text on the reverse side of this postcard, not that I think you really need much as most of what you need to know is printed on the displayed cover. I am left wondering if there are any more covers, in what would then be a series. If you know then please let me know.

Judging from the sponsorship mention I assume this postcard is from 1988 (my copy was posted in the UK in 1992 – a competition entry usage)

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

10/11/2019

UNTITLED

Charlie Brown & Snoopy

Published by

SCHIKKUS VERLAG UND GROSHANDEL GMBH & CO. KG

Ref: “BERLIN AFFAIR” (series) – 02076

I call these cards the ‘Polaroid Picture’ postcards, because clearly, and I believe deliberately, they resemble the type of photograph that you used to get out of the old polaroid instamatic cameras. I know this because I had one of these cameras as a kid. In Berlin I came across a whole load of this type of shaped postcard [to see more check out the ‘FERNSEHTURM-The East Berlin TV Tower’ tab above, where there are a range of images of this TV Tower on these postcards].

This design here shows artwork of Charlie Brown, apparently smoking with his friend Snoopy the dog. I assume, from the apparent sharing that there could be a drug theme behind this image, but for me this was just an unusual cartoon/TV/Comic Strip related postcard.

10/11/2019

PORT ISAAC

aka

PORT WENN

Scenes of Port Isaac, Cornwall

Picturesque North Coast fishing village,

The setting for various film and TV programmes,

Including the popular Doc Martin series

Unnamed Publisher

Some friends of mine very kindly picked this card for me whilst they were visiting Port Isaac. For me this card is great because it is an unusual addition to my television collection. Port Isaac is of course a real location, but it doubles as the fictional location of Port Wenn, where the television series ‘Doc Martin’ is based. This is the type of postcard that can only be picked up by visiting the specific location, or by having a friend do so.    

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

10/11/2019

THEN & NOW

2016

By

LORNA SIMPSON

12 panels, ink and screenprint on clayboard

Published by

TATE GALLERY

When I last visited the Tate Modern in London, which was just a few months back, this piece of artwork was on display. This postcard image of the piece does not give you any idea of just how big this piece is. Having seen the actual artwork, I decided to purchase this postcard of it in the gift shop.

10/11/2019

JULIE ANDREWS

By

CECIL BEATON

1959

Gelatin silver print

Published by the

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

I bought this one from my most recent visit to the galleries gift shop. This year they reduced the display area where they sell their postcards, which has reduced the number that are available, but they still have more than most similar gift shops. From my point of view this is a new design from this year, but this is only because this was the first year that I have seen this card in the racks. With the new Mary Poppins film coming out in December 2018, and with many seeing it in early 2019, then perhaps this cards image is, or was, topical.

10/11/2019

CORRESPONDENZ-KARTE

Austrian Postal Stationery Post Card

THE WORLD’S FIRST POST CARD

150^TH ANNIVERSARY

This year is the 150^th anniversary of the worlds first post card, which was a postal stationery post card, this one here to be precise. I could not let this anniversary go without mention. The first such card came out on the 1^st October 1869.

This copy here was posted within Austria to WIEN (which is Vienna). The printed postage stamp has been cancelled with a single ring cancel with AUSPITZ printed around the top. I have not been able to find a place of this name, but it is a well-known Jewish surname, especially so in Austria (I need to do more research here)

The cancels are dated 1871.

REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD

This has some printed text, which has been added to the card as an official added text print:

RAUM FUR SCHRIFTLICHE MITTHEILUNGEN

‘Room for written images’

DIE POSTANSTALT IIBERNIMMT KEINE. VERANTWORTLICHKEIT FUR DEN INHALT DER MITTHEILUNGEN

‘The postal officer does not have responsibility for the contents of the images’

10/11/2019

UNRESTORED 34046 BRAUNTON – Photograph by Alan Mead

ON THE TURNTABLE AT MINEHEAD – Photograph by Justin Kerr-Peterson

Printed by

JUDGES OF HASTINGS

For the

WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY

Ref: C-37806X

This is a nice before and after set of postcard images which superbly show what these preservation railways can do. I like visiting these railways, and if there is one around when I am away, I try and pay a visit.