Postcards with a divided back were finally permitted on
March 1, 1907. The address had to be
written on the right side of the back of the postcard while the left side was
reserved for writing messages. Postcards from this period are most
collectible when they do not have writing on their fronts. At this time in American history the
postcard hobby became a public addiction. Publishers printed millions of cards in
this era. Most postcards were
printed in Germany, the world leader in lithographic processes. At the height of the country wide mania,
WWI caused a crash in the hobby. The
advent of WWI caused the supply of postcards from Germany to end. Poorer quality postcards came from English
and U.S. publishers. The lowered
quality of the printed postcard, recurrent influenza epidemics, and WWI war
shortages killed the American postcard hobby. During the war years the telephone
replaced the postcard as a fast, reliable means to keep in touch.
This web site
is owned and maintained by James M. Luty. Please email any questions or comments to Jim@WaynesboroPaPostcards.com.