No comments about Six Picasso Postcards (Small-Format Card Books).

No comments about Colorado Wildlife: A Postcard Book (Postcard Books).

2 comments about Real Photo Postcards: Unbelievable Images from the Collection of Harvey Tulcensky.

1. I collect postcards, and any postcard collector will be drawn to similar images, the exaggerated giant ears of corn, Colonel Teddy Roosevelt, the disaster cards of train derailment, or a gathering of balloons for a race. In the collection Tulcensky' artistic eye shines in some of the unique selections: the car with lion-headed costumed riders in the back, workers at a salt mine, or a bridge of Pomeranian dogs over a child from 1908.
   
   All of the cards are "real photo" postcards, taken with a camera, and not a printing press. The postmarks in this collection are included so about half the cards are dated and range from 1901 to 1950, but probably most being 1909-1919. All are in black and white, and may include the text of the note on the postcard. The brief interview with Tulcensky reveals his interest. This book will be enjoyed not just by postcard collectors, but those interested in images taken the by the "everyman".



2. In the early 1900s, Kodak promoted real photo postcards which could be mailed for one cent through the post office using the company's first inexpensive, portable camera made for the public. Such a post card could be made out of any photograph taken by the camera. The nearly 200 real photo cards show the variety of ways the public responded to this opportunity to try out the new camera and get in touch with relatives and friends. People would send photos of parades, circuses, snowstorms, and pictures of themselves, often in playful poses or amusing settings. Some of the cards were surreal-like with their distortions in the sizes of objects; which could also be amusing, as one from Kansas where a giant cricket is attacking a car and the note, "See what we have to put up with out here." The amateurish, popular use and subjects is apparent in practically all of the photo postcards. But what is also apparent--pointed out in the brief introductory essay--is the real photo postcards' part in familiarizing the public with the camera and interesting them in its possibilities, laying the grounds for the photojournalism and the art photography of the following decades.

No comments about Photomontage on Wood.

1 comments about Propaganda Postcards of World War II.

1. This new (year 2000) 160 page book has more than 100 full color and 100 black and white, sharp, clear photos covering propaganda postcards from 20 countries. There's plenty of text explaining the many cards, which are grouped by: U.S., The Allies, The Axis Nations, and Neutral Nations. Valuies and a nice bibliography are provided. It offers a chronicle of the trying war years and gives a good insight into the history and actions of the times. The reader is given a provocative glimpse into the emotional climate of the people affected by the war, whether they were on the battlefield or on the production line. A great insight into the history of the times. A wonderful, fascinating addition to your library.

1 comments about Grundy County (IL) (Postcard History Series).

1. This wonderful little book is part of Arcadia Publishing's Postcard History series, and focuses on Grundy County, Illinois. It is chock full of black-and-white postcard shots from just about everywhere around the county - from Morris to Coal City to Channahon and beyond. Each postcard has an interesting and highly informative caption. The postcards themselves are organized by type, which pretty much organizes them by era - Early Private Mailing Cares (1880-1901), Undivided-Back Postcards (1901-1907), Divided-Back Postcards (1907-1914), White-Border and Divided-Back Postcards (1915-1930) and Linen and Photochrome Postcards (1993-2007).
   
   Overall, I found this to be a wonderful book, and like all of the books in this series, it is a great resource for any genealogist looking to capture information on the Grundy County of yesteryear. My one and only complaint against this wonderful book is that it would have been nice if the published has included an index of the postcards by town.
   
   But, that one small complaint aside, I do consider this to be a great book, one that is sure to interest anyone interested in Grundy County.

4 comments about Postmarked Yesteryear: Art of the Holiday Postcard.

1. The art on the postcard is the focus and this book does a great job of picturing different views of the holidays. Starting with a brief history of the post card and publishers, she then presents some common symbolism. She moves through the year, covering each of the holidays. At New Year's are images of pigs pulling a coach. On Valentines days is the "Penny Dreadful", with ill wishes from someone you may have wronged. At Christmas are Louis Wain's cats, which can be rare (and the relative prices of the cards are indicated). She includes holidays not commonly celebrated in the states today, such as Guy Fawkes Day, the Mexican Day of the Dead, and Krampus. Because of her own collection, the images of Halloween are spectacular and a highlight of the book. My only minor complaint would be that on some of the light backgrounds her annotations are hard to read.



2. This is a very good book in terms of introducing the different holidays/postcard themes that can be found. It has really great pictures and I guess what I take away most is the general ideas on what is considered valuable/rare. I just collect ones I like and think are attractive, I don't really collect because of the collectability, so this book was helpful for me in getting ideas on what else I might like and should look for.



3. If you have any interest in vintage holiday postcards, or just an interest in "holiday history/graphic symbolism", this wonderful book is a "must-own". The examples shown, and the writing in general, could not have been better. It is NOT a book you put on the shelf and forget about. Joe Hohmann, Media, PA



4. These postcards are truly works of art. Compare these oldies to today's postcards and you will be greatly disappointed with the apparent lack of artistry and imagination that goes in to current postcard design. Each postcard is a wonderful reminder of a more intimate time, when getting a postcard was an event. Praise must go to the authors for compiling a wonderful collection and presenting it to the reader.

1 comments about Posta Verdura (Postcard Book).

1. I came across Helen Buttfield's postcard books for the first time when visiting the Melbourne Museum shop a few years ago. I bought the Posta Insecta collection to use as thank you cards and recently when I ran out, was happy find her other postcard collections are available from Amazon. Besides the beautiful artwork (which recipients often comment on) out of Posta Vedura's 30 cards, each picture is only repeated once, so great value for money.

2 comments about Official Price Guide to Postcards: 1st Edition (Official Identification and Price Guide to Postcards).

1. Allmen's book is a nice reference, but not an absolute essential. It has some valuable information in the beginning, such as how to determine the age of a card and so on, but her examples aren't as plentiful as one would wish. As well, her prices aren't current, and having been published in 1990, cannot possibly reflect the kind of resurgance in interest in postcards that places like Ebay and Amazon auctions are generating. But if you're a dealer or a serious collector it's a nice book to add to your shelf.



2. This book starts with short easy chapters on the topics of most interest to beginning collectors: history of postcards, how to gauge age, condition, buying and selling, terms and abbreviations. Contains a comprehensive list of postcard publishers, a good glossary, but less than adequate index. One particularly good chapter runs through 5 postcards from the same artist that range in value from $1 to $150 in order to give a sense of what is valuable. This type of comparison would be of great value in any collectables/antique book and I wish there were more examples in this book. The novice can quickly get up to speed on the basics, then browse the extensive price listings both to estimate the value of their own collections, or to see if the local antique store is overpriced (it is!).The price list contains several thousand categories. Contains many b&w photos. The color insert would've been better if it showed a greater variety of postcard types rather than emphasizing a specific topic: European Art Novaeu. I highly recommend this book to beginners. Advanced collectors will probably already know the basic information, including the monetary value of their own topical interests. However, the extensive price list makes a good shelf or shopping reference even for advanced collectors.

No comments about Colonial Beach, Virginia: Playground of the Potomac.