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Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case GG, Shelf 68, Box G

Postcard

1914-1918 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
France (made)

By the early 20th Century greetings postcards had overtaken folder cards in popularity as they were cheaper to post. A ban on Christmas cards to conserve supplies of paper was mooted during the First World War but the idea was abandoned in the interests of maintaining the troops' morale. A thriving market in embossed and embroidered postcards grew up in France for servicemen from both sides in the conflict to send home to loved ones.


Object details

Categories
Embroidery
Greeting Cards
Object type
Postcard
Materials and techniques
Blind-embossing and letterpress on card, and silk embroidery on toile
Brief description
Postcard, embroidered, France, World War I, 1914-1918.
Physical description
Postcard in landscape format with blind-embossed border surrounding toile panel embroidered in coloured silk thread with floral design and greeting. Printed on the back in black.
Dimensions
  • Height: 9cm
  • Width: 13.9cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Sweet Remembrance' (Embroidered in blue silk within the design)
  • 'Carte Postale - Postcard / CORRESPONDANCE / ADRESSE / M / VISE Paris et Exportation J. S. Paris - Déposé' (On the back, printed in black)
  • 'C25329' (On the back, bottom left corner, handwritten in black ink)
Subjects depicted
Flowers
Ornament
Summary
By the early 20th Century greetings postcards had overtaken folder cards in popularity as they were cheaper to post. A ban on Christmas cards to conserve supplies of paper was mooted during the First World War but the idea was abandoned in the interests of maintaining the troops' morale. A thriving market in embossed and embroidered postcards grew up in France for servicemen from both sides in the conflict to send home to loved ones.
Other number
c25329
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.413-2008

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Record createdNovember 3, 2010
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1175112/postcard-unknown/
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