Original Item: One-Of-A-Kind. The postcard was invented in Austria in 1869, as a way of increasing post office business by reducing the time and postage of letter-writing, and their popularity quickly spread throughout Europe. At first only pre-stamped, plain cardboard postcards were used, but soon they carried all manner of artwork and photographs besides their personal message. The postcard industry reached its peak during World War I, as millions of civilians and soldiers sent hasty messages back and forth. Soldiers at the front could only send terse, pre-printed cards from the trenches ("I am well", "I am wounded", "I am in receipt of your letter", etc.), but they could easily find commercial postcards in the villages just behind the front lines.

The civilians on the Home Front had a vast array of sentimental or humorous or patriotic postcards to send to the men in the trenches, as you can see from some of the examples in this album. Photographs and pictures are wonderful social records of the war, but the handwritten messages on the postcards' other side are even more intriguing. It makes you wonder about the soldier who sent them, whether or not they survived the war. A good majority of these postcards have handwriting on either the front, back and even both, making this a wonderful research and translation opportunity!

The front of the album displays a beautiful Austro-Hungarian “Two Headed” crest with Kriegs-Erinnerungen “War Memories” in the lower right corner. The condition is very good and all of the postcards are still vibrant and feature beautiful artwork and actual photographs.

This is a fantastic glimpse into the patriotic side of life during The Great War.

Comes more than ready for research and display!