Postcard History

In Britain, the Post Office issued postcards that did not feature images, and these were printed with a stamp integrated into the design, which was included in the purchase price.

The earliest known printed picture postcard, displaying an image on one side, was produced in France in 1870 at Camp Conlie by Léon Besnardeau (1829–1914). This camp served as a training ground for soldiers during the Franco-Prussian War. The postcards featured a lithographed design that depicted emblematic images of armaments flanking a scroll adorned with the arms of the Duchy of Brittany, along with the inscription "War of 1870. Camp Conlie. Souvenir of the National Defence. Army of Brittany." While these are indeed the first recognized picture postcards, they lacked space for stamps and there is no evidence to suggest they were ever mailed without envelopes.

In the subsequent year, the first known picture postcard, where the image served as a souvenir, was dispatched from Vienna.

The first advertising card emerged in 1872 in Great Britain, followed by the first German card in 1874. The number of cards featuring images surged during the 1880s. The images of the newly constructed Eiffel Tower in 1889 and 1890 spurred the popularity of postcards, leading to what is referred to as the "golden age" of picture postcards in the years following the mid-1890s.