Real photo postcard

Real photo postcards (RPPC) are in essence photographs that are made into postcard size for mailing. They date back to the heyday of picture postcards, c.1899.

They have the same surface finish as photographs of whatever era the image comes from. Therefore, the slick smooth photo finish ("plate finish") doesn't appear on real photo cards until perhaps the 1920s when that finish became popular.

Real photo cards can be made commercially or by private individuals. Those produced by commercial studios usually have an identification written on the negative along with a code or number. These will be printed with the image on the postcard.

Private individuals could also make their own RPPCs. Special cameras using the corresponding film size were sold, and photo prints on correctly sized postcards were developed by pharmacists like any photo or could be developed in a home lab. The legend on the back often is or looks handstamped, Kodak providing pre-printed card print paper with the information.

Privately made RPPCs tend to get the most interest since they are very limited or even possibly unique. Still, if a real photo postcard shows you and your cousin standing outside your house, there will only be a few people in the world that would be interested in it. In any case, identifying locations or people can be problematic with real photos.

Many real photos are unused. Consideration should be made for ones that are actually used, as additional information is available and it makes it into postal history. You will find picture postcard sellers never showing the back, ignoring any postal history content, and you will find cover dealers that will never show the picture side. You can ask to see the other side. If you don't get an answer, then you might be trying to deal with someone who will take your money and pretend to send your order to Mars. 



See

 * Postcard

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