Large-letter postcard

Large-letter postcard featuring Niagara Falls, published c. 1950 by Curt Teich & Co.

Large-letter postcards were a style of postcards popular in North America in the first half of the 20th century, especially the 1930s through the 1950s. The cards are so-called because the name of a tourist destination was printed in three-dimensional block letters, each of which were inset with images of local landmarks.[1] Sometimes called big-letter postcards, many featured the stock phrase "Greetings from..." which was derived from cards in Germany that read Gruss Aus.[2]

The original postcards were "printed on linen-textured paper with a high rag content, allowing absorption of dyes from high-speed German lithographic presses,"[3] thus large-letter postcards are usually a subtype of linen postcards, although the basic design existed earlier.[4] The postcards produced by Curt Teich (rhymes with "like")[5] and competitors were "distinctly American, rendered in an opulent style."[2] The "gaudy dyes" created a vivid and distinct look that consumers loved, and the firm of Curt Teich flourished.[6] The images were usually composed of hand-drawn letters and heavily retouched photographs that became almost painterly through the multiple design and production stages.[4] Large-letter linen postcards usually had divided backs and a bit of information about the location for souvenir collectors.[7] The basic design of a large-letter had existed since 1900 but it was only with the color and design innovations of the 1930s that they "exploded" in popularity.[4] Early designs had unrealistic quality in part because the composing artist had never been to the place depicted, but by the 1940s "color transparencies were being used more extensively as the image source, and pictures started to become more realistic."[5]

In his day, Curt Teich produced cards for all 50 U.S. states and more than 1,000 cities.[5] Tichnor Company also produced large-letter designs.[5] A 50-pane USPS stamp set was issued in 2002 with large-letter postcard imagery from each of the 50 U.S. states.[8]

See also

• History of postcards in the United States

References

1. "Letter". Portland Press Herald. July 11, 1956. p. 18. Retrieved 2023-03-01 – via Newspapers.com.
2. Anne Peck-Davis and Diane Lapis, Zocalo Public Square (November 27, 2018). "The Immigrant Story Behind the Classic "Greetings From" Postcards". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
3. "Stamp issue". The News Tribune. April 4, 2002. p. 47. Retrieved 2023-03-01 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Peate, Zoë (May 17, 2021). "Feature: The Artful History of Vintage Travel Postcards". The Journal of Antiques and Collectibles. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
5. Gable, Gene (April 8, 2004). "Greetings from Big Letters USA". Creative Pro. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
6. "Postcard Collection - History, Appendix A: Manuscripts and Special Collections: NYS Library". New York State Library. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
7. KapsalisE (September 19, 2013). "Postcard History". Smithsonian Institution Archives. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
8. "Greetings from America Stamps". USPS.com. Retrieved 2023-03-01.

Further reading

• Werther, Mark (2002). Linen Postcards: Images of the American Dream. Sentinel Publishing. ISBN 978-0972829106.
• Tenney, Fred (2009). Large letter postcards : the definitive guide, 1930s to 1950s. Kevin Hilbert. Atglen, Pa.: Schiffer Pub. ISBN 978-0-7643-3311-8. OCLC 320188564.
• Willoughby, Martin (1994). A history of postcards : a pictorial record from the turn of the century to the present day. London: Bracken. ISBN 1-85891-162-1. OCLC 30916798.
• Meikle, Jeffrey L. (2015). Postcard America : Curt Teich and the imaging of a nation, 1931–1950. Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 978-1-4773-0859-2. OCLC 925337350.