The Postcard Museum
Postcard Terminology
Some of the more specialist terminology used in describing postcards on the Postcard Museum website. Back to home page.
Applique - A term used to describe a postcard which has some form of cloth, metal or other embellishment attached to it.
Bas Relief - Postcards with a heavily raised surface, giving a papier-mache appearance.
Composites - A number of individual cards, that when placed together in a group, form a larger picture.
Court Cards - The official size for British postcards between 1894–1899, measuring 115mm x 89mm.
Deltiology - the term used for the study and collecting of postcards.
Divided Back - Postcards with a back divided into two sections, one for the message, the other for the address. British cards were first divided in 1902 and American cards in 1907.
Early - A term loosely used to describe any card issued before the Divided Back was introduced.
Embossed - Postcards with a raised surface.
Hold-to-Light- postcards with cut out areas to show the light.
Intermediate Size - The link between Court Cards and Standard Size, measuring 130mm x 80mm.
Midget Postcards - Novelty cards of the size 90mm x 70mm.
Novelty - Any postcard which deviates in any way from the norm. Cards which do something, or have articles attached to them, or are printed in an unusual size or on strange materials.
Oilette - A trade name used by Raphael Tuck to describe postcards reproduced from original paintings.
Real Photographic - Abbreviated to 'RP'. Used to describe postcards produced by a photographic rather than a printing process.
Reward Cards - Cards that were given away to school children for good work. These were often produced by companies and used as a form of advertising.
Standard Size - Introduced in Britain in November 1899, measuring 140mm x 89mm
Topographical - A term used to describe postcards showing street scenes and general views of particular geographic areas.
Undivided Back - Describes postcards with a plain back where all of this space was used for the address.
Write-Away - Used to describe a card with the opening line of a sentence, which the sender would then complete. Often found on early comic cards.
Contact us to add any important terms you feel we've missed out.
