postcards

Postcards are rectangular cards intended for mailing without an envelope. They typically feature an image on the front and space on the back for a brief message, the recipient’s address, and postage. Formats vary by country, but many postcards use a divided back to separate the message from the address.

The modern postcard appeared in the late 19th century in Europe and was soon adopted worldwide. The convenience of sending a short note alongside a visual image contributed to postcards becoming a common means of travel documentation, correspondence, and advertising. In the early era, the back was often undivided; later a divided back allowed writing on one side and the address on the other, expanding how postcards could be used. The period from the late 19th into the early 20th century is frequently called the golden age of postcards.

Postcards come in several types. Picture postcards carry photographs or illustrations. Real photo postcards (RPPC) are photographs produced as card images. Printing methods include lithography, chromolithography, and later photographic processes. There are also advertising postcards, collectors’ cards, and art postcards that emphasize design or regional imagery.

Today postcards remain widely produced as souvenirs, promotional items, and collectibles. The study of postcard collecting is known as deltiology, which covers image topics, printer techniques, postal marks, and historical context. Libraries, archives, museums, and private collections preserve large postcard holdings that document social history, travel, and visual culture.