One reason I wanted to showcase this card today is because of its utter gracefulness and loveliness. The other reason is because I wanted to break into the topic of postcard publishers.
This card features a simply-lined sailboat, reflected in the serene waters beside it; evoking foreign shores. Many aspects of good design are evident here. There is contrast with the fluffy clouds in a smooth sky against the linear elements of the sails, spars and ropes. The dull colors surround the sail, drawing the eye inward to the red sail and further in to the yellow patch! The card even has an embossed edge, a frame mimicking a full-size artwork. My friend calls postcards “little works of art” and this card is surely a testament to that.
The word “postcard” instantly conjures up a vacation view in my mind, just as sure as the word “Thanksgiving” brings up “turkey”. And by far, the great majority of postcards are views of towns, buildings and scenic spots. Yet there are multitudinous categories of postcards besides “The View”. There are “Novelty” cards, which means humorous, or at least attempts at humor. A very important category is the “Real Photo Post Card” (RPPC), which can have significant museum-worthy historical value. But today, I think I’d better stick to the category of “Art” postcards. Even so, this category is not homogeneous. Some of these cards are reproductions of works of art in museums; some are works of artists who were successful in other venues, and consented to create works for postcard publishing; and some cards, such as this sailboat, were simply produced with artistic flair.
Okay, I will refrain from ogling this card any further, and get down to identifying and evaluating this card. The design on the back of this card, especially since it is green, suggests that it was produced by John Winsch. (Every Winsch card I have seen has this back.) John Winsch is a publisher admired for high artistic standards. Many of his cards have his name in small letters on the face of the card, and again, many times he will even date the card. This card has no publishing information, no artist information, no message or postmark to date it. But according to Metropolitan Postcard Club*, Winsch was active from 1910 to 1915. Market value of this card is approx. $4-8.00.
*Metropolitan Postcard Club
This site is a diamond mine of information. It is my go-to site for publishers’ information.
