By Philip R. Devlin
(February 14, 2026) — Postcards first evolved in Europe in the late 19th century. Originally, cards were designed strictly for the address on one side and a photo on the other. These were called “undivided back” postcards. In 1902 England created “divided back” postcards, cards with a vertical line down the center so that an address could be written on the right side and a message on the left.
American postcards adopted this format on March 1, 1907, and that continues to this day. Postcards became a very popular way of communicating in the Golden Age of Postcards (1907-1915). It cost only one penny to mail them, and millions were mailed throughout the United States and Europe. Many of these had attractive designs, as color lithography was employed to produce them. Significantly, lead was used in this process, as lead is known to deepen the color in the printing process.
Therefore, many of these cards were visually appealing. That appeal has led (no pun intended) to many people aggressively collecting postcards from this era. Labor Day cards, for example, are quite rare and often sell for more than $100 each in collectible condition. The same is true for Halloween cards from this era. Below are three examples of Valentine’s Day cards from the Golden Age:
The first one (above) shows two Cupid figures distributing hearts while riding in an early car. This one is dated 1907.
The second card (1911) shows a stylized red ribbon tied around a red heart. Forget-me-not flowers appear in the foreground.
The third one (1910) is undoubtedly intended to be a humorous depiction of the fact that the course of true love never runs smooth. It depicts a young girl carrying water jugs in a cart that has lost a wheel. She is face down on the ground while a young, anguished boy looks on.
