My classification of the types and genres of postcards
I have assembled this list from various postcard collecting websites as well as my own research and Collection. Where a term is already in popular usage, I have used it but I had added new terms as necessary. Links below go to samples on this site.
- Announcement = created to announce a specific, limited time event
- “At Night” – all black on front but with a city’s name and the words “At Night” – may have illustrated white eyes
- Advertising = designed to promote a company or brand – not sold but given away or mailed in bulk, includes
- Gallery postcard = published by art galleries to announce a showing, mailed to customers or given in the gallery for a limited time (not a Museum postcards that public art galleries sell)
- Giveaway = free for the taking (esp. from hotels & restaurants) to advertise the business
- Rack = given away for free in a rack at restaurants or bars
- Art = front image depicts a work of art
- Comic = usually a single-panel illustrated comic – often humourous
- DIY = do-it-yourself postcards wherein the front image or entire postcard is home-made
- Exaggerations or tall tale = depicting fictional oversized or imaginative creatures or food
- Field-post = given to soldiers during war-time to send home, often depict military themes or locations
- Foldout = a series of images printed on both sides on a long strip of paper but folded into one another to create a standard size for mailing. There are two types 1) “folder” folds accordion style and 2) “foldout” a triptych with 3 panels folding into one
- Glamour = pictures beautiful, alluring, possibly risqué women
- Greetings = similar to greeting cards, sent for life’s special events or “just because”, includes thank-you notes
- Historical = depicts a specific historic event (such as a fair, parade, royal birth, etc.) contemporaneous with the event
- Holiday = depict religious or government holidays, common ones include:
- Humour = delivers a joke via text and images on front – two main types a greeting-type ones with no focus on a specific place on front or vacation ones where the vacation destination and joke are tied together
- Large Letter = features a word (usually a place name) in very large letters
- “Legend of…” = features text of a story, usually of a local legend or historical event
- Map = a actual map is the predominant front image
- Message Face = sender’s message is on the front side (this was required in early days of postcards)
- Museum = sold by museums, historic sites, or public art galleries to promote the institution or specific items in their collection ( includes travelling exhibits)
- Multi-image = front image is comprised of multiple images which can be separated by frames for a montage, or blended together into a collage (also known as multiview)
- Novelty/ Gimmick = any postcard that isn’t a standard size, shape, format, or material or includes something really different to get buyers’ attention can include:
- Appliqué – non-paper materials (e.g. fabric) adhered to front
- Cut through – a shape is cut through the postcard
- 3D / Lenticular– simulates three-dimensional imagery
- Mechanical – has moving points
- Non-paper – made of any material other than paper (or linen) such as bark, metal, cork, plastic, etc.
- Pullout = attached pouch with a strip of images to pull out
- Squeakers – makes noise
- Real Photo = uses real photographs for front image. These can be official in that they are printer with a firm backing or by individuals who use photographs as postcards
- Recipe = front has actual recipe usually of a locally famous or bizarre dish with a photo of the dish too
- Reminder = originally sent to remind people to write (a letter) but now sent by organizations to remind customers to call for an appointment (e.g. dentists, financial advisors)
- Repro postcard = reproduction of old postcards
- Topical postcard = postcards with imagery focusing on a theme or concept (such as animals, food, or religion)
- View postcard = postcards with a view of a place (typical type of postcard sent on vacation), includes:
- Birds’ eye = view of a place (usually landscapes or cityscapes) from an airplane or high-building
- Giant things = photographs of real giant sculptures, installations, or creations
Bad, Boring, Bizarre & Tacky
My favourite types of postcards aren’t actually a category such much as a subjective judgement, but they are by far the most fun!
- Bad – poor quality imagery or subject matter of postcard front, makes one wonder “Why would they make a postcard of that?” or “Why did they use that image?”
- Bizarre – pretty much begs the question “WTF” – these postcards either feature imagery or subject matter that makes no sense or is just mentally disturbing or they can just feature life’s real oddities
- Boring – similar to bad postcards these are professionally crafted, it’s just the subject matter (e.g. plain buildings) is boring – often the photos don’t help
- Kitsch – tacky or tasteless imagery or subject matter
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