Collection Guide
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Finding Aid for the Collection of postcards and postcard albums, ca. 1890-
1337
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Title: Collection of postcards and postcard albums
Date (inclusive): ca. 1890-
Collection number: 1337
Extent:
188 oversize boxes
Abstract: The first postcards were probably playing cards used as visiting cards (late 17th-early 18th century). They were replaced
by visiting cards and most had pictures and a blank space for the name. Subjects were places of interest or general motifs
and often included messages. Printers printed decorative letter paper using old visiting card plates (1830s) and established
the link from visiting cards to postcards. There were few areas or events not recorded on postcards by the early 1900s. The
collection consists of postcards and novelty cards from various places around the world.
Language: Finding aid is written in
English.
Language of the Material:
Materials are in English.
Repository:
University of California, Los Angeles. Library Special Collections.
Los Angeles, California 90095-1575
Physical location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections
for paging information.
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library
Special Collections for paging information.
Restrictions on Use and Reproduction
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the
creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright
owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Bulk of the collection was received from Dr. Omer L. Sharp and Emily Hildegarde Sharp.
[Identification of item], Collection of postcards and postcard albums (Collection 1337). UCLA Library Special Collections,
Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.
UCLA Catalog Record ID:
4232851
The first postcards were probably playing cards used as visiting cards (late 17th-early 18th century); they were replaced
by visiting cards and most had pictures and a blank space for the name; subjects were places of interest or general motifs
and often included messages; printers printed decorative letter paper using old visiting card plates (1830s) and established
the link from visiting cards to postcards; there were few areas or events not recorded on postcards by the early 1900s; popularity
dropped off after World War I; tourist view cards became the standard after World War II.
Collection consists of postcards from various places around the world. Includes novelty cards.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
picture postcards.
postcard albums.