The Real Photo Postcard Guide is an informative, comprehensive, and practical treatment of this wildly popular American phenomenon that dominated the United States photographic market during the first third of the twentieth century. Robert Bogdan and Todd Weseloh draw on extensive research and observation to address all aspects of the photo postcard from its history, origin, and cultural significance to practical matters like dating, purchasing, condition, and preservation. Illustrated with over 350 exceptional photo postcards taken from archives and private collections across the country, the scope of the Real Photo Postcard Guide spans technical considerations of production, characteristics of superior images, collecting categories, and methods of research for dating photo postcards and investigating their photographers. In a broader sense, the authors show how "real photo postcards" document the social history of America. From family outings and workplace awards to lynchings and natural disasters, every image captures a moment of American cultural history from the society that generated them. Bogdan and Weseloh’s book provides an admirable integration of informative text and compelling photographic illustrations. Collectors, archivists, photographers, photo historians, social scientists, and anyone interested in the visual documentation of America will find the Real Photo Postcard Guide indispensable.

This book will serve generations to come as the definitive book on buying and collecting the beautiful, 1930s to 1950s era large letter linen postcards. Over 2,300 large letter postcards are documented, with a carefully researched value for each card. This will assist dealers to fairly price their postcards and protect the collector from overpaying. There is a detailed history of the postcards and information about the designers and manufacturers. Graphic artists will find inspiration for new approaches to art and advertising. A wide assortment of colorful cards was selected to be shown big, making this a wonderful coffee table book, with crossover appeal in collecting, advertising, graphic design, historical research, and arts and crafts.

A Guide Book of Collectible Postcards "takes you on a unique trip into the past. Inside this book, you'll find cards of high society and lowbrow humor, natural disasters, social, political, and religious movements, popular artists' illustrations, newspaper comics, circus animals, early movie stars, athletes, planes, trains, automobiles, and the corner general store--and much more! Authors Q. David Bowers and Mary L. Martin share decades of experience in buying, selling, and collecting. They guide you from the earliest postcards of the 1870s to the Golden Age of the 1890s through the Great War, and to the modern chrome postcards found on store racks today."--Publishers website.

Over 2,000 post cards are featured in this interesting and informative look at this popular paper collectible. It contains a special full-color section and displays cards on subjects of holidays, trains, children, military, and many more. 2006 values.