Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case GG, Shelf 68, Box G

Postcard

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

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
Object type
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 with horseshoes and holly design surrounding toile panel embroidered in coloured silk thread with floral design and greeting. Printed in black and handwritten greeting in pencil on the back.
Dimensions
  • Height: 9cm
  • Width: 14cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Flowers from France' (Embroidered in blue silk within the design)
  • 'To dear Lily & Adeline / with fondest love / from Harold. / October 7th 1917 / xxxx / xxx / B 3. 2' (Handwritten in pencil on the back)
  • 'Fabrication Française' (Printed in black on the back)
Subjects depicted
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.
Collection
Accession number
E.411-2008

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Record createdNovember 18, 2010
Record URL
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