Friday, June 25, 2010

Postcard Friendship Friday

Postcard Friendship Friday is hosted by the lovely Beth. Be sure to visit!

More postcards from Fibber McGee and Molly's closet!


San Jose Mission


"In the Gardens of San Jose Mission, San Antonio, Texas"


San Jose Mission


"San Jose Mission. Outstanding among the old buildings which link the modern city of San Antonio with its glamorous past is Mission San Jose de Aguayo. This mission called "Queen of the Missions" its Rose Window is considered a masterpiece of sculpture."


HIghest Point in Texas


"The End of Guadalupe Range, The Highest Point in Texas, Elevation 10,000 FT."


Highest Point In Texas


"The End of Guadalupe Range, The Highest Point Texas"

"The Signal Peak, as seen from highway to White's City, N. M. and Carlsbad Caverns National Park. It is the highest oint in Texas and is just across the New Mexico state line on El Paso - Carlsbad Caverns Highway."

(I love that there is no highway number ... just the El Paso-Carlsbad Caverns Highway ... times have certainly changed. Note the highway has two lanes.)

Linen postcards were printed from 1930 through 1945. They have a unique and appealing look. The thick paper was embossed on the picture side to give the card a “linen” texture, and the cheap inks created vivid colors.


The postcards I've been sharing with you were printed by Curt Teich & Co. (Chicago). They used a color printing technique they called “C.T. Art-Colortone”. Until it closed in 1978, The Teich Company was the world’s largest printer of view and advertising postcards.

Vintage linen postcards have become prized by some collectors, and there’s even a book about them. The linen postcards usually portrayed landmarks, landscapes, and roadside attractions from photographs, but some were more illustrative. They were printed on a lithography press using color separation.

Beginning in the late 1940s, linen postcards fell out of fashion when polychrome printing was invented. However, Curt Teich still used the C.T. Art-Colortone technique on smooth-surface “French Fold” postcards from 1951.

Edit:
There was a question about French Fold ... here's what I found:
"French Fold" postcards where a number of images were printed on a long strip. These were then folded "concertina" style.

18 comments:

  1. These are fabulous Snap. That post card shows so well the walls at the mission in San Antonio! Mystery arrived, thanks, maybe I will dive into it on Sunday.
    xox Corrine

    ReplyDelete
  2. I couldn't figure out what this meant:

    "However, Curt Teich still used the C.T. Art-Colortone technique on these smooth-surface “French Fold” postcards from 1951."

    ReplyDelete
  3. The history of the linen postcards and its printing company is very interesting. I really like it that PFF posts such as this one are keeping the history of the postcard alive. Thanks and happy PFF!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love vintage linen postcards, snap! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. The Guadalupe card is beautiful. I love old roads on cards when you can compare then and now.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What lovely, soft, and faded colors... that to match the colors found in the wilds of west!
    Happy Friday!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love the look of these cards, somehow they seem richer. I am particularly fond of arches in pictures so the first one offering an arch within an arch - double the pleasure. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Incredible colour tones in these cards! I am amazed that linen was used! Amazing, enchanting effect!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm just blown away by the linen postcards. Don't you wish you could resurrect that technique? Happy PFF mine is here.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lovely cards, with dramatic perspectives. I especially like the arches.

    ReplyDelete
  11. You are so right about the prized linen postcards... I have many in my collection... going to a postcard show in the morning hope to find some more!

    thanks for sharing, PFF!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Interesting post, beautiful cards. I seem to have a lot of these linen cards, and didn't realize they were quite so old. Thanks for the info!

    ReplyDelete
  13. stunning cards...i love those Curt Teich linens - sadly they are hard to find here in italy and i have only a couple in my own collection! thanks for sharing on PFF!

    ReplyDelete
  14. These are absolutely wonderful--I love the linen look about these postcards!

    Happy PFF!

    Don't forget to visit Gemma's Mailbox meme--I forgot to add in the link on PFF--but it's there now!

    ReplyDelete
  15. More gorgeous postcards! I actually have a few of the linen postcards and several of the French fold ones.

    ReplyDelete
  16. You know what I love about your blog, Snap? Everytime I come here I learn something! It's amazing!

    Also, now I want that T Shirt down there :-)

    Good to see you again!
    XOXOXOX
    Rhonda Roo
    Roo's Treehouse

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wonderful old postcards! I love the linen-look cards and could kick myself now for not picking up a box of them I saw at a yard sale a couple of months back. Too late now!

    ReplyDelete

'And so I greet you, not as the world sends greetings, but with profound esteem and the desire that for you, now and forever, the day breaks and the shadows flee away.' - Fra Giovanni
We are all so busy these days. It means a lot that you dropped in to visit and left a comment. I hope you come back to visit soon.